Pokagon and Dark Horse Brewing

The Park: Pokagon State Park
Location: Northeast Indiana
Getting there: Googlemap from Fort Wayne to the park - It's very easy. Drive up I-69 to exit 154. Take two quick lefts and head into the park. You'll see the signs.

Hikes: Pokagon trails are well designed for circuit hikes. Park at the Potowanomi Inn inside the park. Pick up trail 3 at the back of the parking lot on the far left side. From there you can hike a circuit as short as two miles or as long as 7 1/2 miles (closer to 9 if you count the adjoining Beachwood Nature Preserve) with minimal backtracking and total avoidance of the campground area. If that's still not enough for you, take a break back at the inn, then go back to trail two past the campground to trails 5 and 1 to add five more miles to your hike, again ending at the inn. Here's a trail map in pdf format.

Photos are from early March this year. Obviously it's nicer when the sun is out and the trees have some leaves.







The Pub: Dark Horse Brewing Company
Location: Marshall, Michigan
Getting there: Pokagon state park to the brewpub - It's about a 40 minute drive straight up I-69.

Atmosphere: Dark Horse is a small brewpub that doesn't look like much on the outside, but is warm and friendly inside. As you can see below, the ceiling and part of the walls are absolutely covered with mug club mugs. I saw numbers on the mugs going up past 1300, a huge number of members for a pub in the small town of Marshall. During the evening hours it's an all ages place with everything from kids chomping on pizza to 20 somethings laughing it up to retired age folks enjoying a pint. Later of course the kids are gone.

The Beer: Quite simply, Dark Horse makes excellent beer. It's flavorful and unquestionably well made. I like many of their brews, but my favorites would have to be Scotty Karate Scotch Ale, Fore Smoked Stout, and Plead the Fifth Imperial Stout. If those brews aren't available, try one of their other stouts or quaff a Crooked Tree IPA, or give something else a try. It's hard to go wrong here. Just be aware that Dark Horse beers tend to range from moderately high to really high in alcohol content.

Overall: Dark Horse is a cozy brewpub with great beer. There's good reason this small town brewpub has so many mug club members. It's definitely worth a visit or ten. Plus if you really want to make a day out of brewpub visits, it's a short drive to Battle Creek where you'll find Arcadia Brewing and another thirty minute leg or so to Kalamazoo and the truly excellent Eccentric Cafe of Bell's Brewery. Just plan accordingly. Cheers!

The pub is on the left. Wacky's is the liquor store next door:


Taken from near the back of the pub so you can see most of it:

There will be more

Yes, it's been months and I haven't done anything more with this blog. I will. I could post about some places I've been in years past, but I'd like to make sure I have some good pictures to go with it and it's fresh in my mind. The best way to do that is to go for another park and pub visit. It's been a cold winter here, so that's been on hold.

In the meantime, if you're in the Fort Wayne area, go to Trion Tavern in New Haven and get a Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron on tap while it lasts. It's a great beer and I didn't even know it existed on tap outside of perhaps the brewpub in Delaware.

The Grand Canyon

The Park: Grand Canyon National Park
Location: South rim of the Grand Canyon, Arizona
Getting there: Googlemap from Las Vegas to the park
On the way: About 20 minutes outside of Vegas you'll reach Hoover Dam. A couple miles before the dam you'll pass Boulder Dam Brewing Company. Drop in for a pint or a sampler, or even lunch, then continue to the dam and beyond.



Background: Grand Canyon National Park highlights the spectacular canyon views of one our great national treasures. If you haven't seen it, go. Go now. If you have, you'll probably want to go back sometime. I was there in mid-October, which was an excellent time for hiking.

The Hike: My recommended hike is Bright Angel Trail. I spent most of a day going from the rim to Plateau Point, a descent of 3,200 vertical feet and six miles one way. Of course as with any trail into the canyon, it's the hike back up that's the hard part. Allow the full day for this one. If you don't want to go all the way to the Point, there are several spots along the way that are good turn around points. Still I'd suggest even in the cooler weather of October taking a gallon of water and sports drinks per person if you're hiking the full distance.

Along many parts of the rim, the final section of path out to Plateau Point is visible.

I enjoyed amazing views for most of the hike. After awhile I noticed a strip of green below amidst the desert landscape that's typical of the canyon.

I was looking down on Indian Garden campground, an oasis in the desert created by the presence of a small stream. It's 4 1/2 miles into the canyon and is a very popular spot with backpackers. Except in winter, drinking water is available here too.

The hike culminates in a wonderful overlook of the Colorado River from Plateau Point.

I didn't want to leave the Point, but eventually the desire to be back before dark motivated me to start the long trek upward. I staggered back to the rim 7 1/2 hours after I began the hike, exhausted and sore. I needed a drink!

The Pub: Grand Canyon Brewing Company
Location: Williams, Arizona
Getting there: Grand Canyon National Park to the brewpub - It's about a 1 hour drive.

Atmosphere: Grand Canyon is a small brewpub with the brewing equipment located right behind the bar. Stools cut from logs give the seating at the long bar some character. The single pool table stayed busy while I was there. The pub seems to be mainly a locals hangout, which is fine. The locals are friendly and the bartender was pleasant.

The Beer: On my visit they were offering eight house beers on tap. Of course I got the sampler. All the beers were session style brews with around 5-6% alcohol and tended toward the light side. My favorite was the pale ale and I'd also recommend the pilsner if it's available. Stay away from the helles.

Overall: Grand Canyon Brewing Company's beers are just average for the most part, but this friendly pub makes up for it with local charm. Be sure to stop by if you're visiting the Grand Canyon! There's also plenty of lodging in Wiliams at much better rates than right outside the park, plus you're not far from Flagstaff (about 30 miles) where you can find more good breweries.