Weekend Getaway Guide: Beyond Coachella

After a packed week in California for the Coachella Music Festival, I’m back and finally recouped. Six days of dancing, partying, gallivanting and traveling had me exhausted and in need of some R&R.

Coachella is one of my favorite weekends of the year. The desert weather is HOT, but I’ll take the heat over the April showers we have in New York any day.

The artists put on killer performances, and there’s always a good guest appearance or two. People-watching and lurking at festival outfits is fun during the day, and the night is for dancing until your legs are tired and riding the ferris wheel when the line is short.

If you snagged a wristband to either weekend before they all sold out, then consider yourself lucky! We weren’t as fortunate. We booked flights & a hotel. We didn’t have wristbands. But we didn’t let that stop us from going.

We eventually bought last-minute tickets from second-hand sellers, so it is possible to get tickets up until the day of! By Saturday afternoon we hit the Heineken Tent, grabbed a beer and watched the performances on some of my favorite stages.

Beyond Coachella, there are other fun (and cheaper) things to do out in the desert during these crowded weekends. If you can’t go to the concerts or if you’re looking for something else to do before the headliners that night, here are a few ideas:

Palm Springs.

Although Coachella itself is out in Indio, Palm Springs is a cool 40 minutes north (so if you’re driving in from LA then you pass through it). A known vacation spot for celebs and high rollers, Palm Springs is a cute little town with lots of shops, hotels, pools, restaurants and things to do.

Parties.

It’s the desert. It’s hot. And it’s Coachella weekend. There are lots of pool parties happening near by! We chose LED Day Club at the Hilton Palm Springs, but a lot of the hotels in the area have similar things going on.

Brunch.

I’m always down for a boozy brunch. Our personal favorite was Pinocchio in the Desert. They have bottomless mimosas for just $3.95! (we’re really not in New York anymore). Plus their french toast was slammin’. Cheeky’s is another good option and Trio has an awesome 3-course prix fixe lunch for just $19.

So whether you got to see Madonna kiss Drake or you just stick around for the before and after parties, there’s plenty of fun to have during Coachella weekend.