Veterans Oasis Park is certainly that -- an oasis! Located in southeast Chandler, Arizona, this 113-acre park offers a way for locals and visitors alike to escape city life for a few hours.

Whether hiking or taking a ride on horseback or on a mountain bike, you'll find plenty of trails as well as an amphitheater and pavilions if you want to bring a picnic.

And if you're looking for an easy trail at this park, one trail in particular circles around the park's centerpiece (a lake). You'll love the Veteran's Oasis Park Loop.

The easy loop trail is 2.5 miles and perfect for those who enjoy views, birdwatching, and wildlife viewing. It takes hikers around the 5-acre lake where you can go fishing if you'd like.

If you need to take a rest or just want to enjoy the views, you'll find benches along the way.

The trail also circumnavigates a few other smaller bodies of water as well. This Veterans Oasis Park Loop could be considered the lake capital of Arizona!

When visiting Veterans Oasis Park, you'll forget you're anywhere near the city. It's peaceful, picturesque, and a lovely spot to spend some time by yourself or with friends and family.

The eponymous Lisa Frank brand is a blast from the past. It was the late 1970s when this brand, full of whimsical designs and vibrant neon colors, burst onto the pop culture scenes. These were exciting times, and the company only grew in popularity over the next couple of decades.

The company certainly reached its peak in the 90s and became a worldwide phenomenon. That is, until, the cultural landscape changed and Lisa Frank products were all but phased out. Sadly, the Tucson factory shut down in 2013.

Today, you can get a dose of nostalgia if you drive by the abandoned Lisa Frank Factory in Tucson. As with any abandoned place, the Lisa Frank Factory is eerie. However, it may still make you miss those days of shopping for the brand's school supplies in all their colorful glory.

If you find yourself in Tucson and decide to take a drive down the aptly-named Lisa Frank Avenue, stop and take in the faded colors of the factory's exterior.

Now a rainbow-colored ghost town, it's almost hard to imagine how busy the Lisa Frank Factory once was. The 320,000-square-foot building once housed its production operations and hundreds of employees.

While you cannot go in and explore the interior, you can safely marvel at the building at a distance on the other side of the fence that surrounds it.

And while the Tucson factory has been forgotten by many over time, Lisa Frank will always stand as a symbol of childhood for many of us and live in our hearts forever.

With its diversity of landscapes, there's certainly no shortage of adventure or unique things to do in Arizona. But there's one adventure that's so unique you probably never knew it was a thing.

Have you ever hiked or gone mountain biking through the Sonoran Desert? Have you ever ridden an e-bike? Well, there's a tour in Scottsdale that combines the two on such a fun adventure!

Local tour operator Journey Rides offers a 2-Hour Arizona Desert Guided E-Bike Tour and here's what you can expect. First, you'll meet at 8037 E Thorntree Drive in Scottsdale where they will pick you up.

You'll start the tour at the Sundial in Carefree's town center. Here you will meet your guide and be provided a bike and a helmet. A quick lesson on how the bikes work will be given as well, so don't worry if you've never ridden one before.

Your guide will lead you through the picturesque desert landscape and teach you about the flora and fauna in the area. And while this tour is 2 hours, it won't be strenuous as your e-bike will be doing most of the physical work for you. This is a great tour for all fitness levels.

As you ride, you'll see the desert landscape in a new way. Serene and beautiful, you'll be taking plenty of pictures along the way!

The best way to tackle this route to Dane Ridge along the bumpy dirt or gravel forest roads is by driving a high-clearance vehicle. If you don't have an SUV or a pick-up truck, you can still attempt the drive with a sedan as long as the weather is good.

This scenic fall foliage drive starts at State Route 87 and, once you see the office for the Mogollon Rim Ranger District, you'll head east along Forest Road 95 (FR 95).

This part of the route winds through the Mogollon Rim area and its ponderosa pines. While a marvelous sight in their own right, if it's colorful leaves you wish to see, keep your eyes peeled for the occasional oak or juniper tree along the way.

Eventually, you'll encounter East Clear Creek Bridge along FR 95. After crossing the bridge, you'll turn onto FR 96, head over another small bridge and continue on your journey.

Within a couple of miles, you'll take a right onto FR 321. This forest road will take you along Dane Ridge and its awe-inspiring fall colors!

The journey to Dane Ridge may seem long but it's so worth it once you take in the spectacular fall hues as well as the Mogollon Rim. There's no other place quite like this to see fall foliage in Arizona!

For over 25 years, Haus Murphy's has been the go-to destination in the Phoenix Metro area for anyone wanting to experience a bit of German food, culture, and, of course, beer!

Located in Glendale's Historic Downtown, Haus Murphy's will transport you overseas as you dine on authentic German cuisine while listening to Polka music and drinking out of a beer stein. You'll feel as though you've arrived in Germany.

If you enjoy an adult beverage every now and then, you cannot come to Haus Murphy's and not order a beer. German brews can be ordered in a 16-ounce or a 32-ounce glass. Beers like Warsteiner Dunkel, Radeberger Pilsner, and Paulaner Lager are on tap.

As far as food goes, another item you have to order when you're here is a Bavarian pretzel. The Giant Oktoberfest Pretzel is 10 ounces, salted, and served with butter and spicy mustard. You can even add on the house cheese dip if you'd like.

