Their website says... "With 113 acres, a beautiful community fishing lake, scenic hiking and horseback riding trails, tranquil pavilions, and an outdoor amphitheater, Veterans Oasis Park hosts plentiful outdoor recreational opportunities.

Nestled in southeast Chandler, 78 acres of the park are designed for groundwater recharge and wetlands, making it the perfect home to an abundance of unique Sonoran Desert flora and wildlife. Park-goers can enjoy seasonal events, and monthly bird walks throughout the park or visit the Chandler Nature Center to view nature displays.

As a community park, Veterans Oasis offers a peaceful escape from the daily grind."

The grounds are nicely landscaped with flora from the Sonoran Desert (where the Phoenix metropolitan area lies). I loved the sign that lets the visitor know that the Nature Center is also a "Cooling Center". This time of year, that is a welcome respite from the heat. Fortunately, the day I visited, the forecast high was only 100° F and I was long gone by the time the thermometer registered triple digits.

This appears to be a variety of cholla cactus. It does not need a sign to tell you to "KEEP OUT!!!"

Nearby were two pens, each holding a Desert Tortoise. Neither animal was out of its man-made burrow so I could only share a photo of a photo.

Look at that face — one that only a mother tortoise could love.

This photo shows one of the holding pens — both of which were nearly identical — so it was not necessary to bore you with photos of both.

Next up is a massive Yellow Bells (Tecoma stans) plant. This is a popular plant in the Lowe's garden because it can tolerate the hot Arizona sun in mid-summer. In fact, the highway department plants many of these along Arizona freeways — they do not want a plant that needs care and attention other than automatic watering. I often recommend that our customers note the types of plants along the freeways, for that very reason — those plants are candidates for Phoenix residential landscaping as well.

The Prickly Pear cactus may be one of the most common varieties of cactus found here. The cactus and their fruits are a large part of Mexican cuisine. The wide, flat cactus pads ("nopales") are used in many Mexican main dishes such as salads, eggs, and as a filling for other dishes. I have sampled Prickly Pear preserves and found it quite tasty.

Here we see one of my favorite desert trees — the Desert Willow creates interest in the way of color, form, and size. It is a unique shrub or tree that is low maintenance and tolerant of extreme heat and drought, and it thrives in a well-draining site in many types of soil. It does this all while attracting butterflies, bees, and birds.

Next along the walkway is a wonderful play area for the kids. The designers obviously knew that kids are not big fans of beautiful scenery — give them a playground anytime.

And here is our first view of the main lake with spectacular reflections coming from the surface of the water. Note that this is the lake that is available for fishing if you have the equipment and a permit. The fish are restocked regularly so hopefully, people trying their luck here will be richly rewarded — just don't go over the posted limits.

Wow, what a spectacular view of the lake, trees, grasses, etc. framing a house in the distance. Some young artist should make this his or her first serious painting.