Historical Inn with Glass-Enclosed Porch Overlooking Lake

In the 19th century, some of the Northeast's industrial pioneers- including Silas March, an entrepreneur and New York state assemblyman-spent their idle days in a clapboard estate built along the shores of Mariaville. In 2003, husband-and-wife innkeepers Rick and Lorrie Runnels purchased this historical home and dubbed it the Mariaville Lake Bed and Breakfast. Since then, they've made extensive renovations while managing to preserve the building's casual, Federal-style elegance; it still has its original moldings, wood-burning fireplaces, and hardwood floors in some of the guest rooms.

The building is tucked into a woodsy area along the private, 200-acre Mariaville Lake, and it's a prime spot to get in some fishing and swimming. The B&B also owns two kayaks, one canoe, and one rowboat, which are all available for guests. Or feel free to take a stroll through the wealth of hiking trails that crisscross the property; one in particular leads to a beaver dam. In summer and fall, you can tell ghost stories and dry your laundry over a crackling bonfire in the evening.

The inn's five guest rooms are individually decorated, but all look out to Mariaville Lake. You have to use an old-fashioned skeleton key to get into the Vineyard and Lakeview rooms, as they are located in the original part of the house.

Come morning, the innkeepers serve a breakfast by candlelight in the formal dining room or on the glass-enclosed porch. The chefs prepare a different hot entree each morning, such as banana-stuffed french toast, veggie frittatas, or puffed apple pancakes. You can typically find house-made pastries, fresh juices, yogurt, fresh fruit, coffee, and tea.

Mariaville, New York: Small Town on the Shores of Mariaville Lake

Mariaville is part of the 18th century town of Duanesburg, located about 30 miles west of Albany. Thanks to its location along the 200-acre Mariaville Lake, the town became a resort community in the 1920s. Not a whole lot has changed since then; there's still only one traffic light in the city to date, and every high-school class is taught by the mayor.

The town of Schenectady offers a dose of culture fewer than 15 miles east. Aside from shopping and restaurants, you can find the historical Proctors Theater, which opened as a vaudeville venue in the early 20th century but sank into disrepair by the late 1970s. A group of concerned citizens rallied to restore the theater, which now hosts regular performances of ballets, musicals, comedians, and concerts.

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

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Physicists have determined that the best way to subdue wall-bouncing photons is to let them loose until they need a nap. Apply the latest scientific findings to your kid's playtime with this Groupon.

$25 for $50 Worth of Games, Attractions, and Snacks

Playtime in the A-Maze-Zing playhouse is $3.49-$6.99, 4 minutes in the Jolly Jump is $2, and a game of outdoor mini golf is $6. Pizzas start at $6.99, and hot dogs are $3.99. See the full price list for the Portland and Auburn locations.

Joker's Family Fun and Games

Cavorters of all ages caper about Joker's Family Fun and Games' massive indoor play zone, which is stocked with games and attractions that inspire climbing and sliding. Kids can scramble into the three-tiered A-Maze-Zing playhouse to navigate tubes, web bridges, and conference rooms, and toddlers can maneuver through the mini maze or hop aboard the train ride for a sightseeing jaunt around the tracks. Future adults can challenge one another in sundry classic arcade games such as skee-ball and air hockey, and more than 50 video games await thumbs desperate to win garlands of exchangeable tickets. Whippersnappers achieve liftoff in lieu of jetpack overalls on a Jolly Jump air bounce, then safely glide down a 22-foot inflatable super slide.

At the 14,000-square-foot Portland location, youngsters can also blast comrades in a space-age laser-tag zone, scale a towering rock-climbing wall, and master putting skills on an 18-hole mini-golf course. After extreme bouts of frolicking, families can quell tummy rumbles with slices of house-made pizza slathered in Joker's signature sauce or peek at the menu to peruse sandwiches, burgers, and chicken tenders.

