Sedona Sojourn Day 2 continued

As I approached Sedona I chose the scenic route that would wind down through Oakcreek Canyon. The canyon was green and deciduous, and the further I traveled the more red rocks started showing through the trees. Since I was not in a hurry, I stopped and found a trail to take a walk through the woods. The trail ended overlooking Slide Rock State Park, which looked like a stellar place to take a swim on a hot day.

I checked into the resort and was rather impressed with my plush accommodations; one bedroom condo with a balcony overlooking one of the pools. The resort had complete spa with free exercise classes (yoga for me!) and big salt water pool and a hot tub. Me being me, after a my short tour of the resort I headed right to the hot tub.

While chatting with the other guests in the tub I sought dining advice. "Where would there be a fun casual place for a single gal traveling on her to find a meal?" It was Saturday night... perhaps a place with music. A local in the hot tub suggested the Oakcreek Brewery. Not the pub by the resort, but the actually brewery in West Sedona, where they have open mic night on Saturday. Sounded good to me.

So after my soak I head off for my dinner adventure. The brewery was a little tricky to find, behind the shopping center, down a dark road, no sign of anything, until I spied some twinkly lights up on the hill. Sure enough that was the brewery. I walked in, there was a concession window on the right, and through the second door I found the brewery. I had expected a yuppy pub like we have back home, but I walked in to dark room with a bar on one end, about five pub tables, surrounded by huge stainless steel vats. A musician sat next to the vats playing his guitar. The bar was, quite literally in the the brewery, I sat down at a table, and quickly realized, that I was the tourist in a sea of locals and that nobody was going to come serve me, so I relocated to a seat at the bar. I asked what sort of beer they had, and was having a hard time deciding between the porter and the seasonal. As I paused to think the bartender whipped out 2 sample cups, filled them up and handed them to me try. Clearly, I was not in Utah anymore. No free tastes back home! I chose the seasonal.

I was starving, so asked for the menu. Well, the menu was hot dogs. Simon's Colombian Hot Dogs. I could order at window I passed on the way in. At the window I pondered my choices, and decided, "When in Rome" and ordered the Colombian, a hot dog with pineapple, cheese and crushed potato chips on top. So much for the yuppy brewpub fare I expected. I headed back to my seat at the bar, where I sipped my beer and chatted with neighbors. The folks at the bar were friendly I had a nice conversation with some local business owner who splits his time between Sedona and San Diego where his family is. Another fellow was there to join the open mic night. He made instrument for a living, banjos and ukuleles. The ukulele he brought to play was just lovely. And then there was some buy named Papoose, who welcomed me to the brewery and invited me back for drum circle night. The music was really good too. I found I really enjoyed meeting and chatting with the random interesting people in the bar. It was fun to have these encounters that never would have happened had I not been traveling alone. And you know what, that Colmbian hot dog was good too!