Escapees March-April 2024

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loose sand and “swim” into a resting position under a thin covering of sand, disappearing from predators and evading the hot sun. Their noses are adapted to allow them to breathe air without taking sand particles into their breathing passages or lungs. The fl oor of the preserve encompasses alluvial fans and isolated terraces of desert pavement dissected by washes, sand fi elds and dunes. Elevation ranges from about 100 to 1000 feet. It contains what is probably the last undisturbed watershed in the Coachella Valley, and it is also an area with a true dune habitat that helps the fringe-toed lizard and other species fl ourish. Other animals likely to be encountered include the fl at-tailed horned lizard (sometimes nicknamed a horned toad), the Coachella round-tailed ground squir rel, the giant red velvet mite and the giant palm-boring beetle that uses only old, sick or stressed palms as a home for larvae and adults, which eventually kills the tree and rids the oases of trees no longer productive, keeping the healthy palms thriving. Birds include the cactus wren, hooded oriole, phainopepla, Gambel’s quail, black-throated sparrow, American kestrel, greater roadrunner, verdin, blue-gray and black-capped gnat catchers, Say’s and black phoebes, great blue heron and American bittern. For the plant enthusiast, the preserve offers the California fan palm oases, and also creosote bush, encilia, burrobush, smoke tree, desert sun fl ower, mesquite, sweetbush, sand blazing star, desert Spanish needle, chia, desert lavender and, in spring, if there has been enough rain through the winter, carpets of purple sand verbena. The Preserve is open every day from sunrise to sunset. (https://cnlm.org/portfolio_page/coachella-valley or BLM_CA_Web_PS@blm.gov and www.californiatrail map.com and search Coachella Valley Preserve) Take Interstate 10 to the Bob Hope exit, go north and turn right on Varner Road. At Ramon Road, turn left and drive east to Thousand Palms Canyon Drive, turn north and drive about two miles to the entrance. Thousand Palms is also home to the Animal Samar itans (https://animalsamaritans.org), an SPCA facility for a no-kill shelter, pet adoptions, animal rescue, full service veterinary care, pet urgent care, low-cost animal care, including oncology and ophthalmology for qualifying low-income pet owners, humane animal care presentations at area schools and an Animal Companion Therapy program that provides free animal visits to residents of area nursing homes, hospitals and special needs or assisted-living facilities. Open daily, you can fi nd a new furry friend, or donate to their good work! To reach Animal Samaritans from Interstate 10, exit at Bob Hope Drive, keep right and head north toward Varner Road. The road changes to Rio del Sol, turn

right onto Petland Place. (The last intersection is Front Street. If you reach Hill Street, you’ve gone too far.) After your day with mother nature and cute pets, you might want to enjoy some relaxing entertainment. To meet that need, Thousand Palms has the brand new Acrisure Arena now open for shows, family events, pop concerts and sports. Acrisure Arena is sited on 44 acres of land (plenty of easy parking) along Interstate 10 at the Cook Street exit. Go north, and turn right on Varner Road and you come directly to the arena. With a seating capacity of 10,000 seats, Acrisure Arena has already become the home of big name presentations and events. Think “arena” and your thoughts may “slide” over to ice and hockey games. Acrisure Arena is the of fi cial home of the Coachella Valley Firebirds of the American Hockey League and is owned and operated as an af fi liate of the Seattle Kraken hockey team. Games run from late autumn through early spring. Twelve miles of underground piping serve for the ice fl oor systems. And, being home to hockey ice, the Acrisure Arena’s Berger Foundation has added “Iceplex,” which offers public skating, a skate academy and even lessons in learning hockey and participating in adult and junior hockey leagues. If ice is not your thing, but cowboys appeal, the Professional Bull Riders Velocity Tour covers the Acrisure Arena fl oor with 750 tons of dirt and 55,000 pounds of gates, chutes and channels for its annual springtime stop for the rip-roaring sport of bull riding. It’s a chance to see top cowboys and strong bulls that challenge them on those infamous eight-second rides! Also presenting at the new arena is the WWE Super Show, NCAA college basketball special games, Hot Wheels monster trucks along with many other events. For all events at Acrisure Arena, guests requiring special assistance or those with physical restrictions can enjoy accessible seating, assistive listening devices, wheelchair assistance from the entry doors to the seating location, adult and child changing tables, service animal accommodations at the guest’s seating area and even an animal relief area near the Main Entrance for all events at Acrisure. Handicapped parking and drop-off parking spots are also available and are close to the main entrance doors. To join the mailing list for upcoming Acrisure Arena events, log on to https://acrisurearena.com/subscribe/. Thousand Palms? It’s de fi nitely “on the map” with unique experiences and fun, and it’s just a stone’s throw from Palm Springs, so add it to your desert itinerary! By Dr. Stephenie Slahor, Guest Contributor

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March/April 2024 ESCAPEES Magazine