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Midtown Manhattan is home to some of the world's most talked-about landmarks, from the Empire State and Chrysler Buildings to Rockefeller Center and the bright lights of Times Square. Allow us to draw up the blueprints for this week's well-engineered Escape to The Gotham Hotel on 46th Street, a sleek boutique property offering personal touches in a prime locale: sandwiched between all the action of Madison and Fifth Avenues, formerly the space of the beloved Gotham Book Mart. You and a guest will be positively floored by a two-night stay, Fridays through Sundays, in a chic Gotham 2 Room Type-complete with a king bed and private terrace-on floors two through nine ($600). And don't be surprised by the lack of a check-in desk: Upon your arrival, a staff member will greet you with a VIP welcome amenity before escorting you to your accommodations. Airy, light-filled guest rooms are appointed with streamlined European furnishings, tailored minibars, and lavish linens. Your Escape also includes an upgrade to a Gotham 3 Room Type when available. On floors ten through 23, these units feature king beds and private terraces with views of the skyline. Z!NK magazine describes a stay here as "a new type of hotel experience in the center of Midtown Manhattan. With terraces off of every room, guests feel as if they are floating above the city." When hunger comes knocking at the door, rest assured you'll stay well fed with assorted fresh pastries and a daily breakfast for two. In the evening, cozy up to your companion during dinner at on-site restaurant Tenpenny. You'll use your $50 dining credit to savor Italian-American cuisine that Z!NK says "hearkens back to the American cuisine of old" when "New York City was an up-and-comer in the restaurant world." The next morning, structure your day however you like: You'll be within walking distance of some of the city's best sights, including Central Park, the Theatre District, and 30 Rock. Or, browse the likes of Barneys, Bergdorf Goodman, and Saks along the retail mecca that is Fifth Avenue. For an exciting Escape to the city that never sleeps, the writing's on the wall: Pack your bags and hit the town-at prices that aren't through the roof.

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Bad habits are often difficult to derail -- you know you'll need far more than power of positive thinking to get your life back on track. Let today's deal from Atlantic Hypnotherapy & Wellness Associates fuel your trek to a better you: Pay $49 for one hypnotherapy session with consultation (a $100 value) or $99 for two hypnotherapy sessions with consultations (a $175 value). Open for appointments Monday through Friday, this Vaughan Street center will see you through a personalized, 90-minute session, designed to activate your mind-body connection, which can potentially assist you in managing pain, eliminating anxiety and smoking, shedding pounds, and curbing insomnia. Certified hypnotherapist Margaret B. Clement is the kind of coach who can help rid you of all these detrimental behaviors -- and get your internal engine on the mend again. Want more? Check out Atlantic Hypnotherapy & Wellness Associates on Facebook.

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Even though water covers most of the earth's surface, humans spend most of their lives on land and a small portion in the air while they're sleeping. Float on with this Groupon.

Choose from Three Options $24 for a three-hour whale-watching tour for one (up to a $48 value) $46 for a three-hour whale-watching tour for two (up to a $96 value) $85 for a three-hour whale-watching tour for four (up to a $192 value)

Utilizing GPS, radar, and computer maps, 88- to 100-foot vessels carry passengers out of Boothbay Harbor and into the local habitats of whales, including sperm whales and humpbacks. Onboard naturalists narrate the tour, dishing out whale facts and gossiping about the lavish lifestyles of other animals, including sea birds, dolphins, and harbor seals. Throughout tours, passengers can slip into the galley to purchase snacks and drinks.

Cap'n Fish's Whale Watch

Whale watching was a relatively new concept when John Fish's grandfather started giving tours. "We kind of originated it," Mr. Fish says. "Thirty years ago we were the only ones doing whale watching." As the company became more successful over the years, additional captains were brought on to cover the demand. Today, these crews continue to ferry groups into the habitats of several whale species, including humpback whales and sperm whales. Though the whales seen along Cap'n Fish Whale Watch's journeys still breach and refuse to sign autographs, other things have changed over the years. Below deck, the current fleet's engines work to reduce emissions and provide a fume-free experience. Above deck, 360-degree-viewing decks and modern technology help bring whales into sight. Onboard computers display large maps of where the aquatic mammals are known to swim, and GPS systems reroute boats around mermen constructing new reefs. In addition to illuminating the behavior of whales for passengers, the crew's wildlife experts point passengers toward other animals they spot along the way, such as white-sided dolphins and harbor seals. Though some variables are beyond their control, the crew members almost always spot whales and boasted a 98% success rate in 2009.

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Early builders used masonry, which was difficult to work with and terrifying to ride on log flumes. Feel the thrill of carpentry with this Groupon.

$15 for $30 Worth of Hardware, Tools, and Supplies

The staff helps patrons to find all the tools and supplies they need for at-home projects, presiding over items such as quarts of General Finishes wood stain ($15.99), a Miller dowel-system four-pack ($47.29), and Talon pegboard tool holders ($26.79). Hobby kits equip customers to build cribbage boards ($43.99) or other small items.

Rockler Woodworking and Hardware

Family patriarch Nordy Rockler opened the doors of his first store in 1954 to supply his fellow craftsmen with knowledge, friendly advice, and a large selection of tools for at-home woodworking projects. Now, the chain of retail outlets brims with more than 20,000 tools and specialized woodworking equipment. Next to a steely rainbow of hinges, casters, and screws, a supply of lumber and exotic hardwoods provides planks for building tree houses or just leaving around as a warning to uncooperative trees. The tenor buzz of power tools operated by newly knowledgeable guests drifts from educational sessions on operating equipment and woodworking.

