This post recognizes my favorite overall Groupon restaurants as opposed to individual items featured in my last post. A small distinction maybe, but there were just too many incredible restaurants to fit them all in one post. Unfortunately two of them closed this year, leaving my top 5, of which three are from my home town of Chicago! So I’ll start there.

Chicago:

Las Tablas Columbian Steakhouse -

My first Colombian Steakhouse

These empanadas were by far the most perfectly executed I've ever come across.

Followed by a wooden plank loaded with Entrana skirt steak, chicken breast, chorizo, pork ribs, arepa, plantains, yuca and potatoes. The flavors were just incredible!

Sola -

Sola's Chef Wallack serves up an exciting Hawaiian influenced meal that will leave you stunned.

Savory bread pudding topped with Kalua Pork, BBQ sauce, shallots, apples and rosemary.

Marinated artichokes fried crisp on the outside and served with a rich truffle aioli.

Braised short ribs that fall apart with the touch of a fork served with snow peas, trumpet mushrooms, quinoa, eggpant, lime, hoisin and soy.

It's rare you'll hear me rave about a burger that didn't come from my favorite little place in Avondale...so believe me when I tell you this waygu burger with bacon, caramelized onions and cambozola cheese on a pretzel bun is a force to be reckoned with. I really need to find that cheese.

Chuck’s Southern Comfort Cafe -

This was a favorite of mine even before living off Groupons so seeing Chuck's hit my email box was a thing of great excitement!

These Jamaican Jerk Wings packed a punch of flavor and spice!

Crispy chicken fried chicken, sage gravy and southern green beans...a match made in heaven.

You can't argue with this face...it's just that good!

Make sure you don’t miss the desserts either.

Scottsdale/Phoenix:

The Painted Horse Cafe -

Chef Bryan Elliott welcomes me into his establishment...little did I know, I was about to have my mind blown.

The perfect example of my favorite type of chili. Thick, hearty, meaty and exploding with flavor!

I don't usually expect to be blown away by chicken...it's such a pedestrian ingredient. This chicken did just that. It was cooked perfectly and seasoned to perfection.

I tried a number of other excellent dishes at the Painted Horse but in the interest of time, I’ll tell you that you really can’t go wrong with anything, as long as you go.

San Diego:

PrepKitchen -

No individual dish here at PrepKitchen stood out as a clear winner in my eyes. Each one was as delicious and exciting as the next. I say exciting because I’d look at each item and be sure I’d had something very similar maybe hundreds of times in my lifetime…but each and every time, something was different. Something was better. It was as much a journey as it was a meal and my dining companions and I couldn’t stop raving. We tasted over a dozen items on the menu but I’m only going to post a few below in the interest of time.

Bacon wrapped dates...divine!

Best grilled fish tacos ever!

Just a tuna melt? I think not.

Top it off with a passion fruit & vanilla bean mimosa. I promise you'll be glad you did.

Thank you to all of the restaurants that kept me well fed this year and each and every one of my dining companions.

Cheers!

After eating out almost every day for a year I wanted to compile a list of my favorite food and drink acquired with Groupons from all over the country*.

Columbus:

Boston:

Tupelo – “Comfort Dining With A Southern Drawl”

In Boston I also found one of my favorite beers...Left Hand's 400 Pound Monkey

Washington, DC:

Casa Oaxaca – “Authentic Mexican Cuisine”

Incredibly tender Pork Ribs in Green Mole Sauce. Maybe my favorite form of pork this year

Chicago:

Shaw’s Crab House - Oyster Bar

Best Lobster Roll ever! Perfectly crisp Texas Toast roll filled with fresh sweet crab meat.

Providence:

Aspire Restaurant – Hotel Providence

Seared Scallops over Fall Gnocchi with a brown butter-sage cream sauce, roasted butternut squash, dried cranberry seeds and toasted pepita seeds.

Almost every time someone asked me about my favorite dish, this one popped into my head first.

Los Angeles:

Boraan – “Old School” Thai

The best Thai Iced Tea - perfect ratio of tea to condensed milk

Flavorful galangal and coconut milk Tom Kah Soup with giant shrimp.

Suba Sushi & Tapas – Long Beach

My favorite sushi roll...it has everything! Hot, cold, sweet, salt, crunchy, soft and then throw in some smokiness from that fire. What more could you ask for?