If you want to try German cuisine, order a schnitzel like the wiener schnitzel, chicken schnitzel, or steak schnitzel. Each schnitzel dish is served with German fried potatoes as well as red cabbage.

Bratwurst is another great menu option at this German restaurant and biergarten. From the big smoky beef bratwurst to the jalapeño cheddar brat, you can't go wrong. Each bratwurst dish is served with German potato salad and sauerkraut.

If you saved just a little room for dessert, you must try the German Chocolate Cheesecake or the Cherry Strudel. There's also a Black Forest Torte, an Apple Strudel, or a Sauerkraut Torte if you prefer.

On Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., the small town of Chino Valley will host its annual harvest festival. Admission to the event is free and parking is $5.

The Chino Valley Harvest Family is an annual event sponsored by Yavapai College, the Chino Valley Chamber of Commerce, and the Town of Chino Valley, Arizona. For those of you looking for small-town family-friendly fun, this is a great event to attend!

During the event, you can pick up some plants for your garden at the plant sale hosted by Yavapai College. The school will also host program demos during the festival.

This event will have a corn maze that kids and adults alike can test their navigation skills in. There will also be a kids' zone, a tractor show, hayrides, a craft show, food trucks, and even a beer garden.

And, of course, you'll have to visit the pumpkin patch in search of the perfect pumpkin to take home.

This harvest festival sounds like a lot of family-friendly fun, doesn't it? It certainly does to me!

The Farmers' Almanac has been the go-to guide for winter weather predictions for over 200 years. While they make predictions, they are often quite accurate. And this classic guide just released its 2023-2024 winter predictions.

Now, winter in Southern Arizona is almost always pleasant. The temperatures are quite mild, sometimes it's cold in the mornings and evenings, and it's a great time to get outside for a long hike. It's my favorite time of year here.

Central and Northern Arizona usually experience more traditional winter weather complete with cold air, snowstorms, and icy road conditions.

The Farmers' Almanac's 2023-2024 winter predictions for Arizona state that El Niño can have an effect on the weather starting towards the end of 2023. Its effects should last throughout the winter season.

We may have more rain and snow this year than previous years. More rain than normal may occur in Southern Arizona during the season.

And, usually, when it rains in the Phoenix Metro area, Flagstaff gets snow which is good news for those who head up to Arizona Snowbowl to ski or snowboard! Hopefully, we're on track for a great ski season this winter.

Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness encompasses more than 19,000 acres in southeastern Arizona. Remote and rugged, it's practically an unknown area to many living in the state.

Between towering cliffs, a gorge, forests, and vast desert landscapes, this wilderness area is an enchanting place to explore.

And what better time to visit than during the fall when the leaves start to change colors? Late-November through early December might just be the best time of the season to catch the kaleidoscope of colorful hues here.

Among the trees found within Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness are cottonwood, sycamore, willow, walnut, and alder. With a mix of forest trees, the colorful display during the fall is nothing short of spectacular.

Take a hike and discover a dreamy landscape filled with fall color. This is such a special place to explore no matter what time of year but even more so during the fall months.

As you walk through Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness in the fall, keep your eyes peeled, too, for bighorn sheep that call this place home.

If you enjoy a plate of comfort food every now and again like I do, there's perhaps no better place in Phoenix than Ranch House Grille. Located at Thomas and 56th in the Arcadia neighborhood, this local eatery is open for both breakfast and lunch.

The interior is as homey as its homestyle cooking. And the friendly service will make you feel right at home.

At Ranch House Grille, you can start your morning off right. Fuel up with a selection of delectable dishes like the Southwest Chicken Fried Steak with eggs and toast, Quintin's Banana Nut Pancakes, or pork chops and eggs. What a great way to start your day!

An RHG Omelet is another excellent choice. Each one is made with four eggs and served with a side of hash browns and toast. For a bigger appetite, try the Big Papa, an omelet made with five eggs, bacon, sausage, chorizo, pepper jack cheese, and cheddar cheese all smothered with pork green chili. Yum!

If you couldn't get enough of the delicious dishes at breakfast, you can come here for lunch as well!

Not only are there juicy burgers, sandwiches, wraps, and salads, but comfort platters. How about a Chili Verde Burrito or an RHG Steak? The comfort food here is top-notch!

There's no place on Earth quite like the Grand Canyon. We are so lucky to have this natural wonder in our state. At 277 miles long, there are more than enough hiking trails for us to explore.

If you're up for a massive challenge, are physically able to make the trek, and come prepared, the Bill Hall to Deer Creek Trail is hard to beat. It's also rated as hard on AllTrails.

The Bill Hall to Deer Creek Trail is a 19.1-mile out-and-back trail by the Grand Canyon's North Rim. The elevation gain is 5,770 feet, so be prepared for a workout of a lifetime!

This hike may be strenuous but, if you're able to pull it off, the views along the way are extraordinary! Not to mention how accomplished you'll feel when you finish this hike.

If you intend to hike the trail in its entirety, it will take at least 11.5 hours. As this hike is hard, though not impossible, to accomplish in a day, you may want to camp overnight.

The hike begins at along the rim where you'll have spectacular views of the Grand Canyon. Eventually, you'll start to descend into the canyon, walk along the Colorado River, through the desert, and past Deer Creek Falls.

From start to finish, you'll be in awe of the vastness and beauty of the Grand Canyon. This is one hike that will stick with you for the rest of your life.