The first attraction encountered on the Main Trail is the small man-made lake that I believe was used to provide water to the Picketpost House owned by Col. William Boyce Thompson. I didn't see it when I took the photo, but if you look closely, you'll see a reflection of a woman's profile in the lake, complete with eyelashes and poofy hair.
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After passing the lake, the Main Trail winds down to Queen Creek Canyon. Even though it's technically Winter, the Cottonwood trees provided some beautiful fall-like color.
Once at the bottom of the canyon, Queen Creek was flowing more like a river thanks to the plentiful rain received the previous night. Something about this particular view of the creek with the Date Palms in the background reminds me of an oasis you might find in the Middle East.
 
A beautiful natural archway created by hikers over many decades hangs over the trail next to the creek.
The Aloe Vera plants and the Mastic Tree berries provided a bit of color against the rocky terrain.
While strolling through the Sonoran Desert Garden, a stunning view of the nearby mountains can be seen. At the entrance to this part of the garden is a Native American Mortar stone, and along the way I came across a heart-shaped cactus pad while I was actually looking for a heart-shaped rock. My daughters and I have a tradition of looking for heart-shaped rocks or other objects while out in nature.
  
When I began writing this post, I couldn't believe that it was only my second post for 2016, as well as the last! It's been quite a challenging year for me and I'm hoping that 2017 will have better things in store.
Happy New Year!
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