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Tension is often held in the shoulders, especially among those who are trying to blend in with society by binding their beautiful wings. Soar away from stress with this Groupon.

$89 for Three 60-Minute or Two 90-Minute Massages (Up to $210 Value)

Traditional massage techniques are customized to fit the client's needs.

The Getaway Salon and Beauty Bar

Along with a decade of beauty-industry experience, The Getaway Salon and Beauty Bar's owner, Irish Nason, pours a lifetime of passion into her "once a dream, now a reality" full-service salon. The home-like space, bedecked with shabby-chic decor and soft pastel hues, invites clients of all ages into a beauty haven where friendly stylists snip and clip strands into flattering 'dos. The hair mavens can further beautify coifs with an all-over color, highlights, or Keratin Complex treatment. The beauty team also assists with bodily evictions-ousting hair with wax and banishing tension with tailored massages.

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A Taste of Merry Old England in a Cozy, Tudor-Style Inn

Since its founding in 1793, the town of Stowe has reinvented itself numerous times, from its early days as a potash-farming enclave to its brief stint as a Canadian smuggling outpost during the War of 1812. Stowe's streets and buildings are rife with American history, but today the town thrives as a mountain retreat with an artistic soul and an outdoorsy spirit. Just north of Main Street, Ye Olde England Inne, a sprawling Tudor-style manor, welcomes guests with a taste of merry old England. Straight-backed armchairs sit beside a roaring fire in the lobby, with English prints and paintings on the walls and a crimson carpet reminiscent of the old redcoat uniforms.

Housed within the inn, Mr. Pickwick's Gastropub and Steakhouse packs its pub cellars with several thousand bottles of wine, rare cognacs, and small-batch bourbons, as well as the requisite ales and lagers. An arched stone entryway leads to the pub's chummy, Old-World interior, where old-fashioned beer steins dangle from the rafters. More than just a watering hole, the restaurant also serves an inventive menu of seafood, fowl, and steak.

The inn's Bluff House suites cushion overnighters in English-manor elegance with four-poster, rice-carved queen beds. Each suite features a fireplace, a lounge with wing chairs and cherry-wood furnishings, and a spacious bathroom outfitted with a jacuzzi tub. A private deck or patio connects to most suites, affording views of the village, Mount Mansfield, and the Green Mountains. Most standard rooms feature Victorian-style wallpaper and bright bedspreads atop brass beds.

Stowe, Vermont: Artistic Enclave Nestled at the Base of the Green Mountains

Ye Olde England Inne is set against the scenic backdrop of Vermont's Green Mountains. The inn is centrally located in Stowe, so you'll have easy access to the historical village and its arts scene, which includes the West Branch Gallery & Sculpture Park, a spacious enclave showcasing pieces by budding and mid-career local artists who work in a range of media.

Stowe's prime location in a broad, fertile valley between the Green Mountains and Mount Mansfield-Vermont's highest peak-makes it an ideal launching pad for outdoor activities. A recreation path through Stowe loosely follows the meandering West Branch River with 5.5 miles of paved trails for biking, rollerblading, and jogging. The winding path's arched wooden bridges crisscross the river 10 times from start to finish. At nearby Underhill State Park, set at the base of the 4,300-foot-tall Mount Mansfield, you can practice butterfly mating calls on one of four hikes to the summit.

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

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It can be tough to relax, between work, family, and the unrealistic nighttime demands of your horse-headed dream boss. Escape with this Groupon.

Choose Between Two Options $35 for an Angel's facial or champagne-rose body polish (a $70 value) $60 for an Angel's facial and champagne-rose body polish (a $140 value)

Aesthetician Marcia believes in taking a natural, holistic approach to skincare that relies on natural botanicals rather than harsh chemicals.

She uses Bioelements products in each Angel's facial, which combines cleansing, steam, and extractions with a customized mask and moisturizer. The champagne-rose body polish employs a creamy scrub saturated with nutrients and vitamins to slough off dry, dull skin. Each service lasts approximately 60 minutes.

Voila Hair and Day Spa

The stylists at Voila Salon and Day Spa accommodate haircuts and coloring services surrounded by cream-colored walls and sunny track lighting. A mere flight of stairs away, the second-floor spa welcomes clients to a quiet, secluded space where they can enjoy Bioelements facials and massages while daydreaming about ways to subvert world peace in their next game of Risk. Reinforcing a commitment to the environment, the staff uses organic haircare products and maintains the salon's appearance with eco-friendly cleaning supplies. Taking environmental responsibility one step further, even their building is recycled, as the salon and spa operates out of a renovated church.

