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Explore With Cassie

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

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  • CassieHepler.com
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  • Day Trips,  Education,  Entertainment,  Explore with Cassie,  Latest News,  Lifestyle

    It’s the Cats Meow at the Phoenix Feline Fanciers in Mesa, Arizona

    August 24, 2026 /

    Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler When my friend mentioned going to a cat show with Phoenix Feline Fanciers, I was all in before she finished that sentence! This is Arizona‘s biggest cat show after all and they claim to see up to 35 beautiful cat breeds but we certainly saw way more than that – and even held some which was a savory treat for this childless cat lady. Dubbed family friendly and for all ages, there were some children but mostly just cat lovers, fanatics and all the merch Miss or Mister Kitty can ever dream of under one roof. I don’t know why dog shows get…

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    Cassie Hepler

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    September 29, 2025

    Cirque du Soleil’s VOLTA Electrifies Audiences Under the Big Top in Oaks, PA

    January 16, 2019
  • Destinations,  Education,  Entertainment,  Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News,  Lifestyle

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

    June 15, 2026 /

    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…

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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

    Explore Chacchoben Ruins and Blue Lagoon in Costa Maya, Mexico

    April 4, 2023

    Cruising from Galveston, Texas with Princess Cruises

    March 10, 2023
  • Destinations,  Education,  Explore with Cassie,  Latest News,  Lifestyle

    International Pet Travel Challenges, Tips & Tricks from a Digital Nomad

    August 25, 2025 /

    The Challenges of International Pet Travel: Lessons I’ve Learned Photos, story and video by Lauren Anders Brown As a digital nomad, traveling the globe has always been my passion. So why wouldn’t I want to share the thrill of travel with my best friend Paddington, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel? For years, Pads and I globe trotted across multiple continents.  Together, we took more than 75 flights: from the United States to the United Kingdom to Europe, and Bermuda. I remember our first international trip was especially difficult. I didn’t know what I was doing and had no one to help guide me. Hours of research later, I felt some…

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    Cassie Hepler

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    December 21, 2020

    Walk to the Beach at Daddy O’s Boutique Hotel in Long Beach Island, NJ

    July 10, 2017

    Ancient Theater in Orange, France is the Most Preserved Roman Theater in the World

    January 19, 2026
  • Education,  Explore with Cassie,  Latest News,  Lifestyle

    Harvest the Moon’s Energy to Live Your Best Spring Equinox Life

    March 17, 2025 /

    Tune in to the moon and how to live and garden in harmony with our nearest celestial neighbor, using The Old Farmer’s Almanac Lunar cycle to-do list. I’ve been a long time follower and fan of this brand and happy to be working with them on sharing these amazing ideas below! Harvesting Moon Energy People who live near the ocean know that a full Moon pulls tides higher. Landlocked Midwesterners cannot see this phenomenon, but the same thing is happening to water below the ground’s surface. This ebb and flow is a natural result of the magnetic pull of the monthly alignment of the Sun, Earth, and Moon and is…

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    Cassie Hepler

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    Get Crafty at Huge A.C. Moore Store in Center City

    September 1, 2017

    Things to Do in Las Vegas, Nevada Besides Gambling

    March 9, 2026

    Philadelphia’s 2018 Flower Show Just Adds Water

    August 16, 2018
  • Day Trips,  Entertainment,  Explore with Cassie,  Latest News

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

    December 23, 2024 /

      “A dog’s love isn’t about what you can give, it’s about who you are to them. It’s loyalty, comfort, and understanding, all wrapped into one quiet, constant presence that never asks for anything but to be near you …” — R.M. Drake Story, photos by Sharon Kozden I’m here to talk about dogs. But first, monkeys must be mentioned. Say wha …?  Give me grace while I explain. Remember when Conchata Ferrell’s character in the film Mystic Pizza announced to her trio of employees, “It’s tradition, and you don’t monkey with tradition?” Nope: no monkeying with tradition. Never-ever. Traditions comfort in many ways, which is why, despite not really…

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    Sharon Kozden

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

    Explore Lehigh Valley Humane Society’s Garden Paw-ty at Domaine Pterion Vineyard

    July 22, 2024 /

    Pretty invitation design! Because of a dog’s joyfulness, our own is increased. It is no small gift. It is not the least reason why we should honor as well as love the dog of our own life, and the dog down the street, and all the dogs not yet born. What would the world be like without music or rivers or the green and tender grass? What would the world be like without dogs?  — Mary Oliver I went to collect the few personal belongings which … I held to be invaluable: my cat, my resolve to travel, and my solitude. — Collette Story, photos by Sharon Kozden Although I…

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    Sharon Kozden

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    Rejuvenate at Hofsas House and Walk the Wine Trail in Fairytale Town Carmel by the Sea, California

    March 8, 2018

    Cool Down at Pine Haven Cottage in Show Low, Arizona

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    March 17, 2024
  • Entertainment,  Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Lifestyle

    It’s a Wrap: Philly Fireworks Ends Wawa Welcome America 2018

    July 4, 2018 /

      Story, photos by Sharon Kozden There are many definitions for “lit” … as in “getting lit.” Not all have to do with a booze buzz. One alcohol-unrelated definition is “something that’s amazing in any sense.” Certainly, the spectacular July 4th fireworks’ display on the Ben Franklin Parkway, which concluded the weeklong celebration of the 4th annual Wawa Welcome America Festival, definitely was lit-worthy. Alcoholic beverages were discouraged; participants were asked to remain compliant in this regard. In Phoenixville, the borough in which I reside, I could almost hear the Philly crowds’ collective oohs and aahs as the sky was lighted up. The appreciative fawning seemed to travel down river…

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    Sharon Kozden

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