- Destinations, Education, Entertainment, Explore with Cassie, Food & Beverage, Latest News, Lifestyle
Refresh your Soul in the Turquoise Caribbean Sea at S Hotel Montego Bay, Jamaica
Photos, videos and story by Cassie Hepler Doctor’s Cave beach is said to have healing powers which is why it’s the Jamaican gem! S Hotel Montego Bay is an all-inclusive resort in Montego Bay, Jamaica set right on this beach with lounge chairs, trees and drinks to enjoy while you swim your heart out or live your best life relaxing in the shade or soaking up the sunshine. Half of the beach is meant for guests only as well with plenty of lifeguards nearby so you can swim without worry. Located only 5 minutes from the Sangster International Airport, you can be getting your feet wet, sandy and your palate…
- 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…
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How 5 Gyres is Fighting Microplastics: A California Love Story of Activism and Science
Meet Anna Cummins and Marcus Eriksen: the Environmental Power Couple Behind 5 Gyres Story by Irina Abraham Somewhere among the California hills, there lies a piece of paradise adorned with legends of Steve McQueen’s buried motorcycles, carefully crafted dinosaur sculptures, and breathtaking sunsets. The most fascinating thing about this place is its residents: there is a poet, a gold-bearing athlete, a muralist, and a promising young filmmaker. A power couple runs the place – Anna Cummins and Marcus Eriksen. They have sailed the roaring seas, unearthed precious dinosaur bone, and were a part of a team that discovered plastic micro beads were taking over The Great Lakes. Lucky to be…
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How to Plan a Visit to Cinque Terre, the Italian Riviera’s Hidden Gem
How to Plan a Visit to the Cinque Terre (and What to See) Cinque Terre is perhaps the most quintessential spot along the Italian Riviera. Here’s what to see and where to stay. The Italian Riviera offers travelers a plethora of beauty, with eye-feasting blue waters, rugged coastlines, and brightly colored villages for as far as the eye can see. Perhaps the most quintessential spot is the Cinque Terre – a string of five fishing villages: Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore – connected by its own scenic trail. The Cinque Terre villages were once a well-kept local secret and are now an unspoiled Italian gem – with perfectly preserved…
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Explore with Cassie Celebrates 10 Years of Lifestyle & Travel Blogging at Chateau Luxe
Story, videos by Cassie Hepler, Photography by Brian Delfin It’s the 10 year blogaversary Great Gastby party that almost wasn’t! And I couldn’t tell anyone until afterwards because it would have freaked people out. I’ve learned the hard way through the years that you cannot spook the guest list with an oversold status or the other way, an event that may not happen. So I kept it to myself… until now. Over the winter while I was busy writing up a freelance storm and planning for my father to visit, Chateau Luxe had closed its beloved Wander Speakeasy and changed the business model to a private event space. It still…
- 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
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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Cruising the Mediterranean to Greece, Italy and Turkey with Royal Caribbean
Story, photos by Dave Brosius Twenty years of marriage calls for something bigger than a mere sampler platter and a couple umbrella drinks. I know, you think I mean “also the cheesecake”. And while not wrong per se, you can do better. We say, plan an adventure that would be sure to put a mammoth-sized dent in the savings that you’ll have to explain to your accountant later with a car. The kind with the heavy card stock and embossed gold foil. Sorry, Sheila! So how did we mark our first 20 years? After a little debate, we came to a conclusion: A two week Mediterranean Cruise to Greece, Turkey,…
- Day Trips, Destinations, Entertainment, Explore with Cassie, Food & Beverage, Latest News, Lifestyle
All Aboard the Moshulu, the World’s Oldest & Largest Tall Ship with Restaurant in Philadelphia
Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler The last time I visited the Moshulu Philly, it was to attend the launch of The Deck Philly which was in 2017, right before I moved to Arizona that New Year. Since then a lot has happened including Covid knocking out a ton of amazing restaurants and locations across Philadelphia which I’m discovering as I’m digging through archives on Explore with Cassie (formerly Explore-Philly.com) and having to throw in the digital trash sadly. The timing of all of this is very odd or maybe serendipitous, a lot of photos that are not supposed to be attached to the old site are somehow breaking…
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Spring Was in the Air (and the Food) at the Rittenhouse Row Spring Festival Preview Party
Story, photos By Jill Beckel The 2017 Rittenhouse Row Spring Festival Preview Party featured cuisine from Rittenhouse Row’s best restaurants, cocktails from their best bartenders, informal modeling of spring trends from Rittenhouse Row member boutiques and salons, and a silent auction with Rittenhouse Row experiences and merchandise. Located at the Hyatt at the Bellevue, food and beverages were provided by: 24 Wood Fired Fare, a.bar, a.kitchen, Alma de Cuba, Barclay Prime, Baril, Ben & Jerry’s, Butcher and Singer, CODA, The Dandelion, D’Angelo’s, Davio’s, Devon, Di Bruno Bros., Garces Restaurants, Lacroix, Marathon Grill, Metropolitan Bakery, Mission Taqueria, Parc, Rita’s Italian Ice, Rouge, Schweid & Sons, Termini Bros. Bakery, Verts, Bar Volver, Wrap…
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Falling in Love with Breathless Resorts in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Story, photos by Cassie Hepler Since I was a teen, I wanted to live a bi-coastal life with my favorite seasons on the East Coast (Spring, Summer and Fall) and escape chilly Philly to somewhere warm in the winter (usually California and sometimes Florida). Perhaps I don’t own any warm weather property (yet) however I can escape the cold to the land of sunshine and lollipops, especially now that my back is fixed up with no pain and I’m literally less than 5 degrees curved now from scoliosis fusion surgery! So this trip was extra special and an encouragement from my Scoliosis Inspire & Inform group to take a one-year…
