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Explore With Cassie

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

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  • Entertainment,  Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage

    Fahoo Forays, Dahoo Dorays: Welcome U-ville, a Seussian Whoville at Philadelphia’s Uptown Beer Garden

    December 31, 2022 /

    Bright Lights, Big City:  Uptown Beer Garden presented its seasonal U-Ville in homage to the Seussian Whoville. Between the radiant white of a clear conscience and the coal black of a conscience sullied by sin lie many shades of gray – where most of us live our lives. Not perfect but not beyond redemption. ~~ Leslie Pinckney Hill “People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone.” ~~ Audrey Hepburn Story, photos by Sharon Kozden On the evening of November 16th, I Ubered into the City to celebrate the unveiling of Uptown Beer Garden’s holiday creation, U-ville … a name whose…

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    Sharon Kozden

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    Fairmount Park Conservancy Presents Flavors of the Season at Historic Philly Houses

    December 28, 2017

    Philadelphia Film Center Rolls Out Red Carpet for Paul Dano, Screens Directorial Debut of ‘WILDLIFE’

    March 14, 2019

    Explore Omni Mount Washington Resort & Bretton Woods Ski Area in New Hampshire

    September 30, 2024
  • Destinations,  Entertainment,  Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News,  Lifestyle

    Paris, je t’aime! An American Reminisces on Her Love Affair with France

    March 15, 2021 /

    Story, photos by Jill Beckel Bonjour! It is hard to say where my obsession with Paris started, but I am honestly not sure. I know that I dreamed about going to Paris as child and something about it always fascinated me. I took French throughout middle school and three years of high school. However, I am by no means fluent. I can pick up phrases and written words here and there, but definitely could not hold my own in a full-on on conversation in French (I did try to brush up with the Duolingo app before this trip). Once I was in college, I knew that I wanted to travel…

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    Jill Beckel

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    Visit Philly’s Overnight Hotel Packages Offer Sizzlin’ Stay & Play Deals

    August 13, 2019

    Escape to Foodie Paradise at Bucks County Restaurant Week in Washington House Hotel

    June 6, 2018

    Merkin Vineyards in Arizona Offers Outstanding Reds, Food and Music

    January 12, 2021
  • Entertainment,  Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News

    Philly Restaurant and Bar BLUME Blooms at VIP Preview Party

    June 5, 2019 /

    Photos, story by Sharon Kozden Growing restaurant mogul Teddy Sourias and Craft Concepts Group unveiled Blume, their latest restaurant and bar concept during a VIP preview bash on a warm April evening. Located in Rittenhouse on the former site of Cinder, Copper & Lace, Blume drew crowds eager to pose before its window’s larger-than-life, Peter Max-like colorful butterfly decal. Inside, a ceiling covered in plants and bearing the establishment’s name twice as nice and in lights hovers over a relaxing banquette seating area. Between décor design elements (don’t miss the wall of realistic roses!), that are both whimsical and sophisticated, Blume is Philly’s summertime hot spot to be, sipping cocktails,…

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    Sharon Kozden

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    Cider Sparkles at Fairmount Park’s 3rd Annual CiderFest in Philadelphia, PA

    December 4, 2019

    Making Weekend Waves at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey

    November 20, 2019

    SPiN into a Funky Ping Pong Bar at Newest Spot in Philadelphia

    September 12, 2018
  • Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News

    Experience Best of Times, Wurst of Times at Iron Hill Brewery and Restaurant in Phoenixville, PA

    April 3, 2019 /

    Foodies will pretty much follow anything that leads to food. Story, photos by Sharon Kozden Achtung! Attention, that is and full disclosure: I’m apparently intolerant of craft brews, which I discovered at the wurst of times, namely Oktoberfest. This would ordinarily be of no concern; however and just prior to learning of my sensitivity to these more potent beers, I accepted an assignment at Phoenixville, PA‘s Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant. Did I mention the event was a celebration of Oktoberfest (clearly not a big month for beer consumption)? To compound the irony, I reside in Phoenixville, where such boozy establishments saturate the Borough. Since I’d never encountered an issue…

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    Sharon Kozden

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    Save on Lodging, Food in Bermuda with Celebrity Cruises

    June 27, 2017

    PNC’s ‘LumiNature’ Winter Light Show Illuminates Philadelphia Zoo

    November 27, 2023

    Style With A Purpose – Mim and Ray Handbags Featured at Joan Shepp Philadelphia

    December 8, 2017
  • Destinations,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News

    Blown Away by Bank and Bourbon’s Fine Dining at Loews Hotel in Philadelphia, PA

    October 16, 2018 /

    Photos, story by Lauren Aynn From the moment you enter Bank & Bourbon, you know you are in for a first class experience located inside Loews Hotel in Philadelphia, PA. Upon entering for the first time, I was in awe of the atmosphere they have created. From the wooden beams and exposed pipes on the ceiling, to the tufted leather banquettes, Bank & Bourbon offers up a space filled with a rustic, yet modern opulence.               The bar itself features a “bourbon barrel-aging program for unique house-aged cocktails and liquors” as well as a list of craft beers and wine. Also for the coffee lovers like myself Bank &…

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    Lauren Welinsky

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    Mardi Gras is Not all Boobs and Beads in Lafayette, Louisiana

    February 5, 2020

    Tempting Tastes at 19 Bella Tapas Restaurant in Skippack Village, PA

    July 5, 2018

    Elvis Presley’s Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee Shows the King’s Impressive Wealth

    July 11, 2019
  • Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News

    Round of Applause for Bravo! Cucina Italiania in Lehigh Valley Mall, Pennsylvania