San Diego:

Lil’ Piggy’s BBQ – Coronado “Island”

These bad boys are stuffed with a special blend of cheeses and smoked in house. Incredibly addictive!

(*listed in chronological order)

So today is my 29th birthday and there is lots to celebrate! Obviously I’m bummed that I couldn’t spend it with Girlpawn or my family/friends from home…

but my Denver Family & friend(s) (minus 6 year old and 20 month old)...

found the perfect place to take me for such an occasion. I apologize in advance for the quality of this post…I am currently on my way home from the bar with the largest single malt selection outside of the UK. In other words…I was just treated to a whole bunch of birthday Scotch!

This Scotch in my left hand is as old as I am! In fact...it was distilled just 2 months and 3 days after I was born.

How bout that?

To make things even more exciting…

The manager of the bar heard my story and in addition to having a cornucopia of whiskey knowledge, he was also totally into trading Groupons!

My friends Julie, Jason and Andrea who I met/stayed with in San Diego sent my Denver family money to buy me a couple birthday drinks (sweet, right?).

Then add to that, the phone call I received from Bropawn wishing me a happy birthday and in the next breath delivering the breaking news of the death of Osama Bin Laden (kinda weird actually).

But the best birthday present is knowing that I’ll be home in just a few days and I’ll have countless amazing experiences to look back on for the rest of my life. Just 8 Days and 9 Hours to go!

Happy Pawnday To Me (and all of you too)!

With just 10 days remaining in the crazy adventure, I’ve been looking back on all of the amazing experiences I’ve had and wanted share 10ish of my favorite Groupon experiences from the last 355 days. It took me a really long time to decide and considering how many there are to choose from, I’m sure I’m forgetting a few in this particular moment. That said…here they are in no particular order:

#10 – Cooking Classes

Like this tapas class at the Creative Cooking School in Las Vegas gave me the rare opportunity to participate in one of my favorite hobbies while on the road this year...

not to mention that the food was delicious! I can’t wait to use my new skills in the kitchen when I get home.

#9 – Racing Cars

Whether it's a late model stock car in Manassas, VA...

or a current style NASCAR in Darlington, SC...

it is clear that I’m far too big for race cars. But once I got in, it was a blast! Note: they don’t put speedometers in stock cars, so I don’t know how fast I got them up to but it sure felt fast.

#8 – Vocal Lessons

Shelby at Brett Manning Studios in Nashville gave me a couple of inspiring and incredibly fun voice lessons.

In order to continue my training at home and hopefully turn me into the next Nashville star, I was given the gift of a huge collection of Singing Success DVD’s…Thank you BMS and Singing Success!

#7 – Mobile Bar

This part bike, part bar, all party machine is the Milwaukee Pedal Tavern!

I was fortunate enough to be given the honor of driving this incredible machine for a bit. You just stick a keg in the front and start pedaling for a time you will never forget!

#6 - Accommodations

I stayed in quite a variety of places, posh and poor, during the course of this year…

and The Fairmont Heritage Place in Ghirardelli Square - San Francisco was my favorite of them all.

The decor is modern and luxurious and unlike most expensive hotels, almost every amenity including wifi, bottled water, movies, breakfast and many more are free of charge! Also, considering the location, there are bowls of Ghirardelli chocolates strategically placed around the premises.

#5 – Flying High

with Hot Air Expeditions and Dream Flights USA balloon rides...

taking the helm over Louisville thanks to Cardinal Wings Aviation...

and an exciting Bird's Eye View Helicopter Tour in Newport, RI!

#4 – The Pampering Prior to this year I had never even stepped foot in a spa, so you can believe that I’m going to have a hard time giving up my new found love for the royal treatment.

Just Gents in Sarasota treated me to a divine four hours of relaxation...

including haircut, massage, pedicure and hot shave!

The Grooming Lounge in DC gave me my first manicure, pedicure and facial...

I even left with a parting gift…The Greatest Shave Ever Kit! Check it out on their website.

and LaLah at Corroboree Spa in Nashville gave me the BEST (hot stone) massage of the year (and thus my life).

It’s a good thing I love Nashville or I’d be really upset about having to return frequently for this heavenly experience (now O.Liv Body Bar newly relocated nearby).