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Cakes, like jack-o'-lanterns, must be sliced and set on fire before they can be enjoyed. Set your palate aglow with this Groupon.

Choose from Three Options $15 for a quarter-sheet cake that feeds up to 20 people (a $30 value) $25 for half-sheet cake that feeds up to 45 people (a $50 value) $35 for a full-sheet cake that feeds up to 100 people (a $75 value)

Nadine customizes graduation cakes in your choice of flavor with school mascots, picture monograms, flowers, or wording, all of which is included in the price.

Nadine's Designs

For more than 15 years, designer Nadine Palmer has added style to weddings and galas by guiding customers through the creation of their own custom cakes, attire, jewelry, invitations, and floral arrangements. Masterful dress designs and alterations create eye-catching prom gowns and snazzy cocktail dresses, and flowery centerpieces and bouquets add sweet-smelling decorations to weddings or beekeeper-convention banquets. Glittering jewelry and accessories complement guests' one-of-a-kind formal outfits, and handmade cakes with more than 35 flavor and filling varieties regale taste buds with smooth, dulcet buttercream and fondant frosting.

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There are few freedoms as liberating as being able to fly, which is why humans spent millennia inventing the airplane and why penguins are so very, very bitter. Exceed evolutionary shortcomings with this Groupon.

Choose Between Two Options $109 for an up to 30-minute paragliding flight for one (a $300 value) $198 for an up to 30-minute paragliding flight for two (a $600 value)

Both of the above options give you the chance to soar to heights of up to 8,000 feet on the wings of a motor-powered paraglider. With a nationally certified copilot, you'll float over the sandy seascapes of the Massachusetts coastline, changing altitudes and flight paths to explore the water's edge or the clouds' fuzzy underbellies. Before flights, all passengers undergo a safety briefing.

Paramotor Tours

Paramotor Tours sends adventurers skyward on the wings of motor-powered paragliders. Nationally certified pilots adhere strictly to FAA safety regulations as they strap in for tandem flights, lifting thrill seekers to heights of up to 8,000 feet. To help ensure smooth takeoffs and landings, each glider boasts several safety features, including reserve parachutes, GPS navigation, and a pause button. Adventurers who wish to pilot their own glider can sign up for a solo-flying course, available on select days.

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Our feet hang off the end of our race-car beds, and come to think of it, these matching pajamas don't really fit anymore, either. Lucky for us, today's deal is especially for big kids: Pay $199 and get a 12-lap Shootout! driving experience at New Hampshire Motor Speedway from The Racing Experience (a $399 value). After a driver's meeting, some basic instruction and a few warm-up laps, race at speeds of up to 120 MPH in a real NASCAR late-model stock car against up to seven other student drivers. Passing is allowed from the drop of the green flag, and you'll be guided by in-car radio instruction from your spotter. With your family cheering you on from your pit box, zoom across the finish line and into adulthood with a deal you can't outgrow -- though we'll understand if you feel a little too big for your britches afterward.

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Dining at the beach allows you to impress your date by sharing champagne at sunset, writing your names in the sand, and playing a shark like a trumpet. Make beautiful music with this Groupon.

Choose Between Two Options $33 for a lobster dinner for two (up to a $69.94 value) $60 for a lobster dinner for four (up to a $139.88 value)

Each dinner includes the following per person: a lobster (a $21.99 value), a cup of soup such as corn chowder with lobster or lobster bisque (a $7.99 value), and one side (a $3.99 value) such as corn on the cob or garlic mashed potatoes.

Fish House Grill

After an illustrious career in Connecticut's restaurant scene, Jim Bond relocated his family and livelihood to a small, seaside town in Maine where he established Fish House Grill in a shop next to the Quality Inn. Although the location was so-so at best, its Friday night fish frys and peel-and-eat shrimp bar--not to mention a second-place prize in the Bar Harbor Chowder Festival--soon drew customers from miles around. The restaurant was bustling, but Jim still dreamt of the day when he could serve his food with an equally amazing view. Seven years later, his dream came to fruition when he-with help from his brother and a dear friend-built Fish House Grill's new waterfront location from the ground up.

Head chef Stephen Hopkins still prepares the original menu that earned the restaurant its loyal following. Popular selections include freshly shucked oysters, Maine lobster, and creamy, New England clam chowder, not to mention a Black Angus filet mignon topped with Maine lobster and bearnaise sauce. In 2008, their mainly local fan base went national thanks to a televised feature on The Chef's Kitchen, which highlighted the grill's many creative lobster concoctions including its lobster bisque, baked lobster dip, and a reproduction of Washington crossing the Delaware cast entirely with lobsters.

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