The outdoors often brings feuding family members together, as it forces them to interlock into the shape of a giant human and scare off packs of feral parade floats. Retighten familial bonds with today’s Groupon: for $15, you get a carload admission for up to five guests at Paradise Canyon in Rio Medina (a $30 value).

Hugging the banks of the blue-green Medina River between its craggy bluffs, Paradise Canyon gives kayakers, fishers, and picnickers a breathtaking backdrop that echoes the sounds of falling water, rustling trees, and hooting owls. As summer readers laze atop a blanket along the shore, they can watch river riders drift past in tubes ($7 rental) or kayaks ($30 rental), or the saddled backs of freshwater mermaids. The canyon's abundant avian life will have bird watchers scrambling for their field guides, and umbrella-covered tables accommodate a family-sized picnic spread. Dedicated outdoorsfolk can also arrange to spend the day fly-fishing before retreating to a lantern-lit canvas tent for a night of s'mores and scary PowerPoint presentations. Otherwise, reserve Paradise Canyon's three-bedroom, four-bathroom log-cabin lodge and create a rustic setting for the next family reunion, wedding, or quilting retreat.