California Stores and Shopping

Taking their name from the 18% chromium and 8% nickel that transform regular steel into stainless steel, the staff of 18|8 Fine Men's Salons master grooming services to transform their clients into chiseled gentlemen. A greeter waits at the salon entrance with a complimentary beverage for each client and guides him to his stylist's booth or to a private or semiprivate treatment area for facials, massage, and other grooming sessions. Stylists carefully cut and color the hair of their clients, finishing Executive cuts and styles with five-minute shoulder massages and Bay Rum hot towels.

Technicians groom hands with MANicures and faces with straight-edge blade shaves and hot lather eos moisturizing shave cream. Guests can relax during 20-minute therapeutic massages to finish their visit and ease any tension built up in hands and forearms by excessive whittling.

From stainless-steel founts mounted in teal-tiled walls, Razzle Dazzle Frozen Yogurt's eponymous treat flows into cups before being sprinkled with fun toppings. A menu of flavors that rotate weekly, such as cake batter, Hawaiian Delight sorbet, and dulce de leche, form creamy swirls as customers fill their cups with their preferred portion sizes. Bins of cookies, candies, and fresh fruits wait to be spooned onto frozen peaks, creating complete treats that can be enjoyed inside the shop, on patio seating, or in your getaway car.

The Meat House strives for community involvement and serves up a selection of organic, all-natural, grass-fed meats to calm carnivorous cravings. Meat options include freshly butchered beef, lamb from the American Midwest, Virginia-bred pork, and exotic meats such as buffalo, alligator, and ostrich—or as it's more commonly known, the megachicken. Customers can run up meatometers with marinated steak tips ($19.98 for 2 lb.), and poultrygeists can enjoy the clucking curse of lemon-and-pepper chicken breast ($13.98 for 2 lb.). The Meat House's premium proteins are dressed with signature marinades, using a process first conceptualized by a team of synchronized-swimming bovines. The Meat House also offers customers a variety of prepared foods.

Yelpers give all of Book Inc.'s locations an average of four stars or better:

The growl of lions and tigers will be replaced by the growls of guitars as the Sactopalooza Spring Party lights up the Sacramento Zoo with music from tribute bands and DJ Rigatony. No Duh blasts a high-energy pop set based on the music of No Doubt with a number of visuals, costumes, and props from the band’s music videos. Nominated for Best Tribute Band at the 2010 San Diego Music Awards, the Red Not Chili Peppers fill the air with classic funk-rock melodies and the four-chord password that grants entry to the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame. In addition to the concerts, attendees can partake in hands-on activities such as mechanical bull riding and gladiator jousting with foam poles.

The Sactopalooza Spring Party is the largest annual fundraising event for the Active 20-30 Club of Sacramento. This group of 20- to 30-year-old volunteers works year-round to improve the lives of local children with special needs. In addition to raising funds for children, the group organizes hands-on events to interact with children at an annual picnic, winter clothing drives, and a holiday party at the UC Davis cancer center. Proceeds from the party helps support these events and the organization’s work with children throughout the region.

Liberty Tax Service has numerous LA-area locations, but this Groupon is valid for six (see sidebar). Each location is staffed with professional refund hounds who can chase away the burden and stress of tax season and sniff out your maximum allowable refund. Unless you can find the square root of a tuber and divide it by half the value of zero, like Liberty's staff can, then you won't get the biggest refund possible. In order to get your full refund, bring a comprehensive selection of forms and reciepts, including your 1040s, W-2s, 560Zs, 2345Exs, and T-1000s.

Linda Wehrli has raw talent. Since age 5, she has re-created her world through drawings and paintings and has channeled her sense of self-expression through playing the piano, abilities that led her to study formally with instructors from Juliard and Cal State Northridge. Now, with her works hanging in private collections, Linda passes on her knowledge to students at Pastimes for a Lifetime.

She teaches students of all skill levels and ages—6-year-olds to seniors—to hone their creativity into life-like or abstract drawings and paintings. Her classes aim to build a foundation of aptitude in one particular medium, such as drawing with pen or charcoal or painting with oils or acrylics—and the necessary supplies can all be purchased at the on-site art shop.

Tapping into her musical talents, she also helms piano lessons, teaching students to read and play music. Her confidence-building approach helps beginners and advanced players alike become better musicians, and inspires those once spurned by a piano that wouldn't settle down to become reacquainted with their abilities. To further their studies, pianists can go home with a book she co-published with her husband.