Crowds pour into the Empire Polo Grounds on the first day of the Coachella Music Festival on April 15, 2022.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
14 desert side quests to check out beyond Coachella, Stagecoach
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Planning a proper trip to Coachella or Stagecoach is a master class in logistics. Before setting foot on the Empire Polo Club where these annual fests are held, fans have already made decisions on where to stay, what to pack, where to eat, what to see and which bandanna will be covering your nose and mouth from the dust on the walk back to the car. But true veterans of this fest know that one of the best parts of this desert journey is planning some side quests. Carving out time to indulge in natural wonders, great food, outsider art, local record shopping and more is all part of making the most of any festival weekend in Indio. With that in mind, we’ve compiled a very doable list of enjoyable extracurricular excursions to fill some free time with 14 essential experiences.
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Sonny Bono statue
Palm Springs Statue
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A statue of Sonny Bono is in the heart of Palm Springs, where the late entertainer was once the mayor.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
He’s got you, babe. Sidle up to Sonny Bono, of Sonny & Cher fame and the former mayor of Palm Springs, and grab a selfie with this statue in the heart of Palm Springs. You can find him sitting next to a fountain at the intersection of South Palm Canyon Drive and La Plaza Court.
Head a block north on Palm Canyon to the intersection with East Tahquitz Canyon Way and you can also snap a photo with a statue of Lucille Ball.
The attraction is free and, if you’re not staying in Palm Springs, swing by on your way into or out of the Coachella Valley.
Head a block north on Palm Canyon to the intersection with East Tahquitz Canyon Way and you can also snap a photo with a statue of Lucille Ball.
The attraction is free and, if you’re not staying in Palm Springs, swing by on your way into or out of the Coachella Valley.
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Forever Marilyn
Riverside County Attraction
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
The legend of Marilyn Monroe looms larger than life and so does Seward Johnson’s 26-foot-tall sculpture placed in front of the Palm Springs Art Museum.
Love it or hate it — and lots of people hate it — “Forever Marilyn” is a kitschy Instagram-ready landmark to document your desert travels — just don’t be the weirdos who look up her skirt, please.
The only time commitment is as long as it takes for you to get the right angle for a photo. Like the Sonny Bono statue, this is another one you can hit on your way in or out of town.
Love it or hate it — and lots of people hate it — “Forever Marilyn” is a kitschy Instagram-ready landmark to document your desert travels — just don’t be the weirdos who look up her skirt, please.
The only time commitment is as long as it takes for you to get the right angle for a photo. Like the Sonny Bono statue, this is another one you can hit on your way in or out of town.
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Palm Springs Walk of the Stars
Palm Springs Attraction
Alvin Taylor is one of nearly 500 honorees on the Palm Springs Walk of the Stars.
(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)
Take a walk around downtown Palm Springs and you’re bound to hit the Palm Springs Walk of the Stars. As of March 2026, there are 487 stars in the attraction, including former desert area residents such as Bob Hope, Dinah Shore and Frank Sinatra and comedians including Chevy Chase and Rich Little.
The vast majority of the stars are on the sidewalks of North and South Palm Canyon Drive, East Tahquitz Canyon Way and Museum Drive. If you want to search for a particular star, there’s a free Walk of the Stars app with details on honorees and the locations.
This is a good way to kill time if you’re waiting for a table at a restaurant in downtown Palm Springs.
The vast majority of the stars are on the sidewalks of North and South Palm Canyon Drive, East Tahquitz Canyon Way and Museum Drive. If you want to search for a particular star, there’s a free Walk of the Stars app with details on honorees and the locations.
This is a good way to kill time if you’re waiting for a table at a restaurant in downtown Palm Springs.
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'Sarbalé Ke'
Indio Art
(Los Angeles Times)
One of the bummers about the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is that most of the large installation art built for the festival only exists on the Empire Polo Club grounds for its duration and, unless you’re there, you’re only seeing it on a screen.
One of the exceptions is “Sarbalé Ke,” an installation by Francis Kéré that was part of the art landscape at Coachella 2019. Inspired by the baobab trees in Kéré’s birthplace in Burkina Faso, some of the colorful towers are now housed at Dr. Carreon Park in Indio, less than three miles away from the festival grounds.
You can easily drive by on your way into the festival to take in the art.