#3 – 4 Wheeling in the Desert

Arizona Outdoor Fun provided the most thrilling (yes...borderline scary) experience of the year!

#2 – Seafaring Adventures

such as kayaking to the sea caves with La Jolla Kayak

and learning the secrets of wind powered vessels at the Seattle Sailing Club!

and #1 – Girlpawn’s Visit to LA! Not only was it great to be able to spend some quality time with Amber, but we got to have a ton of fun together on Groupon.

We had a lovely wine tasting at Malibu Wines Vineyard...

followed by a relaxing couples massage at Finely Kneaded Day Spa in Long Beach and dinner at one of my favorite restaurants in the country, Suba Sushi…

These incredible chefs were tremendously gracious and ensured that our anniversary dinner was incredibly romantic (and delicious).

The night ended with a bottle of wine (from the winery) on the balcony of the luxurious, Fairmont Miramar Hotel with a view of the ocean and Santa Monica Pier.

Thanks to ALL of the Groupon businesses I’ve visited this year…it has been a blast!

As I mentioned in my last post…

I'm going to post as comprehensive of a trading list as I can muster at this time.

On countless occasions I’ve been asked, “how does this work?”, so I’m going to give you a brief rundown of the trading process. If you think you’ve got it down, feel free to skip the instructions or just ask me whatever in your email.

Whether you’d just like to help me make it to the finish line or are hoping to get your hands on that Groupon that you missed…here’s how it works (no, I can’t get you anything that isn’t on this list…if other things popup, I’ll post a list of additions.):

1) Send me an email at TheGroupawn@LiveoffGroupon.com

2) Please include your name, city and which Groupons you are interested in taking off my hands

3) If you have any questions about a specific deal, I recommend that you Google the name of the business followed by the word “Groupon”. Sometimes multiple deals pop up, but it will give you info about the company and explain more about what is included.

4) Let me know if you have any additional questions.

5) Tell me approximately how much you are wanting to contribute in exchange for those Groupons you would like.

6) While I can’t touch money, if I have a dollar amount in mind, I can come up with some trading options in that ballpark or you could send funds to another helper who is waiting on contributions for the purchase of a larger item (like a plane ticket home!). If Paypal is an option for you…let me know that too.

I’ll be adding other Groupons soon…I have a number set aside for active trades and for survival purposes, of course.

The List:

(sorry for the formatting, any shorthand, typos and/or lack of description. Dates often mean when the voucher expires but some have been extended. You are welcome to call the business to find out if that is a hard deadline. I apologize if by the time I get your email, the deal you wanted is no longer available or already traded. Dollar amounts are the full retail value):

Atlanta
Atlanta 5/3 Facelogic Spa (Facial or Massage) $99
Atlanta 5/10 Goldstein Dental (Exam or Whiten) $249
Atlanta 5/1 Zoo (1 admit & rides) $30 x2
Atlanta 5/7 Opera Nightclub VIP Pass & 2 Drinks $70
Atlanta 5/18 Kate Byars Photo Class $75
Atlanta 5/19 Tavern 99 $25
Atlanta 6/11 Tongue & Groove (Cover & Drink for 4) $40
Atlanta 7/1 Clove Salon $125 new address
Atlanta 7/1 Laughing Skull Lounge 2tkts $40 x2
Atlanta 7/5 Trio Lawn Care $45
Atlanta 7/8 Roswell Ghost Tour 1 tkt $15
Atlanta 8/5 Prestige Heli (2tkts) $300

Austin
Austin 6/18 Party Cat Supplies $25
Austin Alamo Hypnosis Weight Loss $125
Austin Aquarena Center 2A & 2K tkts $30
Austin Aziz Salon $140 x3
Austin Boomerang’s Meat Pies $20 x2
Austin daVino & daVinci (painting class)$45
Austin Dog Almighty $10 x2
Austin Firehouse Subs $16 x2
Austin Habana Rest. $20 x3
Austin Hiking Yoga 2 Classes $40 x2
Austin Hometown Pizza $10 x3
Austin Hotel Allandale $149 x3
Austin LePA (Electrolysis, Facial or Anit Cellulite Vac. Massage) $100
Austin Mangieri’s Pizza Cafe $20 x2
Austin Marble Slab Creamery $30 x2
Austin Oasis $30 x2
Austin Palmer’s Rest. $30 x2
Austin Public Golf (for 2) $102 x2
Austin Rio’s Brazillian Cafe $30 x2
Austin Rock Gym Youth Pass $10 x2
Austin Seg City 90min $65
Austin Tea Lounge $6
Austin Tropical Smoothie Cafe $15 x4
Austin Veracity Aviation $150
Austin Vintage Villas Hotel $139 x3
Austin Warehouse Billiards $20 x3
Austin ZuZu Mex $15 x2

