Desert-Inspired Hotel with Elegant Outdoor Pool

Best Western Plus Palm Desert Resort lies in the heart of the Coachella Valley, a stark landscape peppered with lush fairways and flanked on three sides by mountains. Befitting its desert environs, the hotel features Spanish villa architecture, replete with stucco walls and terra cotta roof tiles. Towering palm trees and blooming gardens add a bright pop of color to the hotel's landscaping.

The courtyard contains a figure-eight-shaped pool and circular whirlpool, surrounded by fan palms and verdant shrubs. After a dip in the pool, you can sweat it out at the workout facility, or engage in a shouting match with the line judge at the tennis courts. In the morning, don't miss out on a complimentary cooked-to-order breakfast of eggs, pancakes, fresh fruit, danishes, and bacon.

Palm Desert, California: Shopping and Golf in Scenic Coachella Valley

Palm Desert shares the same desert landscape and resort atmosphere as Palm Springs, about 15 miles to the northeast. El Paseo, known as the Rodeo Drive of the Desert, is within walking distance of the hotel. The popular shopping district features art galleries, high-end boutiques, and brand-name retailers such as Gucci, Ralph Lauren, and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Palm Desert is also a gateway town into the north end of the 800,000-acre Joshua Tree National Park, located less than 60 miles away. In addition to being the birthplace of Bono, the desert park is famous for its unusual geologic formations and mountains made of twisted rock, which are ideal for rock climbing. Keep your eyes peeled for wildlife including desert bighorn sheep, golden eagles, and coyotes.

For a guaranteed glimpse of wildlife, check out The Living Desert, a zoo, botanical garden, and animal hospital in Palm Desert. As you stroll throughout the various geographical regions-including North America, Africa, and Village WaTuTu-you will see flora and fauna indigenous to that area, which can include mexican gray wolves, giraffes, and jaguars. The Living Desert also boasts a G-scale model train that winds its way through replicas of historical scenes, including a California logging and mining town and the south rim of the Grand Canyon.

Read the Fine Print for important info on travel dates and other restrictions.

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Coffee can cure a number of workplace maladies, including the "grumpies," the "Mondays," and the "crippling lack of career goalsies." Perk up with this Groupon.

$5 for $10 Worth of Sandwiches, Coffee, and Smoothies

Baristas whip up hot or iced cups of organic, shade-grown local coffee ($1.95-$2.45), layer together chicken-cranberry-pecan sandwiches ($5.95), and blend mango-mambo smoothies ($3.50-$4.50). See the full menu.

Crazy Dr. Cafe

Diverting time, energy, and money from doctor-hood to open a little cafe may seem like madness to some, but that's exactly how Crazy Dr. Cafe earned its name. After growing to depend on fresh, organic coffees and smoothies for on-the-go energy, a physician at Ventura County Medical Center bought out the neighborhood's old Juice and Java and expanded the menu with healthful options.

Piping-hot mugs of organic, locally grown coffee and espresso still fuel the army of doctors and nurses who inhabit the cafe's surrounding medical facilities. When not crafting flavorful coffee drinks, baristas send fresh fruits and vegetables through juicers or blenders to create smoothies or liquid meals that busy hospital staffers can consume through discarded IVs. Empanadas and bagels also lurk within the eatery's pastry case, and breads, cheeses, meats, and fruits assemble together to create fresh, gourmet sandwiches.

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Swimming lets humans experience the buoyancy formerly known only to bobbing apples and inflatable witches. Let your fledglings float with this Groupon.

$25 for a 20-Visit Splash Pass ($51 Value)

Splash Passes are valid for the following classes and pool times:

Aquacize Lap Swim Recreation/Family Swim Therapeutic Swim Toddler Time

Pleasant Valley Aquatic Center

A 65-foot curvilinear yellow slide spits out kids into the nearly 210,000-gallon indoor pool with a splash during recreational-swim time. Twenty-five yards in length and separated into eight lanes, the pool also makes for excellent exercise. With water kept between 81 and 83 degrees, the pool also keeps muscles loose for programs, such as lap swim and Aquacize, each designed to incinerate calories and boost cardio through fun aerobic workouts. Committed to safety, the facility is supervised by top-notch lifeguards, and experienced swim instructors equip the water-bound with the skills needed to put a midsize fish in its place. To provide the community with top-notch facilities, renovation was completed in 2007 to include amenities such as changing rooms with lockers, showers, diaper-changing stations, and restrooms. Families are also welcome to relax on the outdoor patio while the little ones patter about in the splash zone.

