No longer just for bohemian festivalgoers and sun-seeking snowbirds, the Coachella Valley is quickly evolving into a luxurious playground for adventurous couples. Check into the new Ritz-Carlton Rancho Mirage(from $350 a night), set atop a 650-foot bluff with private fire pits, cliffside whirlpools, and killer views of the San Jacinto Mountains from the rooms’ open terraces. The hotel spa blends indigenous healing botanicals, such as arnica flower and prickly pear plucked from the onsite garden, in an exfoliating scrub for the Spirit of the Mountains experience—a great skin primer for sun-seekers.

Once the sun sets, much-lauded restaurants, bars filled with hipsters, and drag queen bingo at the Ace Hotel beckon from nearby Palm Springs, just 20 minutes away by car. Be sure to try the housemade Spanish charcuterie at celebrity chef Jose Garces’ acclaimed, and recently remodeled, restaurant, Tinto; visit the Palm Springs Art Museum’s new architecture and design center, exhibiting the work of Joshua Tree artist Andrea Zittel (March 14 - July 12); and take a nail-biting ride on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway to the mountaintop San Jacinto Park, where hiking trails abound

This article was published in 7x7's Weddings 2015 issue. Click here to subscribe.