Baltimore
Bmore 5/11 Crepe Du Jour $25 x2
Bmore 6/10 Red Star Grill $30 x4
Bmore 6/11 Urban Pirate Tours (1tkt) $27 x2
Bmore 6/15 Padonia Station Bar $25
Bmore 6/28 Talara (Tapas) $30
Bmore 6/11 Cosmetic Laser Center (6 treatments) worth up to $1200

Boston
Boston Ballymeade Country Club $88
Boston Kingsbury Tennis Lesson $93
Boston company1 theater $129
Boston prudential-dental $512
Boston Blue Ribbon BBQ $15 x2
Boston Deluxe Town Diner $200
Boston G’Vanni’s Ristorante 3 Course Dinner for 2 (Sun-Thurs) $130 x2
Boston Glenville Auto $60
Boston Golf Masters $50
Boston Lil Vinnys $45 NA
Boston Marathon Rest $40 NA
Boston Motorsport Lab Ferrari $499 exp 8/26
Boston Republic of Wellness 1hr massage $80

Columbus
Cbus 1 Stop Bead Shop (1 Jewelry Class)$70
Cbus Five Star Fitness Boot Camp 3 Classes $45
Cbus Flatiron Bar & Diner $30
Cbus Salon Lofts $80
Cbus Taste of Bali $20
CBus Wholly Joe’s $10
Cbus WineMakers Guild Experience $100
Cbus 5/5 Hilyard Photography $149
Cbus Advanced Dental Care Zoom! Whitening $600
Cbus Bronze Tan Studios (30 day unltd) $100
Cbus National Jean Co. $100
Cbus Nurtur Salon (Mani-Pedi, Facial & massage) $115

Colorado Springs
CO Springs Genesis Medspa Laser Hair $1000

Charlotte
Charlotte Carolina History & Haunts $15 x4
Charlotte Comedy Zone $10 x2
Charlotte Funky Town Parties $45
Charlotte Maid Pro $120

Chicago (updated)
Chicago Bulldog Bootcamp $195 (Hoffman Estates location closed…others are still open)
Chicago Thai Village $20
Chicago Pannenkoeken $20 x2
Chicago CrystalNailSalon $80
Chicago Pizza Tours $40
Chicago Usagi Ya $40 x2

Cincy
Cincy Adrenaline Sports $30
Cincy Keeping It Green $60
Cincy Trihealth Fitness $60
Cincy Young Chefs Acad $30
Cincy Esthetic Dentistry $277

Cleveland
Cleveland 5/19 Red Geranium Vintage Goods $35
Cleveland 5/26 Synergy Paintball $47
Cleveland 6/16 Wood Trader Frames $100
Cleveland 6/22 North Coast Waverunner $140
Cleveland 5/24 Northcoast Laser Hair $560
Cleveland 6/14 uvary aire $225

Dallas
Dallas Renew Beauty MedSpa $749
Dallas Adrenalina wave pool $40 x2
Dallas Bliss Cleaning $75
Dallas Massage Co $76

DC
DC 5/10 Langston Bar & Grille $50
DC 5/25 Top Golf range $40
DC Pearson’s Wine $82
DC 9/2 Potomac Paddlesports $98
DC Freeway Airport 1hr lesson $170
Fairfax Comfort & Joy Manicure $40

Denver
Denver 5/27 Photo Element (Portrait Pkg) $540

Fort Worth
Fort Worth Bonzai Cycle Werx $80
Fort Worth Real Deals Home Decor $35
Fort Worth Lone Oak Winery $36 x2