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If you think you're suave enough to wear your sunglasses at night, you better show up in a ride that does the same. Today's deal from Soundz Good Stereo in Oxnard will suit your whip up with its own set of shades: Pay $39 (regularly $85) for tinting on two side windows; $89 (regularly $180) for tinting on three rear windows of a car or truck; or $129 (regularly $260) for tinting for three rear windows of an SUV. While tinted windows will do wonders for your night game, they'll also provide plenty of advantages during the day. With the ability to reduce glare, along with UV protection that will keep both heat and harmful rays from cooking up your interior, window tinting is one of the few surefire ways to keep your car cool. Although sunglasses are one of the few things that will probably remain hip until the end of time, this deal won't last for long. Want more? Check out Soundz Good on Facebook.

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Before the discovery of the balloon, it was thought that the only essentials for a party were friendly guests and a CD of whale screams. Get ready for a modern get-together with this Groupon.

$7 for $15 Worth of Party Supplies

Options include a dozen latex balloons ($10), a 24-count utensil set ($1.99), a 14-ounce bag of melting chocolate ($4.59), and 24 9-ounce cups ($2.99).

Perfect Party

For more than 20 years, Perfect Party has furnished all the festive supplies required to decorate birthdays, showers, graduation parties, and other gatherings. It outfits both dance floors and partygoers with seasonal frills and creative costumes during holiday get-togethers, and proffers helium-filled mylar and latex balloons to prep voices for Chipmunks karaoke. Disposable plates, cups, and utensils help hosts clean up the remnants of treats created with Perfect Party's candy-making supplies and dissuade guests from diving into the cake face-first.

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Ancient Greeks laid the foundations for contemporary theater by composing the first plays and stealing the first Tony Awards from Mount Olympus. Celebrate theatrical progress with this GrouponLive deal to see the Rubicon Theatre Company perform Gem of the Ocean at the Rubicon Theatre. Groupon customers will receive the best available seating at the time of reservation. Each ticket includes one beverage and a cookie (a $4 value). Choose from the following options:

For $28, you get one ticket for the performance on Thursday, May 24, at 8 p.m. (up to a $56 total value, including fees). For $23, you get one ticket for the performance on Friday, May 25, at 8 p.m. (up to a $46 total value, including fees). For $30, you get one ticket for the performance on Saturday, May 26, at 8 p.m. (up to a $61 total value, including fees).

In Pennsylvania's Hill District in 1904, authorities have falsely accused an African-American millworker of stealing a bucket of nails. Rather than serve time for a crime he didn't commit, the man jumps into the river, becoming a martyr for the cause of justice. Riots and strikes break out across the city, and a man named Citizen Barlow finds himself at the home of a 285-year-old healer named Aunt Ester. The keeper of tradition and history for her people, Aunt Ester sends Citizen aboard the slave ship Gem of the Ocean to go in search of the truth about himself and his ancestors.

When August Wilson's Gem of the Ocean opened in New York in 2004, the New York Times called it "a touchstone for everything else [Wilson] has written." Directed by James O'Neil, this mystical drama delves into the thematic territory of remembrance and forgiveness. As Aunt Ester, Tony Award-winner Lillias White leads a cast of seven who embody their characters with more skill and dedication than an alien posing as the president.

In its 14th season, Rubicon upholds its dedication to producing provocative theater that celebrates the human spirit. The ensemble has embodied this mission through a diverse collection of shows populated with redemptive characters, from world premieres such as the folk-musical revue Lonesome Traveler, to time-tested classics including Steel Magnolias, and a developmental production of The Tempest, in which Prospero beatboxes all of his shipwrecking spells. Customers should be advised, this production contains strong language and mature content.

