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Desert retreat Good times are no mirage at Rancho Las Palmas. By Lynn ArmitagePublished: August, 2008

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Want to get out of town before summer’s end – without going too far? Just a few hours away awaits Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa, a desert escape that has recently undergone a $35 million renovation to attract more families.      This hacienda-style resort offers enough self-contained amusement for everyone in the family: a 27-hole golf course with six lakes, 25 tennis courts, a HUGE spa and fitness center, four pools, two restaurants, a bar, poolside food and beverages and – SPLASHTOPIA! Too much fun! Splashtopia is why so many families are flocking to Las Palmas for a quickie. Imagine a smaller version of Wild Rivers right outside your hotel room. At this  1.2-acre aquatic playground, the only language spoken is squealing, as kids (and adults!) barrel down two 100-foot water slides. Snaking around all the delightful chaos is a cool and calming Lazy River.      For parents who’d rather read and relax than enjoy a good scream, a tranquility pool is a short scurry away. And if you truly value your alone time, you can rent a private cabana for a few choice bucks where personal waiters will fuss over you all day (and probably feed you grapes if you ask). Hungry, anyone? After working up a hunger doing, well, nothing, either dine casually at Palms Café on breakfast foods, brick-oven pizza, sandwiches and Starbuck’s coffee; or enjoy a meal at bluEmber, the resort’s signature restaurant, which serves up great wines and chef-prepared dishes. If you MUST work out ... The resort has a well-equipped fitness center with state-of-the-art treadmills, steppers, bikes and the like. Or, take a morning walk on the scenic fitness trails, before it gets too hot .          Find summer midweek rates at $109. > Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa 41-000 Bob Hope Drive Rancho Mirage, CA 92270 760.568.2727; 866.423.1195 rancholaspalmas.com Lynn Armitage is the editor of OC Family magazine.

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