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Hey You Guys! Calling The Goonies Movie Buffs to Astoria, Oregon
Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler I’ve been wanting to visit the Goonies house since I first saw the movie! And it was always on my to do travel bucket list – that and the Oregon Coast as well. So when the press trip worked out well for exploring Wilsonville, Oregon who then connected me with the Cannon Beach tourism board, it was on like Donkey Kong. However in my confused travel state, I didn’t realize it until well after I had explored the small beach town above and tacked it on to the drive back toward the airport as suggested by the amazing staff at the tourism center.…
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Relax in the Small Town of Wilsonville, Just South of Portland, Oregon
Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler Never travel for business during Spring Break! That’s the first moral of this story as I always have to learn things the hard way… I booked a flight at the crack o’ dawn through Southwest so I could hit the ground running on a Monday morning to make the week last extra long. In theory, it’s a good idea during any other time of the year and you will fly through security at Phoenix Airport with time to spare. But this time was a Spring Break shit show at 5 a.m. with lines crawling down the hallway with the progression of a snail.…
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Float Through The Flower Fields in Carlsbad, California
Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler As part of a girls getaway to The Cassara Carlsbad in San Diego, California, my college bestie and I met up for a flower-filled feminine rendez-vous with the key highlight of visiting the glorious Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch. And part of that experience includes being dropped off by the hotel shuttle right in front of the entrance to the flower fields even though it is walkable from The Cassara. It was still humid, cool and misty, especially for this Phoenician but not enough to need a sweater which worked perfectly for our pretty, flowing dresses and my curly hair. There are 55…
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Explore Islas Marías, Former Prison Islands in Nayarit, Mexico
Story, photos, videos by Cassie Hepler If you have a dark edge to your soul like me, this all-the-feels Islas Marías (Mary Islands) will resonate well. I have this new thing I do, where I say yes to everything and figure it out later. This trip was one of those yes moments while I was still on a private press trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. I had no clue what I was agreeing to but I’m always up for an adventure, twice if I like it. Here’s the thing about Mexico: it’s got a bad rap in the United States even though honestly, the United States is starting to…
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Fly to Puerto Vallarta Airport and Explore Nayarit, Mexico
Story, photos, video by Cassie Hepler Flying on an early morning flight from Phoenix Sky Harbor, Arizona to Puerto Vallarta Airport went pretty smoothly with a hosted American Airlines aisle seat. Mind you, international flights call for a two hour arrival buffer time although it makes no sense as you can check in online and just find your gate fast especially with TSA pre-check but airlines haven’t caught up yet I guess. Also, try not to check your luggage. You really don’t need all that stuff you packed, trust me. I’ll make a basic bitch carry on travel bag blog post soon, I promise. Much like the Cabo San Lucas…
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Explore Chacchoben Ruins and Blue Lagoon in Costa Maya, Mexico
Photos, story by Cassie Hepler When I was planning which cruise to take with Princess Cruises, I was obsessed with the 10 day cruise from Galveston, Texas because it included the Cayman Islands and Belize. As part of the press trip package, we were limited to 7 days so I chose the one that included Costa Maya which borders Belize and shares the same reef territory, great for snorkeling and diving. Costa Maya is also free from high rise chain hotels leaving its lagoons, archaeological gems and coastline free from clutter. And the 7 day cruise still stopped to see Roatan, Honduras so most bucket list items were checked off.…
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Escape to a Slice of Heaven in Catalina Island, California
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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Polish Your Soul and Your Plate in Sedona, Arizona
Photos, story by Cassie Hepler When you receive a last minute press trip invite to Sedona, Arizona on 11/11, you go. Those in alignment numbers represent a powerful opportunity to connect with your inner self and begin some kick ass spiritual growth. It also signifies that a period of change is about to start within you. And literally earlier that week, the shift was already in motion. So I delved into the energy vortex abyss that is the high vibe of Sedona for a magical weekend! But first we had to swing by the brand new Cove Mesa Vineyard in Cornville, AZ to enjoy a wine tasting and meet the…
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Watch Out for Altitude Sickness in Sparkling South Lake Tahoe, Nevada
Story, photos/video by Cassie Hepler As a travel writer, there is a rock and a hard place between pleasing tourism boards and yet still remaining transparent and honest to your readers. I’ve never been one to sugar coat anything so I figured why start now? With a journalism background, it is in my blood to report the truth and also to use my experiences to help others. So here we go on an adventure that does indeed have a happy ending… Because I never drove through Nevada (without a U-Haul trailer attached), I thought it would be fun to go on a road trip through Vegas from Phoenix (not during…
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Save on Lodging, Food in Bermuda with Celebrity Cruises
Photos, story by Cassie Hepler This Spring and Summer have been really heating up in my world! Since getting back from Breathless Resorts in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and catching the traveling bug again, I’ve been doing a lot more travel which alway makes my soul happy. I promised one of my besties to go on a cruise with her through Celebrity Cruises which were very nice… and old. Not so much the ship itself but the crowd. Our favorite couple at dinner asked us why we were on this ship with a bunch of old people and we immediately adopted them as our cruise parents. Celebrity is known for…