One of the exceptions is “Sarbalé Ke,” an installation by Francis Kéré that was part of the art landscape at Coachella 2019. Inspired by the baobab trees in Kéré’s birthplace in Burkina Faso, some of the colorful towers are now housed at Dr. Carreon Park in Indio, less than three miles away from the festival grounds.
You can easily drive by on your way into the festival to take in the art.
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Salvation Mountain
Imperial County Park Attraction
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(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
For decades, the candy-colored explosion of paint, hay bales and adobe known as Salvation Mountain has attracted the devout seekers in all that is considered divine — whether that means God, beautiful art or the perfect desert selfie. Located near the Salton Sea about an hour‘s drive southeast of Coachella, the giant man-made mountain began as the passion project of artist Leonard Knight, who spent decades building it as a monument to his faith in Christianity. Climbing to its peak crowned by a white cross and looking over the windswept desert is a view you won’t regret.
Over the years, it’s come to symbolize love and devotion in all its forms. The mountain’s survival through the years even after Knight’s death in 2014 has been a testament to its importance to the unincorporated community of Slab City where people known as “Slabbers” have helped maintain it with the help of volunteers from all over the world. Its bright painted depictions of faith, hope and love are slathered inside of the mountain’s Dr. Seuss-like catacombs, which you can walk through like a momentary trip through a parallel universe. Whether you have a free day or even a couple of hours to venture down and see it for yourself, this vibrant piece of outsider art is worthy of praise.
Over the years, it’s come to symbolize love and devotion in all its forms. The mountain’s survival through the years even after Knight’s death in 2014 has been a testament to its importance to the unincorporated community of Slab City where people known as “Slabbers” have helped maintain it with the help of volunteers from all over the world. Its bright painted depictions of faith, hope and love are slathered inside of the mountain’s Dr. Seuss-like catacombs, which you can walk through like a momentary trip through a parallel universe. Whether you have a free day or even a couple of hours to venture down and see it for yourself, this vibrant piece of outsider art is worthy of praise.
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Rocks and Records
Riverside Record Store $$
Rocks and Records is one of those places that is exactly what it sounds like. Whether you appreciate the circular wonder of a vinyl record or a sparkling geode, this local record shop in downtown Indio is your place to explore both. Founded in 2024 by husband and wife owners Holger and Cristina Nagel, the store is an ode to the couple’s dual passions for rare records and fossils along with other items like band T-shirts, vintage postcards and comic books. It’s become a staple in the downtown scene on Miles Avenue that is home to the city’s local cafes and boutiques, so you’ll walk away feeling good about supporting the thriving arts community. And of course, their vinyl selection is always rock solid.
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Mojave Gold
Yucca Valley Live Music Venue
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Mojave Gold is a promising new entry in a desert music scene that, lately, has seen its share of high-stakes ownership drama at venues like Pappy & Harriet’s and the Alibi. Mojave Gold’s owners are betting on a more permanent, independent-minded scene for local acts and edgier nightlife in its wake. While Joshua Tree is famous for its rough-and-tumble roadhouse aesthetic, Mojave Gold looks more like it zigged left up the 111 from Palm Springs. A black and gilt disco vibe permeates the 500-capacity space, from the undulating wood ceiling made from salvaged Hollywood Bowl seats to velveteen booths and a winking poster advertising Quaaludes.
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Pappy & Harriet's
San Bernardino County Restaurant
Pictures of various musical acts that have performed at Pappy & Harriet’s cover a wall at the popular Pioneertown restaurant and event space.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
The high desert roadhouse nestled in the former western movie set of Pioneertown is worth a visit for the movie history and to grab a bite and an adult beverage. It’s also been the site of some pretty amazing concerts on its own, like the time Paul McCartney dropped by to play between Desert Trip weekends in 2016.
There are some free shows at the venue, but many are ticketed, including Less Than Jake, who is playing the Heineken House both weekends of Coachella but will be at Pappy & Harriet’s on April 18.
The proximity to Joshua Tree National Park’s West entrance makes it a good stop for a post-park visit, but note that they do not take reservations and dining is first-come, first-served, so there can be a long wait if you arrive on the night of a popular show.
There are some free shows at the venue, but many are ticketed, including Less Than Jake, who is playing the Heineken House both weekends of Coachella but will be at Pappy & Harriet’s on April 18.
