Hi Cassandra,
Yes you can just show up at a meeting and you will get an idea of how a meeting works. My suggestion is to observe closely and if you see someone who appears to have what you want, ask them to spend some time with you to explain the AA program of recovery, which is a different thing to the meetings.
For myself I was too fearful to front up to a meeting on my own, so I rang the AA helpline who put me in contact with a recovered alcoholic who explained the whole deal, and then took me to a meeting that night. It was good for me knowing what to expect and what not to expect, and having a buddy take care of me those first few weeks.