    September 19, 2018 /

    Story, photos by Sharon Kozden While June 6th is known far and wide as the anniversary of 1944’s “D-Day Invasion,” it’s overshadowed each year in my family by the occasion of my mother’s birthday. She turned 91 this year (her longevity secret’s a secret!), and I was pleased that she could accompany me to Bravo! Cucina Italiana for a celebratory dinner. The day was a hot one. Consequently, I was concerned the heat would cause appetite suppression, resulting in side-salads-as-entrée orders rather than the anticipated chow-down with gusto. But no worries necessary as, once inside, the cool air hit and the foodie fest was on! Bravo! Cucina Italiana is a…

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    Sharon Kozden

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    Corduroy Lodge Offers Cabins, Airstreams and Motel in Pinetop Lakeside, Arizona

    April 14, 2025

    Fly to Puerto Vallarta Airport and Explore Nayarit, Mexico

    September 15, 2023

    Green Supply Pivots to Sell Face Masks, Hand Sanitizer & Forehead Thermometers

    June 23, 2020
  • Entertainment,  Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage

    Membership Not Required at Springfield Country Club’s Tavola Restaurant

    September 12, 2018 /

    Enjoy the country club’s 6,000 square foot-expansion (all outdoors!) of Tavola. Story, photos by Sharon Kozden “Food is our common ground, a universal experience.” – James Beard Within the past year, I’ve become a country mouse, who doesn’t much get out and about to country clubs. I’m so country, in fact, that local honey is produced by honeybees on the property where I live. Hens lay eggs. Doves coo. Woodpeckers peck. Trees hang low with fruit. All number of critter sounds abound, while cars pass infrequently along a quiet, solitary road. I even have a screen door that can slam. Still, when my editor offers an assignment, I’m at the…

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    Sharon Kozden

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    Sit Back and Relax with a Fun Night Out at Movie Tavern in Collegeville, PA

    October 10, 2018

    Restore Medical Marijuana Center Opens Second Cannabis Dispensary in Elkins Park, PA

    March 27, 2019
    Mizzou Madness

    Foodie and Mizzou Fan’s Guide to Exploring Columbia, Missouri

    December 1, 2023
  • Day Trips,  Destinations,  Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News,  Lifestyle

    Escape to Valley Kitchen at Carmel Valley Ranch Resort for Otherworldly Cuisine

    August 21, 2018 /

    Photos, story by Cassie Hepler Tucked away in the lush forests of the Santa Lucia Mountains, Carmel Valley Ranch resort enjoys luxury and simplicity. And the attached California casual dining spot, Valley Kitchen, offers the luxury of simplicity. Plus the food doesn’t get any more local than this. The fun, vibrant restaurant embodies the unique values, spirit and tastes of the Carmel Valley Ranch experience. Think fields of lavender, fresh honey and even it’s own small batch winery. Inspiration comes easy with the breathtaking natural surroundings to the local gardens, orchards, pristine oceans and neighboring vineyards. Designed by Rodrigo Vargas Design at the resort’s social hub and heart, Valley Kitchen…

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    Cassie Hepler

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

    March 8, 2018

    Lehigh Valley Humane Society Hosts Second Annual Garden Party

    September 20, 2022

    Four-Diamond Loews Philadelphia Hotel Welcomes Guests Like Family

    September 24, 2023
  • Education,  Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News

    Fox 29’s Karen Hepp’s Tasty Talks Rocks at Yangming in Bryn Mawr, PA

    July 17, 2018 /

    Karen Hepp is on point with Yangming owner Michael Wei.  Story, photos by Sharon Kozden “At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, not winning one more verdict or not closing one more deal. You will regret time not spent with a husband, a friend, a child, or a parent.”  -Barbara Bush “What preys on my mind is simply this one question: what am I good for, could I not be of service or use in some way?”  – Vincent van Gogh Tasty Talks. Sounds, well, tasty. Tasty and talk-y. But what, really, is a Tasty Talk? I would soon find out…

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    Sharon Kozden

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    Get Your Wild West on and go Golfing at Rancho de Los Caballeros in Wickenburg, Arizona

    April 2, 2024

    Explore Spiritually Uplifting Antelope Canyon in Page, Arizona

    June 14, 2018

    Catch a Buzz at PA’s Drexel University’s Academy of Natural Sciences Boozy Botanicals Art Deco-Era Event

    April 11, 2019
  • Day Trips,  Destinations,  Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News

    Tempting Tastes at 19 Bella Tapas Restaurant in Skippack Village, PA

    July 5, 2018 /

    Readers, get thee to Cedars, Pa. “Go out and see your friends and eat tapas and drink red wine and be in a beautiful place.” – Anthony Bourdain Story, photos by Sharon Kozden One doesn’t have to head to Spain for a first-rate, authentic tapas experience. Cedars, PA  – just outside quaint Skippack Village – will do just fine. Grant Langdon Brown, owner and head chef at 19 Bella, has a top tapas spot worth the travel involved to enjoy extraordinary meals. I envy the locals’ proximity. I arrived one chilly evening to discover an understated, functional exterior with patio I imagine bustles with activity during more temperate climes. The contrast between outward appearance and color-blazing interior was a fun surprise.…

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    Sharon Kozden

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    Escape to a Private Island in San Diego, California at Loews Coronado

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    A Guide to Exploring the Ancient Monasteries of Meteora, Greece

    June 10, 2024

    Prescott Pines Inn Gets Makeover, Adds Vino Prescott Wine Bar to Northern Arizona

    April 21, 2025
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