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Bling and tons of rings can make you go from drab to fab, but there's one accessory that dazzles more than diamonds. Get a smile that sparkles like the Crown Jewels with today's deal from Luxe Dental Studio: Pay $149 (regularly $299) for an in-office Venus teeth-whitening treatment. This Camarillo dental office provides convenient, effective dental care suited to your individual needs. Whether your teeth are stained, discolored, or just a little dull, Dr. Iris Han and her team of professionals will use high-grade whitening gels that can help brighten teeth without wearing away enamel. You'll feel like jewelry-draped royalty as you lounge in a massage dental chair and watch a film as the one-hour treatment is performed. Leave the diamonds at home, because your biggest asset will be dental with this deal. Want more? Check out on Facebook.

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Lugging around junk in the trunk is fine for your car, but if it's your body that needs to unload some excess baggage, stow today's deal from Elite Wellness Path in Agoura Hills: Pay $175 for a five-week Real Food Weight-Loss Package (a $350 value). This homeopathic, holistic-based program includes five consecutive in-office visits, a weight-loss manual, one bottle of detox drainer, a box of ketone test strips, and supplements -- including FDA-approved appetite suppressants. Re-learn healthy dietary habits as you safely slim down under the experienced eye of Dr. Renay Matthews, a Board-certified clinical homeopathic practitioner and certified nutritionist. By incorporating real food with supplements like B-complex liquid vitamins and blood-sugar support products, she developed the RENMethod for natural weight release as an alternative to the fad diets du jour. Remember, spare tires are supposed to get you back on the road, not slow you down.

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It's healthy to kick out excess fat cells, just like it's healthy to kick out adult children who have asked for your blessing to marry the couch. Shed dead weight with this Groupon.

$139 for Six-Week Nutrition-Instruction Package (Up to a $289 Total Value) 2.5-hour healthy-eating workshop with six-week nutrition plan (a $79 value) Six nutrition-oriented classes (a $60 value) Two private training sessions with Colleen (up to a $150 value)

In groups of up to 25, clients foray into healthy eating with a 2.5-hour workshop, body-composition assessment, six weeks of exercise tips, online fitness journaling, and e-mail correspondence with Colleen. For the duration of the program, pupils also enjoy access to Venice Nutrition software and health-oriented menus online or written in the sky. Classes focus on a different aspect of wellness each week, such as how to tackle grocery lists and healthy fats, and private training sessions with Colleen are held on Monday from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. or 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Within two weeks of the course's completion, Colleen conducts follow-up body-composition assessments.

Colleen's Nutrition Ignition

As a certified nutritionist, personal trainer, and cook, Colleen Ballew presents a triple threat to pudge. But unlike fad diets that restrict calories, Colleen's approach to weight loss springs from striking a balance between proteins, fats, and carbs. When this harmony is achieved, blood sugar stabilizes, and bodies torch fat instead of muscle or '80s love anthems. Through classes, workshops, and private lessons at Colleen's Nutrition Ignition, the wellness guru teaches dieting pupils how to assemble healthy, filling meals without sacrificing flavor. Colleen focuses on completely overhauling lifestyles to avoid reverting back to harmful habits, such as bingeing on sugary foods or sleeping in piles of cheese curls. She bolsters classroom instruction with online tools including exercise tips, diet journals, and menus. To augment healthy living, Colleen also offers private and small-group Pilates sessions.

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Transferring old home movies to DVD, like cleaning out the attic, is a convenient way to revel in family memories and to discover clues about where your hermit uncle has been hiding. Keep loved ones from being forgotten with this Groupon: for $28, you get four videotape-to-DVD transfers (a $100 value) at Moonlight Video Productions' two locations in Newbury Park and Woodland Hills.

Since their start in 1981, the memory preservers at Moonlight Video Productions have been transferring timeless moments from outmoded sources to up-to-date mediums. Staff members flawlessly convert a gamut of VHS, mini DV, 8mm, beta, MicroMV, VHS-C, Hi8, S-VHS, and Video8 to DVD to ensure that they remain watchable even after the home VCR leaves for a job as a backup toaster. The completed disks are ready for pickup after nearly five weeks. Moonlight Video Productions does not offer conversion for film reels or rides home for in-house projectionists.

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