Fresno
Fresno Pita Pit $10

Hartford
Hartford 8/13 Stone Age Rock Gym $60
Hartford 8/27 Bellinis Italian $40

Houston
Houston BounceU $30

Indy
Indy Arces Paintball $35
Indy Bella Natur Spa $65
Indy Chef Mikes Grill $30
Indy moody-eyes $58
Indy vine and table-$25
Indy Vito Italian $30
Indy Busy Bees Cleaning $125
Indy clarity facial $125
Indy freedom-helicopters $150
Indy Great Frame Up $100

Jacksonville
Jacksonville Black Raven Pirates $28 x2
Jacksonville Campeche Bay Cantina $20 x2
Jacksonville Cha Cha’s Mex $20
Jacksonville Jamrock Caribbean $20 x2
Jacksonville Manatee Cafe $15

LA (updated)
LA Blush Salon Makeover $240
LA Savvy Facial $105
LA Smile Agency Zoom! $500
LA Another Side of LA Segway Tour $150
LA Aladdin Jr. $30 x3
LA Cayenne Mediterranean $40 x2
LA Creama $20 x2
LA Cupid’s Hot Dogs (for 4) $22 x2
LA El Pollo Inka $16 x2
LA Flappers Comedy Club 6 wk Class $250 x2
LA Iconic Pinups $250
LA Jap/Am Museum 1tkt $9 x4
LA Maderas Steak $40 x3
LA Mogan’s Cafe $45
LA Off N Running Tours $120
LA Olive Kitchen $50
LA Penguin’s Froyo $10
LA Richie Gaona’s Trapeze $60
LA Sardo’s Dinner $45 x2
LA Shakas Hawaiian Flavors $20 x2
LA Tarascos $15 x2
LA Tavern On Main $20 x2
LA The Wine Crush tasting for 2 $40
LA Virtual Snow $160

Las Vegas (updated)
Las Vegas Shalimar Studios $285
Las Vegas Emerald Suites $80 x3
Las Vegas Putt Park Mini Golf $34
Las Vegas Ross J’s Aloha Grill $15
Las Vegas Bravo Studio Salon $100
Las Vegas Delgado Dance Studios 1mo. $150
Las Vegas Elements Massage 55min $89
Las Vegas Menchie’s Froyo $10 x2
Las Vegas Mi Casa $30
Las Vegas Nielsen’s Custard $10 x3
Las Vegas Ondo Aesthetics Choc Facial $95
Las Vegas Sabor $30 x2
Las Vegas Skin City Facial $119
Las Vegas Tonic Salon Cut/Cond or Color $120
Las Vegas Winder Farms $68
Las Vegas Wolf Theater (Clarion) 1tkt x4

Louisville
Louisville Deck Framing $100
Louisville integrity Cleaning $60
Louisville Admiral Bicknell Inn $199 x3

Madison
Madison Jazzercise $133

Memphis
Memphis NY Suit Exchange $50 x4
Memphis LTS Massage $90

Mexico
Mexico Playa Del Carmen Esencia Hotel $665

Miami
Miami Celebration Cruise (for 2) $688
Miami Baby posh clothes $45
Miami Biscayne National Park $45
Miami color me mine $30
Miami fratellila bufala $35
Miami Fred Astaire Dance $80
Miami Halfmoon Empanadas $20
Miami in style cupcakes $19
Miami Memory Factory $25
Miami Perfect Bronze Tan $50
Miami Wheeleez Bike Rental $27
Miami 5/4 Jewelry Workshop $140
Miami 5ElementWrap $135
Miami Laser Hair EmenaSpa (6 sessions) $1800
Miami Jet Ski Tour $139
Miami Movers Group $173
Miami Smiles By Design $241
Miami Tranquility at the Doral $100
Miami Gray Line Tour $49
Miami Little Miss Sweets $18
Miami Roho Salon $395

Minneapolis
Minn Scuba Center $30

Nashville
Nashville AutoDetail $100
Nashville Cashmere Salon Spa $85
Nashville lost-river-cave $15
Nashville Prime 108 $45
Nashville Sky Blue Cafe $20 x2

New Orleans
NO Jazzercise $119
NO Timberlane Country Club $100
NO Tony’s Carpet Clean $95
NO black & geauxld photo $325
NO Dr Gruezke Teeth White $444
NO bella-salon $50
NO Bombshell Waxing $50
NO Bright Organizing Systems $100
NO Lions Den Mens Salon $35 x2
NO Miyako Sushi $50
NO Nacho Mamas Mex $20
NO Oceana Grill $30

