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Explore With Cassie

Lifestyle & travel blog finding the unusual out of the ordinary.

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  • Destinations,  Education,  Entertainment,  Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News,  Lifestyle

    Marriott Irvine Spectrum Offers Restful, Upscale Hotel to Explore Orange County, California

    October 6, 2025 /

     Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler I’ve been a Marriott Bonvoy member since I was a teenager. Starting at Penn State University at 17 years old because my birthday is in September, it’s been a no brainer to rack up points with a brand I can rely on for this extra picky back – and now neck. So I don’t have to stress out over is the bed good? Will I be in more pain? Those issues don’t exist when booking with Marriott. I already know and that’s what keeps me coming back. So when Destination Irvine reached out, it was easy breezy and my first press trip…

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    Cassie Hepler

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    Your Packing List for Great Wolf Lodge in Scottsdale, Arizona

    November 11, 2024

    Cruise Along the Pacific Beach on 17 Mile Drive in Monterey, California

    April 19, 2018

    Polish Your Soul and Your Plate in Sedona, Arizona

    January 5, 2023
  • Day Trips,  Destinations,  Education,  Entertainment,  Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News,  Lifestyle

    Relax at the Low Key Westin Hotels & Resorts in Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico

    February 3, 2025 /

    Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler First things first, let’s talk about location as there are many Westin hotels in Cancun, Mexico and this one is tucked away on its own slice of heaven. The Westin Hotels & Resorts in Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico is where I escaped on an I-forced-myself-to-take vacation which internally I was kicking and screaming not to go as there was so much work to be done. Once you become a lifestyle and travel blogger, it is hard to turn if off when not traveling for work but I am happy to say I did create and take content but only because I wanted to…

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    Cassie Hepler

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    Hike Point Lobos State Park in Monterey, California Where Land Meets Sea for Spectacular Views

    August 31, 2018

    Small Businesses Reopen in Funky, Artsy Town of Claremont, CA

    September 20, 2021

    Explore the Largest Medieval Gothic Palace in the World at Palais des Papes in Avignon, France

    January 12, 2026
  • Destinations,  Education,  Entertainment,  Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News,  Lifestyle

    Marriott Puerto Vallarta, Mexico Offers Beachside Relaxation Minutes from the Airport

    November 4, 2024 /

    Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler Nestled on a sandy strip between the Sierra Madre Mountains and Banderas Bay in Mexico, Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa offers a combination of zen, nature and fun in the sun. We had been discussing this visit for months, finally making it a reality seemed so surreal and I was psyched. I ended up talking to a former teacher turned principal on the plane most of the flight down, discussing philosophy and the meaning of life. Pretty heavy travel talk, but I loved it! This mountain-meets-ocean resort is only 7 minutes from the Puerto Vallarta airport which is a relief in itself…

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    Cassie Hepler

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    Las Posadas of Sedona, Arizona is a Hidden Gem Boutique Hotel with Homemade Breakfast

    November 25, 2024

    Explore Islas Marías, Former Prison Islands in Nayarit, Mexico

    October 30, 2023

    Small Businesses Reopen in Funky, Artsy Town of Claremont, CA

    September 20, 2021
  • Destinations,  Education,  Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News,  Lifestyle

    Escape to Paradiso at Hacienda Del Mar in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

    September 5, 2023 /

    Story, photos by Cassie Hepler Imagine being whisked away from the Cabo San Lucas, Mexico airport by a private driver in your air conditioned SUV via Transcabo with an ice-cold bottle of water waiting for you. Then you are delivered to a Spanish style resort with 11 sprawling acres and a pretty darn private beach because there are no other resorts around. And you’re only 35 minutes from the airport and 20 minutes away from town! If you like to hunker down and just relax, this is your dream escape from the daily grind. My first trip to Cabo was in 2017, right before I decided to move to Arizona…

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    Cassie Hepler

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    Live like a Queen in an 1,000 Year Old Castle, Castel di Luco in Italy

    June 8, 2026

    Merkin Vineyards in Arizona Offers Outstanding Reds, Food and Music

    January 12, 2021

    Relax and Enjoy Slow, Southern Style in Clarksville, Tennessee

    September 26, 2018
  • Education,  Explore with Cassie,  Latest News

    Brain Injury Association of Pennsylvania’s 2022 Conference

    June 25, 2023 /

    Penn Square is pictured on an early Sunday morning from my room at the Lancaster Marriott Hotel. so much depends upon a cooling device affixed to myfather in the operating roomtheatre (With apologies to William Carlos Williams) Story, photos by Sharon Kozden On an otherwise ordinary weekend in 2012, my father walked a short distance on a treadmill before failing miserably his cardiac stress test. He was subsequently hospitalized and scheduled for double-bypass surgery on Monday with a cardiothoracic surgeon who shared his Polish ancestry. That weekend, however, Dr. Ray Singer (of Jewish descent) was the attending surgeon. I remember sitting in a sterile hospital room with my dad—he of…

