This post is written by first time Guest Adventurer, Christina. When not enjoying concerts, Christina and her HLP (see below) reside in north Orange County. Their nest at one time had four eaglets between them. They now have two soaring eagles out of the nest, one eagle preparing to fly and an eaglet who is finishing his freshman year of high school.
Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2014
Indio, CA
A certain degree of compatibility is an important aspect of any successful relationship but if you’re especially lucky, the planets align and you share almost identical tastes in music. That would describe my Heterosexual Life Partner (HLP) and me. We discussed our likes and dislikes on our first date six years ago and were amazed at the similarities. Many of the bands we enjoy play at the annual Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival. We started attending in 2009 and have gone every year since.
We attended one day in 2009 (unforgettably epic and ended with a 3-hour performance by Paul McCartney) and were exhausted, convinced only teens and twenty-somethings could last all three days. In 2010, no one-day tickets were sold and we needed to make a decision – could we run the marathon? Yes, we could, once we learned how to pace ourselves. Some of these recommendations sound like I am Queen Obvious, but seriously, we (mainly me) would get excited about seeing certain bands and forget about some of them.
Necessary tips for attending Coachella
1) Hydration, the non-alcoholic kind, water being the best option. The first three-day event I got dehydrated because I wanted to avoid the port-a-potties. Not a good decision and my body suffered. Since that time, the situation has improved. Coachella has a large number of top-of-the-line portable toilets. I’ve never waited more than a couple of minutes, they are maintained regularly, fully cleaned every night and most have hand sanitizer dispensers inside.
2) Sunscreen. Duh. The Main Stage and the Outdoor Stage are in the direct sun. If you’re fair like me, don’t ruin your experience by getting sunburned. Best plan – apply the sunscreen before you arrive because it can get very dusty at the event and while rubbing sunscreen on top of sand/dust/dirt can be exfoliating, it might get kind of yucky.
3) Take a load off. Make plans to regularly rest your feet and legs. Enjoy the food while you rest. They have some great, quality options that will satisfy even the most discriminating foodie like my HLP.
4) Wear comfortable footwear, whatever this means for you. Every year I gawk at the young women in heels. Really?!?! At an outdoor music festival? It’s a polo field so it’s mostly grass – are they gardeners in disguise trying to aerate the lawn? You are going to be spending the majority of your time on your feet – walking, standing, dancing and maybe a little jogging/running. You want to be comfortable and be able to come back the next day.
If you are a music aficionado, I strongly suggest you consider attending a festival that plays the music you love. Your age group might be in the minority like we are at Coachella but it’s a fun experience to connect with your inner teenager and enjoy some live music.
Thank you Christina and Steve for sharing this with us. You both exemplify how “age is just a number” – YOU ROCK!
Suzanne
This is GREAT! I’d like to meet your friends and go with them next year! i love the line-up at Coachella, but don’t know people my age who would be interested (my kids are embarrassed that i know and like these groups). Billy Joe and Green Day — my long-time favorite!
Steve and Christina are the true experts – they absolutely loved it!