NYC
NYC Kuta Satay House $40
NYC La Estufa $25
NYC Paul Pellico Dance Classes 1mo $395
NYC Tread Bike Shop 1day $30
NYC Yushi (after 2pm) Downtown $20
NYC Art of Natural Beauty Spa Package-brklyn $400
NYC Body & Mind Laser Spa Queens $150 x2

Orange County
OC 118 Degrees $45
OC Catamaran Ride $79
OC Fired Up San Clemente 2 visits $60 x2
OC Seabirds $10 x2

Orlando
Orlando Back Yard Burgers $16
Orlando Fun Spot $40
Orlando Pannullo’s Italian $30
Orlando Cakepop Shoppe $24
Orlando Snorkle With Manatees $50

Phoenix (updated)
Phoenix Class Fitness $100
Phoenix Rolf’s Salon $50
Phoenix AZ Climbing School $225
Phoenix AZ on the Rocks $50
Phoenix Bleu Pond Massage (60min) or Facial $85
Phoenix Cielo $50 x2
Phoenix Clarendon Hotel $315 x2
Phoenix Fuego Bistro $30 x3
Phoenix Hook Up Outfitters $150
Phoenix Let’s Do Dinner $40 x2
Phoenix Salon Tru $50
Phoenix True Rest Float Spa $79

Pittsburgh
Pitts Hollywood Tans $150
Pitts Melissa Photo $100
Pitts oh my ur gorgeous $125
Pitts Bagel Factory $20 x2
Pitts charlie’s ice cream $20
Pitts cut-sew-studio class $50
Pitts Firehouse Lounge $35
Pitts Mt Lebanon Books $10
Pitts Pain Center $75
Pitts Pluma $30
Pitts Salon Beleza 1hr Facial $85
Pitts U.S. Hot Air Balloon Team $249 x2
Pitts Wholistic Acupuncture $75

Portland
Portland Hilton 1 night stay plus 4 Zoo tickets (2 adult, 2 kid) $228 (Groupon sold for $99)

Providence
Providence Minigolf Masters $90
Providence Elite Skin Laser Hair $450

Raleigh
Raleigh Pulcinella Restaurant $20

San Antonio
San Antonio ConCan Resort & Golf $318
San Antonio Emali Salon $110
San Antonio Marioli Meals $34
San Antonio Paciugo Gelato $10
San Antonio SunbatheTan $50
San Antonio Get Sexy Bootcamp $247

San Diego (updated)
San Diego CityDog6Washes $72
San Diego Gut Check Fitness – 10 Boot Camp $120
San Diego Xpressive Arts Center $30
San Diego Serenity Dental Cleaning $475
San Diego Another Side Segway Tour $150
San Diego 5&A Dime $50
San Diego Bull Taco $15 x2
San Diego Carlsbad Ranch Market $15
San Diego City Pizzeria $25
San Diego Dick’s Last Resort $30 x2
San Diego Flagship Cruises (2tkts) $50 x2
San Diego Home Sweet Home Cafe $15 x3
San Diego Isabel’s Cantina Dinner $30 x3
San Diego Rock n’ Jenny’s Subs $10 x2
San Diego Sunrise Balloons $175
San Diego T-Deli $11 x2
San Diego Uncorked Tour $225 x2
San Diego Where You Want To Be Tours Savenger Hunt $60 x5
San Diego Wine Smarties $200

