Santa Ana, CA: Courtyard Costa Mesa South Coast Metro

Travelers can now shop until they drop and then fall asleep in plush accommodations thanks to the newly renovated Courtyard Costa Mesa South Coast Metro.

Spread out over four floors, 133 rooms and 12 suites, the Santa Ana hotel has completely remodeled every room with new design features every visitor will love. The $800,000 makeover included new luxury bedding, thicker mattresses and the addition of more fluffy pillows. Guests can work or play while enjoying the comforts of an ergonomic chair, large work desk and complimentary high-speed Internet access.

Other refreshed amenities in the guest rooms include spacious bathrooms, separate seating areas with comfortable chairs or couches and flat-screen TVs. Guests on vacation or on the job can be connected and productive as well as refreshed and relaxed in the same day. In the morning, visitors can enjoy in-room coffeemakers.

With its convenient location as a Santa Ana hotel, the property is just a few miles away from popular attractions such as Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm and Major League Baseball’s Los Angeles Angels, who play at Angel Stadium. John Wayne Airport is 15 miles away, while the even-closer South Coast Plaza offers luxury shopping for everyone.

The South Coast Plaza houses 250 boutiques. Top department stores include Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, Saks Fifth Avenue and Macy’s. Many top designers and fashion brands also have stores in the mall, which also boasts 30 restaurants.

Nearby Laguna Beach offers family fun with calm ocean waves and shopping within easy walking distance of the sand. Three golf courses less than 4 miles away from the hotel offer driving ranges and 18-hole layouts.

Guests returning to the hotel in Santa Ana can enjoy dinner at The Bistro - Eat. Drink. Connect, which features a wide selection of starters, salads and sandwiches, including the Bistro burger topped with Wisconsin cheddar, bacon and Bistro sauce. Craft, domestic and imported beers are also available. Starbucks coffee is ready to go for late nights or early mornings.

Visitors who need a snack anytime can visit The Market, a 24/7 convenience store in the lobby.

Travelers can unwind in the fitness center with cardiovascular equipment and free weights or enjoy the heated outdoor pool all year long.

Guests can lounge by the pool in the Southern California sun while using the hotel-wide free Wi-Fi or use the business library to finish their work. The library features several computers, a free printer and a separate computer station solely for checking flight times as well as printing boarding passes.

For even more productivity, visitors can use 1,352 square feet of meeting space for business get-togethers or any social event. Catering is available for easy on-the-job meals.

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Courtyard Costa Mesa South Coast Metro
3002 South Harbor Boulevard
Santa Ana, California 92704
For information, visit http://www.marriott.com/SNASA.

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Santa Ana, CA: Discovery Science Center to Host a Wild Summer

Beginning May 26, 2012, the Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana, CA will play host to an amazing array of Wild Summer programming beginning with the opening of the brand new Wildlife Rescue exhibit. The new special exhibition offers visitors the opportunity to experience compelling stories of animal rescue from around the world, including how seabirds are saved from environmental disasters and what happens to orphaned baby elephants. Also during DSC’s Wild Summer, visitors to the Science Center and Wildlife Rescue will each receive one complimentary ticket to the OC Zoo and the Santa Ana Zoo.

On display from May 26 through September 3, 2012, Wildlife Rescue lets visitors experience the excitement of rescuing and returning diverse creatures back to the wild as they explore the new, emerging science of “Restoration Biology” that is saving all types of animals from the brink of extinction. Through interactive exhibits, guests learn the innovative methods used to capture, raise and release endangered species, including elephants, orangutans, pandas, whooping cranes, sturgeon, Iberian lynxes, prairie dogs, American burying beetles, plus many more.

In addition to Wildlife Rescue, DSC will be hosting special wildlife themed days throughout the summer. Each themed time-period will have specific learning stations, presentations, stage shows, and kids’ activities. They are as follows:

May 26 - 28 (Memorial Day Weekend)
‘Wild about Safari’ features Thors’ Safari Extravaganza show where kids and families will be entertained by seeing real snakes, lizards, tarantulas, plus many more. Also, learning stations will include activities on eco systems and digging fossils. This coming Memorial Day Weekend is not to be missed, as DSC kicks off Wild Summer… safari style!

May 26 - June 29
‘Lizards, Toads, and Snakes, Oh My!’ features programs on reptiles, amphibians and arthropods. Guests are invited to learn about scaly snakes, leaping lizards, creepy-crawling insects, slow moving turtles and tortoises, and hissing roaches as they checkout Wildlife Rescue and participate in the “Game of Chance” stage show.

June 30 - July 8
‘Dog Days of Summer’ (Summer Festival) featuring programs on dogs, wolves, coyotes and foxes. Plus, the summer festival will include kids’ obstacle course and inflatables, learning stations, gourmet food trucks, and an exciting LIVE dog show! Rescue groups will also be on hand for pet adoption days.

July 9 - 15
‘Cats Rule, Dogs Drool’ features programs on cats, cougars, bobcats and mountain lions. Families will have the opportunity to learn about how these nocturnal creatures live, hunt, and survive throughout the world. In addition, speakers will be on hand to discuss how residents of Orange County can look for signs of wild cats in the area and what to do if you come across one.

July 16 - 29
‘Take Flight’ features programs on domestic and exotic birds. What’s it like to fly high in the sky with nothing beneath but the wind and clouds? Visitors to DSC will have the chance to find out during “Omar’s Exotic Birds” show and during special presentations on feathers and flight, plus environments and adaptation. Hands-on activities for the kids include making a bird feeder.

July 30 - September 3
‘Sea Life’ features programs on animals of the ocean! Surf is up during the last days of Wild Summer as there will be a hands-on tide pool tank for families, plus presentations on the Irvine Marsh Lands, Huntington Beach Wetlands, and Newport Harbor. Whale conservationists will be on hand to discuss what we can do as a community to help preserve these majestic creatures of the sea.

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Wildlife Rescue is on view from May 26 through September 3, 2012 at Discovery Science Center. The exhibition is included with general admission to the Science Center, which is $14.95 for adults, $12.95 for children and seniors, and is free to children 3 and younger.

Wildlife Rescue is a traveling exhibit developed and produced by Science North, Ontario, Canada.

Discovery Science Center
2500 North Main Street
Santa Ana, CA 92705
714-542-2823
http://www.discoverycube.org

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