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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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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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Dreaming of Tropical Paradise? Explore Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
Photos, videos and story by Cassie Hepler This time of the year is perfect… perfect for an escape out of dismal, sludge covered chilly Philly! Seriously though, that point of will winter ever end, where is Spring and missing glowing orb called a sun can be daunted on even the most die-hard Philadelphian. This writer has tried to make it a habit to escape most winters for a couple weeks to somewhere warmer and sunnier where the living is easy with sand between your toes. So we reached out to one of our Penn State alums who works as a travel consultant at CheapCarribean.com to help nail down some tropical locations.…