Sacramento (updated)
Sacramento House Kitchen Bar $22

San Fran (updated)
San Fran GolfTEC Swing Analysis $85
San Fran Global Yoga 2 mo. $260
San Fran Sutter Dental Zoom! $600 (Groupon sold for $195)
San Fran Adventure Out Surfing $95
San Fran Be My Guest Thai Bistro $25
San Fran Blue & Gold Fleet Cruise $24 x2
San Fran CA River Adventures 1/2 Day Rafting $117 x2
San Fran Catch $40
San Fran Change of Greenery Electric Bike Rental $75
San Fran Cocina Poblana (Oakland) $30 x2
San Fran Hayward Flight $285 x2
San Fran Isabella Farms Horseback $300
San Fran Laline (Bath Products) $40
San Fran OCSC Sailing $40
San Fran Polk Street Gym 3 Classes $40
San Fran Princeton Seafood Co $20
San Fran Saul’s Deli worth $30* x2
San Fran Snow Bomb for 2 $80 x3
San Fran South End Grill $40
San Fran St. Francis Winery for 2 $60
San Fran Swiss Delices $20
San Fran The Fix $15 x3
San Fran Tower Tours for 2 $142 x2
San Fran Tru Mani/Pedi $89
San Fran Wild Vine Bistro
San Fran World Gym 30 day Membership $40
San Fran Zen Day Spa $130

San Jose (updated)
San Jose Skydive Hollister $169

Seattle
Seattle Armondo’s Cafe $35 11/10
Seattle Children’s Museum $30 6/23
Seattle History Museum $8 6/11
Seattle Marion Barber Haircut $36 8/23
Seattle Smith Tower Observ (for 2) 8/2
Seattle Utopia Froyo $10  5/31 x10

St. Louis
STL Salt of the Earth $50

Virginia Beach
VA Beach Tumbles Family Member Kids $84
VA Beach Zoots Dry Clean $30
VA Beach essential-wellness wrap $125
VA Beach great wall chinese $30
VA Beach Route 58 Deli $15
VA Beach Royal Choc Fondue $30
VA Beach Tidewater Flight Center $200

Online/National Deals
A&I Books $50
Arbitrage $140
Barclay’s Wine $75 x2
Blockbuster 5 rentals $5 x7
BurkeDecor.com $40
Canvas On Demand $127
Chocolate.com $20
Dip Sensations $21
Domino’s Pizza $20 x2
Dwell Magazine 1yr $20
Fancy Fortune Cookies Detroit $35
FitOrbit, Inc $194
Food & Wine Mag $25
Frame The Alphabet $135
Larger Than Life Mural $84 x3
Mixbook $50 x2
Nutty Guys $25 x2
Photobook America $115
Seuss Prints $89 x2
Wine Insiders $75 x2
Angel Bakeries $20 x3
Campus Quilt Co. $70 x2
Door to Door Produce $34
In The Zone $165
MIO Bags $35

Thank you all!

Today I made it safely to Denver, Colorado…this may be my final city on this crazy adventure. With just a few weeks to go, I look back at all of the amazing things that have happened and I’m amazed at how generous everybody has been. I’ve managed to get everything a guy could need for an entire year…and MORE! While many of those things were covered by this Groupon or that, sometimes a Groupon for Laser Hair Removal in Washington, DC, actually buys you a flight from Chicago to Phoenix and a three night stay at a Hotel in Vegas. You never know unless you try. I’ve tried. Sure, there have been failures, such as the time a Groupon for burgers in New York City just wasn’t enough for that cab ride.

But there have been hundreds of successful trades for everything from

The clothes on my back...

To my trusty backpack.

Not to mention food...

and shelter were always taken care of.

Transportation wasn't always easy, but there were many rides...

and a flight here and there.

It wasn’t always…

Fun

and games...

But things always worked out when they needed to.

It’s time to make some final trades before this journey comes to an end, including a plane ticket home!

In my next blog post I’m going to put up a list of many of the Groupons I have available for trading and some instructions on how all this bartering works.

Thank you all for you help and support for the last 11+ months!

After tallying the votes, it seems that we have a winner by a mile…Denver, Colorado! Denver received almost twice as many votes as the runner up, St. Louis, Missouri (STL) which excites me since I’ve been to STL in my previous life. I’ve only been to Colorado once before and my time in Denver consisted of a one hour layover at the Airport before heading to Basalt to do some fly fishing with Grandpawn. That being said, I’m actually going to try to make it to both cities since I have about 3 weeks left to go, even if my visit to STL may be a bit shorter.

Now that my course has been charted, there is the small matter of travel and accommodations to consider. I just looked online and found a flight from Chicago to Denver for a mere $89 but I’m guessing that would have to be booked today…if you think you can help please text me at (312) 884-1842. If texting isn’t an option, you can email me at TheGroupawn@LiveOffGroupon.com.