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    Sharon Kozden

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    Go Truffle Hunting, Foraging for Flowers & Shopping in Force with Italy Charme

    June 15, 2026

    HGTV’s The Scott Brother’s Hit Merriam Theater for “An All Out Party with 2,000 of Their Best Friends”

    September 6, 2017

    Four Seasons Scottsdale Hosts The Lost Explorer Mezcal & Tequila Launch in Arizona

    April 7, 2025
  • Destinations,  Education,  Entertainment,  Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News

    Escape to a Slice of Heaven in Catalina Island, California

    February 5, 2023 /

    Story, photos by Cassie Hepler (unless otherwise noted), I’ve officially dubbed Santa Catalina Island California’s mini Hawaii, minus the natives and hefty price tag. It has that same laid back, relaxing yet magical vibe. Situated 22 miles southwest from Los Angeles, CA, it feels like another world away as it is only accessible by boat. Our transportation choice was the Catalina Express, which offers three ports to choose from: San Pedro, Long Beach and Dana Point. Long Beach was closest for me driving in the day before from Phoenix but others are just as well. With up to 30 departures a day, it’s a no brainer to take this vessel…

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    Cassie Hepler

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    Marriott Irvine Spectrum Offers Restful, Upscale Hotel to Explore Orange County, California

    October 6, 2025

    Don’t Steal from the Petrified Forest in Arizona

    April 23, 2021

    Relax in the Small Town of Wilsonville, Just South of Portland, Oregon

    April 10, 2024
  • Destinations,  Entertainment,  Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News

    Marriott Phoenix Chandler Hotel Adds Luxury and Class to Chandler, Arizona

    July 29, 2020 /

    Story, photos by Cassie Hepler (unless otherwise noted) We love finding hidden gems. Although this one is not so hidden because the Marriott Phoenix Chandler is not only the largest legacy brand full service Marriott in the state (128,000 square feet total), the 264-room property features the greatest amount of hotel conference space in the area at 28,000 feet. Located in the bustling Price Corridor, it is managed by Cincinnati-based Winegardner & Hammons Hotel Group, LLC., an affiliate company of the Pyramid Hotel Group, which is one of the predominant hotel management companies in the United States. With easy access to Loop 101 and Loop 202, we thought it would…

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    Cassie Hepler

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    Hurricane Irma Displaces Single Dad, Daughter to New Jersey

    September 25, 2017

    The Inn at Villanova: Brainstorm and Stay the Nova Way at New Hotel

    January 18, 2018

    Grounds for Sculpture in Trenton, New Jersey a Stunning of Display of an Art Garden

    September 18, 2017
  • Entertainment,  Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News,  Lifestyle

    Masked Ball to Benefit UNCF Unveiled at Philadelphia’s Marriott Downtown

    July 16, 2020 /

    Tanya Amir displays poise and grace befitting her crown and title. “Though it be a thrilling and marvelous thing to be merely young and gifted in such times, it is doubly so, doubly dynamic, to be young, gifted and Black.” – Lorraine Hansberry Story, photos by Sharon Kozden March 7th was an extraordinary evening in Philadelphia … as fabulous as the many previous nights’ events I had covered in the city during my several years as a photojournalist. The eighth annual UNCF Mayor’s Masked Ball held at Center City’s Philadelphia Marriott Downtown was in full swing and shaping up to be far and away a memorable grand time in one…

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    Sharon Kozden

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    Dramatic Fine Dining at Elvira’s DC Ranch in North Scottsdale

    May 5, 2025

    Barking Up the Right Tree with 2024’s National Dog Show at Greater Philadelphia Expo Center

    December 23, 2024

    Derby Day Watch Party Was on Track at Rosalie Restaurant in Wayne, PA

    May 20, 2024
  • Destinations,  Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News

    Away Spa at W Scottsdale Whisks Your Stress Away

    March 2, 2020 /

    Story, photos by Cassie Hepler Not the way you want to wake up on an early Friday morning… to a text from your father saying your grandfather passed away. I was immediately in flight and internal fight mode and to be honest a hot mess on the inside as I couldn’t make it back to the East Coast in time for the funeral. The last thing I wanted to do was face people but I had booked a hosted morning of pampering at Away Spa at W Scottsdale in Scottsdale, Arizona for my blog weeks ago and knew that it would actually help me in the long run. So with…

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    Cassie Hepler

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    Behind the Scenes Interview at Atlantic City Boardwalk Con with Founder Mike D’Alessio and Mayor Don Guardian

    May 16, 2015

    Enjoy Desert Zen at Rancho de Los Caballeros Ranch Spa in Wickenburg, Arizona

    November 18, 2024

    All Aboard the Moshulu, the World’s Oldest & Largest Tall Ship with Restaurant in Philadelphia

    August 5, 2024

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