The Canebrake. Plus, Win Some Brunch.

If you were to take a drive through Wagoner, a small county seat about 45 miles southeast of Tulsa, and stumble upon this intersection, what would you think lies at the end of this mysterious road?

This?

Or this?

How about this?

Believe it or not, all of this lies at the end of 732nd Road, about an hour-and-a-half's drive from downtown Tulsa.

So, you're driving down this road through the woods in eastern, rural Oklahoma. Soon, you see this:

And this.

A little bit of this.

And lots of this.

Suddenly, there's this.

Then, some serious swank yawns before you.

Hey. You've been on the road for awhile. I reckon you're hungry.

Because the folks at The Canebrake can definitely take care of a case of the hungries.

I should know. They invited me to lunch not too long back.

Wanna see what they fed me?

To start was the Red, White and Blue Salad. While the lettuce and the berries were so fresh that I was searching the grounds outside the floor-to-ceiling windows in the dining room for the kitchen garden, I really loved the goat cheese on the salad. It had had this wonderfully mellow, creamy flavor, and I loved that it came from just a few miles away from the resort.

While sourcing ingredients locally is the best thing a kitchen can do for the flavor of its food, it's also better for the environment than having it trucked or shipped or flown in from another country (or, in too many cases, another hemisphere). The Canebrake uses local ingredients for both reasons. The resort is also touts a commitment to natural and organic foods wherever feasible.

Environmental responsibility is a huge point of pride for everyone at The Canebrake. When the owners of the land where the resort stands set out to build, they decided to refurbish and build out the horse barn already on the site rather than start from scratch. From there they used a variety of sustainable building materials and practices to build a resort that brings patrons from all over the U.S. to Oklahoma.

Back to the table. After the salad came a bowl of tomato soup. I got to sample some freshly baked bread, too.

I may or may not have eaten an entire basket of bread on my own. I tell you this because I know I can trust you with this most sensitive information. 

Then came the prosciutto-wrapped asparagus served on a bed of root vegetables.

Now, I'm super-picky about how my vegetables are cooked, especially at restaurants. I'm an al dente kind of person, which is kind of a tough lot here in Oklahoma, it seems. I have a hard time getting vegetables cooked any way except mushy, but I felt like the folks at The Canebrake knew my plight. Not only were the veggies perfectly and evenly cooked - yeah! Even the root veggies! - but they were flavorful, interesting and, obviously, gorgeous.

For dessert was grilled pineapple and avocado ice cream.

Yes, avocado ice cream. And you know what? It tasted light, clean and like summer - in a word, delicious.

The dining room at The Canebrake is cool and quiet and serene. If anyone ever comes up with a way to combine a spa and a dining room, they'd do well to do some research at the Wagoner resort.

These barstools, they're the best seats in the house. But that's only if you like to chat up the chef and watch him prepare your food.

It's the best appetizer there is.

This seat looks pretty good, too - cozy, secluded and intimate.

I think a dinner and a glass of wine at this booth is in my future. My husband's, too.

After lunch I peeked in at the boutique, just down the hall from the restaurant at The Canebrake.

If you're thinking, "Okie Yoga? I'm sorry, what?" then I have something to tell you.

Did you know The Canebrake is home to Oklahoma's only yoga barn?

Yep. It's true.

The Yoga Barn and Day Spa - constructed literally from an old horse barn, by the way, and insulated with a material not altogether different from that of which your blue jeans are made - is home to a regular selection of yoga classes, seven days a week. The building features radiant heat, cork flooring, and no-VOC paints. Cool, huh? 

At the Day Spa are a variety of massage services, facials and scrubs. 

Why, hello there, massage chair.

And no, you can't live here (I should know - I asked). But, you can stay the night.

The Canebrake offers 16 rooms and suites, totaling 32 beds that can accommodate up to 40 guests. Rooms range $139 for a weekday retreat room to $294 for a weekend king suite with a jetted tub, fireplace and dining and sitting areas.

Plus, as a guest, you're welcome to attend any of the scheduled yoga classes or hike the trails. Or, you can schedule private yoga classes, cooking demos and wine tastings. There's also a ropes course and an orienteering course. Golf, horseback riding, fishing, shopping and hunting options are nearby.

I'm sorry, where was I? Where am I from? What's my name? 

Between the Yoga Barn and the Day Spa and the jetted tub, I couldn't help but lose my train of thought there for a second.

Well, would you looky there. I'm thinking about food again. Surprise, surprise.

That's what Sunday brunch at The Canebrake looks like. While the restaurant is open Wednesday-Saturday for dinner service, brunch runs every week on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It's a slow, special way to get the week off to a smooth - and yummy - start.

Speaking of food and The Canebrake, I have something exciting to tell you. Think you're ready for it? Are you sitting down? Are you prepared for the tantalizing news I'm about to share with you?

Yes? Okay. I'll tell you.

The Canebrake wants to treat one lucky TDT reader to a Sunday brunch for two. To enter to win, head to the comments section on this post and regale us with a tale of the most relaxing day of your life. Write it as long or as short as you like - just make sure to leave it in the comments section on this post before Thursday, March 25, at 4 p.m.

Win two extra entries by becoming a fan of TashaDoesTulsa.com on Facebook. If you're already a fan, post about this giveaway on your profile page. Just be sure to tag me in the post so I can see it and count your extra entries.

I can't wait to hear your tales of maxin' and relaxin'. Good luck!