The proximity to Joshua Tree National Park’s West entrance makes it a good stop for a post-park visit, but note that they do not take reservations and dining is first-come, first-served, so there can be a long wait if you arrive on the night of a popular show.
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Dune Room
Indio Live Music Venue
(T Rose)
Ron Mesh was a tour manager for Guns N’ Roses and hard rock acts for decades — he knows how a well-appointed club can make or break a band. He recently opened Dune Room, an independent venue in Indio that aims to keep the desert’s edgier music scenes thriving for the non-festival-saturated months of the year.
“I put in everything I would have wanted playing clubs — bus parking, a great green room and amazing sound system,” Mesh said. “In L.A., I wouldn’t have come close to getting this. But Indio’s very exciting — a lot of young metal bands are thriving, and now you don’t even have to go to the high desert to find them.”
Mesh is well known in the desert’s music scene (he also opened Studio B, a high-end mix studio). The venue — formerly the Little Street Music Hall — had a knotty opening after some early ownership disputes with former partners. But for salty desert rockers and hungry young punks who can’t afford Coachella tickets, it’s a welcome addition to the scene. “Pappy’s has a vibe where you go to the club just knowing there’ll be something cool there,” Mesh said, “Indio is getting that too.”
“I put in everything I would have wanted playing clubs — bus parking, a great green room and amazing sound system,” Mesh said. “In L.A., I wouldn’t have come close to getting this. But Indio’s very exciting — a lot of young metal bands are thriving, and now you don’t even have to go to the high desert to find them.”
Mesh is well known in the desert’s music scene (he also opened Studio B, a high-end mix studio). The venue — formerly the Little Street Music Hall — had a knotty opening after some early ownership disputes with former partners. But for salty desert rockers and hungry young punks who can’t afford Coachella tickets, it’s a welcome addition to the scene. “Pappy’s has a vibe where you go to the club just knowing there’ll be something cool there,” Mesh said, “Indio is getting that too.”
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Cabazon Dinosaurs
Riverside Roadside Attraction
(David Fouts / For The Times)
If you’re headed to Indio from L.A., you can’t miss them. The Cabazon dinosaurs loom on the left like a vast concrete mirage as you head east through the San Gorgonio pass on I-10.
Created by sculptor and Knott’s Berry Farm alumnus Claude Bell in the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s, the towering creatures Rex (a 65-foot-tall Tyrannosaurus rex) and Dinny (an apatosaurus) were built in part to promote a restaurant, now long gone. The two big dinosaurs (frequently repainted for various holidays) are free to see, and you may remember them from “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure” (1985) or a couple of Huell Howser visits in the 1990s. Some families may want to extend the rest stop by browsing the shop in Dinny’s belly (mood rings, “genuine dinosaur poop,” etc.) or strolling through the exhibits of Mr. Rex’s Dinosaur Adventure ($15 per adult, $13 per child 3-12). Once you’ve paid admission, you also can climb up inside Rex’s neck and look out at the world through the gaps between his teeth, but careful — that can be a perilous climb for little kids.
Created by sculptor and Knott’s Berry Farm alumnus Claude Bell in the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s, the towering creatures Rex (a 65-foot-tall Tyrannosaurus rex) and Dinny (an apatosaurus) were built in part to promote a restaurant, now long gone. The two big dinosaurs (frequently repainted for various holidays) are free to see, and you may remember them from “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure” (1985) or a couple of Huell Howser visits in the 1990s. Some families may want to extend the rest stop by browsing the shop in Dinny’s belly (mood rings, “genuine dinosaur poop,” etc.) or strolling through the exhibits of Mr. Rex’s Dinosaur Adventure ($15 per adult, $13 per child 3-12). Once you’ve paid admission, you also can climb up inside Rex’s neck and look out at the world through the gaps between his teeth, but careful — that can be a perilous climb for little kids.
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Shields Date Garden
Riverside Eclectic
(Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)
Shields Date Garden, a 17-acre farm founded in 1924, is a monument to the versatility of the date palm, a case study in midcentury marketing savvy, a repository of Christian statuary and a fine site for roadside signage. Look for the tall blue knight with the bright yellow shield.
