- Day Trips, Destinations, Education, Entertainment, Explore with Cassie, Food & Beverage, Latest News, Lifestyle
Taste a Sip of Tuscany at Allegretto Vineyard Resort in Paso Robles, California
Story, videos and photos by Cassie Hepler On the road again to Paso Robles, California! Just off Highway 46 East, these rolling hills have evolved into a buzzing area full of new wineries and tasting rooms. And I was so excited to begin the journey by staying at Allegretto Vineyard Resort. You can get the taste and vibes of Italy without the airline price tag with its Tuscan-style architecture, museum-caliber artwork, spa, restaurant, lamas, sheep, vineyard tour and gardens. Owned by the Ayres family, we put it to the test to see if it does indeed compare to Tuscany as I was just there in Spring. With its upscale tasting…
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How to do the Spanish New Year Grape Tradition Properly
Let’s explore the Spanish New Year grape tradition everyone keep getting wrong! Learn the common mistakes New Year’s Eve revellers make with las doce uvas de la suerte to bring genuine luck for the year ahead. Doing it the Spanish way makes the tradition far more fun and meaningful. When you understand the cultural significance behind las doce uvas, it turns from a novelty into something genuinely special. In recent years, Brits and Americans alike celebrating New Year’s Eve have started joining in with Spain’s beloved grape tradition, but many are unknowingly missing the mark entirely. The ritual, known as “las doce uvas de la suerte” (the 12 grapes of…
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Spain’s Most Beautiful Autumn Coastal Road Trips
Explore six stunning seaside routes perfect for October and November road tripping adventures in Spain! Every autumn, Spain’s coastline transforms into something magical. While summer crowds pack the beaches, October and November offer a completely different experience, one where golden light dances on quieter shores and harvest festivals celebrate the season’s bounty. Driving in Spain in the fall requires different preparation from summer trips. Road surfaces can be more unpredictable with morning dew and occasional rain, so we recommend checking tire tread depth before exploring. Your braking system works harder on wet coastal roads and if you notice any unusual sounds or reduced responsiveness, address these issues before your trip…
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Seven Unusual Travel Superstitions from Around the World
My lucky number is seven. I was born on September 7, my phone number has 7 in it and my house has 7s in the land square footage. So I guess I am also superstitious after all! I don’t know what it is exactly but it gives me peace when I see it and know things are flowing in the right way. Travel stress is certainly a real feeling due to concerns around potential airport delays, disruptions or mishaps abroad. Some say air travel causes more anxiety than filing taxes or visiting the dentist! I would agree with the taxes but am the weirdo that likes the dentist – so…
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Explore The Odyssey’s Viking Ship Draken Harald Hårfagre in Oslo, Norway
Story by Cassie Hepler, Submitted Images and Video The Odyssey’s Viking Ship Draken Harald Hårfagre is blowing up! Not literally but visitors are going wild over the real Viking ship movie producer Christopher Nolan told the LA Times “became a character in the movie.” She’s the 115-foot Viking longship that carries Matt Damon‘s Odysseus throughout The Odyssey, built using traditional Norwegian boatbuilding methods and crewed by the actual sailors who worked directly into the shoot as extras. Since the film opened, she’s seen a real spike in visitors at the dock in Oslo, Norway with people coming out just to see the ship in person. She’s open to the public…
- Destinations, Education, Entertainment, Explore with Cassie, Food & Beverage, Latest News, Lifestyle
Go Truffle Hunting, Foraging for Flowers & Shopping in Force with Italy Charme
Truffle Hunting in Italy Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler Go truffle hunting in Italy! No pigs here at Agriturismo Ramusè but sweet dogs sniffing out the golden mushrooms, Cocker Spaniel mixes of the tan colored Electra and fuzzy Briciola. These pricey pups either come pre-trained at $3,000 to $7,000 Euro per dog or you can hire a Northern Italy truffle dog trainer for about $1,000 Euro a month. Paolo Ciccioli, owner of Agriturismo Ramusè and former truffle exporter to London, led us on a mountainside adventure in the drizzling rain where the black mushrooms were almost popping out of the ground because of the downpour. I thoroughly enjoyed…
- Destinations, Education, Entertainment, Explore with Cassie, Food & Beverage, Latest News, Lifestyle
Live like a Queen in an 1,000 Year Old Castle, Castel di Luco in Italy
Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler Sleep like a queen in a 1,000 year old castle! Castel di Luco is said to be built on a sacred forest where Pagan rites were celebrated because of the magical waters lurking below. Evidence of the castle goes back as far as 1052 and has survived religious rulers, aristocratic families, invasions, liberations, prisoners, murders, births, marriages and no doubt illicit love affairs fit for a modern day romance novel. Throughout all this time, it has maintained its status as one of the rarest and most unique castles in Italy’s Piceno region, with a surprisingly intact appearance as a medieval architectural structure. We…
- Destinations, Education, Entertainment, Explore with Cassie, Food & Beverage, Latest News, Lifestyle
Escape to a Fairytale Fever Dreamscape at Il Falconiere in Cortona, Tuscany Italy
Luxury Wine Resort in Cortona Tuscany, Italy Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler Behold the beauty of Il Falconiere Relais & Spa, an elegant 17th-century country residence on the hillsides of Cortona, Tuscany! This was truly a hidden countryside gem in Italy and welcome restful retreat of relaxation, nature and wellness, carefully crafted to be delightful fairytale couture by Silvia and Benedetto Baracchi. Cypress trees, umbrella pines, olive trees and vineyards as far as the eye can see are spotted with stone buildings with terracotta-colored walls while the healthiest, shiniest chickens and roosters roam the grounds. Flowers were blooming everywhere for spring which was intoxicating to the senses. Relais…
- Destinations, Education, Entertainment, Explore with Cassie, Food & Beverage, Latest News, Lifestyle
Spend 24 Hours in the Mountain Town of Norcia, Umbria in Italy
Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler Norcia is located in the mountains of Italy at 6,500 feet altitude! About two and a half hours Northwest of Rome, Norcia is a small town in the east of the province of Perugia, in the central region of Umbria. It is smack dab in the center of the Monti Sibillini National Park, with endless rolling mountains, an ideal destination for nature lovers, hikers and skiers. In 2016, a 6.6-magnitude quake hit the small town shaking up the medieval basilica of St. Benedict in Norcia among other structures and was Italy’s strongest earthquakes in decades. The town is very busy bringing itself back…
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Explore an Italian Castle and Wine at the Top of Charming Village of Dolceacqua
Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler Take a day trip to the dreamy small village of Dolceacqua near Sanremo, Italy! This charming town sits at the base of French border town Dolceacqua about a half hour away with the Doria Castle climbing high in the sky and is the location of the Pinacoteca Giovanni Morscio, a museum dedicated to the works of local painter Morscio (1887–1972) and other 20th-century Italian and French artists. It is also known for its medieval bridge somehow suspended in air by stone and physics, which was painted by Claude Monet. The is one of the many day trips Europa Palace Sanremo offers guests. If…
