Chandler

 

Last June, Papa and I checked out murals in downtown Phoenix. It is fun seeing the colorful artwork, the creative ideas. This week, we went to Chandler, Arizona to see a few of their downtown murals. We didn't find a large selection, but those we found were in a very walkable area. On a beautiful fall morning, it made for a great outing. Fresh air, sunshine and an easy walk. Plus we walked by several intriguing restaurants and shops enticing us to spend more time exploring in the future.

Speaking of future, guess what else was happening in downtown Chandler? A crew was working on the initial stages of installing the tumbleweed Christmas tree. They were putting up the framework that will hold the tumbleweeds. It is an annual trip to see the tumbleweed Christmas tree illuminated!

We couldn't let such a beautiful morning end, so we stopped by the Veteran's Oasis Park in Chandler. What a true oasis! There is a short trail around the lake where we saw people fishing. Several groups of people and families were enjoying the walk. There is even a Solar Walk with stations for each of the planets. What a fun way to combine being outside, a little exercise and learning for the kiddos. 

In addition to the main sidewalk loop, there are several gravel trails that branch off. I noticed people with binoculars so bird watching is also big. In many ways, it reminded me of The Riparian in Gilbert. We also noticed several ramadas, each one named. A few of them had small groups of people enjoying coffee. Nice park. 

During our recent road trip, we enjoyed several hikes around urban and rural lakes. The magic of water. Gotta admit, now we're curious: How many urban lakes, oasis areas are there in the metro area. We might have a new obsession?