This combination keeps the place remarkably busy, including its old-fashioned shake counter ($9.15 for 21 ounces of cool desert sweetness); its retail shop; its sprawling outdoor café; and the 105-seat theater which screens a slide show daily on “The Romance and Sex Life of the Date.” The slide show (which explains the subtle points of date palm cultivation) goes back to the early 1950s, when co-founder Floyd Shields was looking for a new way to lure more visitors.
These days, the slide show vies for visitors with the Walk, a path through the palms to statuary illustrating 14 scenes from the life of Christ. The statuary arrived about 10 years ago, having been relocated from a biblical garden in Vancouver, Canada. The fee for strolling the Walk is $5 per adult, children 12 and under free.
Besides shakes, the Cafe at Shields offers homemade tamales, beer, mimosas, chavelas, chicken and waffles, many fruity snacks (date butter, date jam, date cake, date syrup, date crystal-infused coffee…) and many vegetarian and gluten-free options. It serves breakfast and lunch, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily.
This combination keeps the place remarkably busy, including its old-fashioned shake counter ($9.15 for 21 ounces of cool desert sweetness); its retail shop; its sprawling outdoor café; and the 105-seat theater which screens a slide show daily on “The Romance and Sex Life of the Date.” The slide show (which explains the subtle points of date palm cultivation) goes back to the early 1950s, when co-founder Floyd Shields was looking for a new way to lure more visitors.
These days, the slide show vies for visitors with the Walk, a path through the palms to statuary illustrating 14 scenes from the life of Christ. The statuary arrived about 10 years ago, having been relocated from a biblical garden in Vancouver, Canada. The fee for strolling the Walk is $5 per adult, children 12 and under free.
Besides shakes, the Cafe at Shields offers homemade tamales, beer, mimosas, chavelas, chicken and waffles, many fruity snacks (date butter, date jam, date cake, date syrup, date crystal-infused coffee…) and many vegetarian and gluten-free options. It serves breakfast and lunch, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily.
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Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
Riverside County Attraction
(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)
Back in 1935, a man named Francis Crocker proposed a tram ride to connect the Coachella Valley desert floor to the upper slopes of Mt. San Jacinto. Twenty-eight years later, the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway opened.
After parking ($15), you step into Valley Station (elevation 2,643 feet), pay $36.95 (standard adult fare) and board the gondola.
Then you begin the climb up Chino Canyon in a slowly rotating gondola (with open windows and a capacity of 80 passengers). It’s a 2.5-mile trip to Mountain Station (elevation 8,516 feet), where it’s typically 30 to 40 degrees cooler than at Valley Station.
The last tram up leaves at 8 p.m., so there’s time to catch sunset or dusk. There are a couple of restaurants at the top: Peaks is fancy and open for lunch and dinner; Pines is a cafeteria open for lunch and dinner. The Lookout Lounge, also up top, serves beer, wine and cocktails until 8:30 p.m.
After parking ($15), you step into Valley Station (elevation 2,643 feet), pay $36.95 (standard adult fare) and board the gondola.
Then you begin the climb up Chino Canyon in a slowly rotating gondola (with open windows and a capacity of 80 passengers). It’s a 2.5-mile trip to Mountain Station (elevation 8,516 feet), where it’s typically 30 to 40 degrees cooler than at Valley Station.
The last tram up leaves at 8 p.m., so there’s time to catch sunset or dusk. There are a couple of restaurants at the top: Peaks is fancy and open for lunch and dinner; Pines is a cafeteria open for lunch and dinner. The Lookout Lounge, also up top, serves beer, wine and cocktails until 8:30 p.m.
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Melvyn's
Palm Springs Restaurant $$$
(Paul Boorstin / Los Angeles Times)
Dining options at Coachella have come a long way since the days when about the best you could do was a specialty hot dog. But even the tastiest meal at the festival is one you’ll have to scarf amid the ever-present dust and sun. For a shot of old-school swank, head to Melvyn’s in Palm Springs for a martini and a steak the way they’ve been served for decades. You might even catch a former Coachella performer at the piano: Last year, Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age told The Times of his dream to grow old crooning standards at the restaurant.
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Tom Cruise's giant shovel
Indio Point of Interest
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(David Viramontes / Los Angeles Times)
On a quiet neighborhood corner across the street from a local watering hole, a roughly 40-foot shovel towers above the Indio landscape. Visible from more than half a mile away, the oversized hand tool is promoting Tom Cruise’s new movie “Digger” from director Alejandro González Iñárritu.
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