Celebrating!

I will  use my Queen Elizabeth's Golden Jubilee commemorative teapot by James Sadler teapot to brew a pot of

Harney and Sons Royal Wedding Tea for my early morning celebration of the Royal Wedding. 

We were in England during the Queen's Golden Jubilee in 2002. 

Every city, town, and village held celebrations.  It was a fun time to be there!  

From the news reports, many similar local celebrations are planned to celebrate the Royal Wedding.   

My personal celebration will be held in my TV room beginning at 4:00 a.m. while wearing my PJs. 

How are you celebrating.

The Queen's 80th Birthday Teacup

This pretty teacup is from The Royal Collection commemorating the Queen's 80th Birthday on 21 April 2006.

I purchased this teacup at Kensington Palace in March, 2007

while traveling with tea friends on the Tea In London Tour.

According to news reports, William and Kate are considering Kensington Palace as their home.

Diana China Rose Teacup

I purchased this special commemorative teacup and saucer at Althorp,

the ancestral Spencer Estate in England several years ago.  

"The design uses a hand painted rose with a platinum design on a pink pearl finish background. It is hand finished in platinum and is made from English Bone China. The Tea Cup and saucer is made in England exclusively for Althorp."

I remember watching the wedding of Diana and Charles in 1981.

I look forward to watching the wedding of William and Kate on Friday.

I will enjoy a cup of Harney Queen Catherine Tea from this special teacup. 

Gaylord Opryland Hotel and the Grand Ole Opry

The last two nights of spring break we stayed at Opryland Hotel in Nashville.

E enjoystaying at the Gaylord Hotels.  They have a wide variety of restaurants, shops and entertainment.  

Our breakfast included tea.

The Opryland Hotel and the Opry House have been repaired after the terrible floods,

however, nearby areas are still devastated from he flood damage.

On Thursday we took the Grand Ole Opry House Backstage tour.

AJ (above) and KJ (below) are in the "green room" backstage. 

 A dressing room

Here we are the Grand Ole Opry stage.

The famous circle of the wood floor from the Ryman.

(the stripes are actually sunlight streaming through skylights)

The line-up for the Thursday night Opry Country Classics Show...

and, the reason we went to Nashville.

AJ is a BIG Charlie Daniels fan! 

The Charlie Daniels Band was the Spotlight Artist.

We had 2nd row seats, but AJ was in front of stage taking a gazillion photos during the show!

KJ plays the violin,  She was mesmerized by Charlie Daniel's fiddle playing!

The show was an exciting ending to a most fun spring break!

When friends at home asked what we did over spring break,
they can't believe I packed so many fun activities AND tea room visits into one week! 

Homestead Manor Plantation — Part 2

The view of the mansion from the parking lot.

Welcome!

Inside the large foyer, is a chalkboard listing the daily features,

 and tables with samples of the delicious foods.

A hungry AJ going for the ham and cheese tea sandwich!

The very well-stocked gift shop was a delight to browse.

And yes, I made a few purchases.

Marcia, graciously allowed me to take photos around the beautiful Homestead Manor.

Below are some of the dining rooms.

The hat room!

The ambiance at the Homestead Manor Plantation is delightful.

The historic home offers a Civil War period setting for lunch, tea and special events.

The knowledgeable and friendly servers are dressed in period costumes.

If you are a tea lover,  or just enjoy southern hospitality and charm,

a visit to the Homestead Manor Plantation is a must if you are traveling in the Nashville area!

Homestead Manor Plantation Tea Room in Thompson's Station, TN

~ Homestead Manor Plantation Restaurant, Tea, Events and Gifts at Thompson's Station, TN ~

Doesn't this look like the perfect setting for a southern tea room?

This house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places,

and is situated on 50 acres of protected land.

I met the Homestead Manor Plantation owner, Marcia Franks, and her daughter,Tonya, while we were there.

Marcia and I are members of an online tea group, Afternoon Tea Across America.

I had contacted Marcia prior to our trip, and I called for afternoon tea reservations in advance.

 We ordered the Full Afternoon tea.

It came with your choice of soup, salad or quiche.

I chose the tomato basil soup.

The guys ordered the Quiche Lorraine.

The princess ordered a mixed green salad. 

Each of us chose a pot of tea from the selection of 100 loose leaf teas. 

My tea in the photo below with KJ is the First Flush Darjeeling.

The three-tier servers arrived with an abundance of delicious tea foods.

Each person selected four sandwiches from the selection of:  Marcia's Chicken Salad, Homemade Pimiento Cheese,

Tomato Basil Mozarella, Egg Salad, BLT, Cucumber and Ham and Cheese.

The sonces were a Bacon and Swiss Savory Scone and a Mixed Berry Scone. 

 Lemon Curd, Chantilly Cream and Jam were served with the Scones.

The Sweets Course included a Petit Four, a Macaron, a Teapot Iced Cookie and a Mini Coconut Cupcake.

Our family gave the Homestead Manor a *Superior* rating! 

Steven was our server.  He was very knowledgeable, professional and courteous.

If you are traveling from Birmingham or Chattanooga to Nashville,

plan to visit the Homestead Manor Plantation.

 I will post more photos and information about the lovely Homestead Manor next.... 

Tennessee Aquarium — Chattanooga

We visited the Tennessee Aquarium Wednesday morning before departing Chattanooga. 

The aquarium is located in two buildings, the River Journey and the Ocean Journey,  along the Chattanooga Riverfront.

There are several hands-on, fun experiences for visitors.

Oh my!  There are two vicious sharks in the shark cage!

They, however, look a little familiar....

We just visited a few of the highlights in Chattanooga. 

I understand why Chattanooga ranks high among places for families to visit.

There are a lot of fun things to do in the area.

Next Post:

We departed Chattanooga for our next destination and another lovely afternoon tea....

Delta Queen Riverboat Hotel and Lelia's Tea Room

Our family has stayed overnight in lovely hotels and quaint places over the years.

The Delta Queen Riverboat Hotel ranks among the most memorable for AJ and princess KJ.

I am so glad I found this hotel in my online travel planning.

GJ, the hubby, and I have many memories of the Delta Queen when it was an active steamboat in Cincinnati, and when it raced against the Belle of Louisville for years during the Kentucky Derby festivities.

There are no phones or TVs in the cabins aboard the Delta Queen.

There are, however, many board games, books, and

many antiques, beautiful dark wood and brass trim, and fresh flower arrangements throughout.  

Staying in a stateroom on the historic Delta Queen, moored at Coolidge Park Landing

 in the middle of downtown Chattanooga,

is like being in a long-ago era.  

Prior to leaving home, I discovered a new Chattanooga tea room listing.

Lelia's Tea Room is located on the main deck across from the lobby of the hotel.

Sadly, it is not open on Tuesdays, the day we were there.

But, I called the owner, Deena, and spoke with her about the tea room.

Lelia's currently serves afternoon tea on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

This is a pleasant setting for afternoon tea!

This spring break was all about making memories with the children.

More fun to come, including another tea room visit, and another city....