One thing I noticed is that Denver doesn’t have Zipcars so I may be somewhat reliant on others to help me get around. Does anyone know what Denver’s public transit is like? It may also be useful for me to try to trade someone for the use of a car, whether personal or a rental matters not to me.

I have already seen a few suggestions of must see/do places in and around Denver but if you have your own, I’m always on the look out for the best of the best. I can’t wait to start exploring ‘Beer Country’.

Thanks everyone for your help!

London has been a truly extraordinary adventure – filled with meeting new friends, trying new foods, and getting to experience Groupon adventures-European style. With less than 24 hours before I journey back across the pond, I am looking to you for suggestions on the last few places I should venture to before May 10th and the culmination of 365 days of living off Groupons.

I’ll be in Chicago for a brief stint before heading on to my final destinations. I am looking to go to places that I haven’t yet visited including but not limited to:
Atlanta
Virginia Beach
Pittsburgh
St. Louis
Miami
Denver
Dallas/Ft. Worth

Choose from one of these cities or feel free to write in your own in the comments below!

Please send me an e-mail if you think you can help out with places to stay or chipping in for travel expenses – thegroupawn@liveoffgroupon.com.

I’ll admit that I wouldn’t know a flying buttress from a flying squirrel, and the only reason I have any clue what an apse is can be contributed to my affinity for crossword puzzles. That being said, I can’t get over how amazingly striking the buildings in London are…

Case in point.

Thus far, my favorite building has to be the Houses of Parliament/Big Ben…

Big Ben was smaller than I expected but I was blown away by the overall aesthetics.

On the flip side, I was fairly disappointed with Buckingham Palace…

Not particularly palace-y if you ask me.

If I were the Queen, I’d have moved into the Norman Tower within the walls of the Tower of London long ago…

It blows me away to think that not only the medieval style castles, but pretty much any building, especially the churches, are likely to be 1000 years older than my country(!)…

Take Westminster Abbey for instance, dedicated in the 11th century.

Speaking of the 11th century…

When was the last time someone used a phone booth for making a call? #urinescentedbooth

Not since I was in Seattle has a city made me want to pull out my camera every time I turn around quite this much…

St. Paul's Cathedral

One of my challenges was to pose as a statue…

So I chose the death of Sir Thomas à Becket

Speaking of falling down…I made it over to London Bridge. Honestly not much to look at on its own but it does have a pretty cool guardian…

…and a nice view of nearby Tower Bridge…

I wish I had time to wait around and watch this spectacular bridge raise up.

Another view, this time with a little light.

Seeing as I have a few days remaining in my UK trip, I’m sure these won’t be the last photos of this sort. I’ve already been on the lookout for a full length view of “The Gherkin”…

But could someone please explain to me this tiny escalator barely taller than me?

That's 2 meters if you find yourself dealing with heights in this part of the world.

Here are a couple videos of my favorite area of London, the view from Westminster Bridge:

First…on foot near sundown…

Second…London By Night’s Double Decker Bus Tour…

Did I miss an epic building? Let me know so I can make a trip to check it out before I leave town on Wed.

Email – TheGroupon@LiveOffGroupon.com

Thanks!

Over the course of the last few days I’ve stumbled across interesting differences and similarities between London and The States, so I thought I’d share a few of these observations here today.

I finally got to try the classic British dessert, ”Sticky Toffee Pudding”.

While I enjoyed it quite a bit, I didn’t find it particularly sticky, I’ve never had toffee that wasn’t rock hard, and it reminded me more of a cake than anything even resembling “pudding” back home.

While out and about I came across two rather interesting modern sturctures.

Here we have the London “Apple”…

And the Gherkin…

In Chicago we have “The Bean”

Source (C.W.)

When was the last time you saw prawns prepared like this in the US? It seems that we Americans tend to remove as much of the exterior/shell as possible before serving. Not in London…

These gorgeous chili – garlic prawns from The English Pig were absolutely phenomenal!

It was explained to me that Kebabs are one of the most common forms of late night food in London (sometimes enjoyed while mildly intoxicated)…

Not the pizza, burgers or tacos that you might seek out in the US.

In Chicago, Oysters look like this…

But in London…they look like this…

If you know of any other similarities or differences, I’d be interested in seeing what you come up with.

Cheers!