Tea~ Port Gamble

Welcome to Tea Time 2025. These posts will be about Tea Rooms we’ve been to, Teas we’ve given for friends and family, Church Tea events, and High Tea in restaurants from 2008 to the present. Tea in the U.S.A., Tea in England and Tea in Canada. Many of the Tea Rooms are no longer in business, which is sad.

This next post was from July 17, 2008.

On Wednesday afternoon Josh, Laura, Michelle and I took the Ferry from Edmonds to Kingston for High Tea in Port Gamble. The Tea Room at Port Gamble is in an old Victorian house on the main street in this little town. You get off the ferry at Kingston and follow the road to Highway 104 headed for the Hood Canal Bridge. When you get to the 25 mile an hour speed zone you know you are close. You can’t miss it and it’s a delightful afternoon stop!

The name of this Tea Room was, The Tea Room at Port Gamble.

Josh was such a good sport to play along and don a hat, too. He had never been to High Tea and we discussed just how civilized it is. Of course none of us had to wear hats but we were just in the mood.

I think the highlights for us were the wonderful scones with strawberry jam and clotted cream and then the chocolate fondue at the end of our tea. Duhliscious!! (I miss-spelled that on purpose!)

We strolled through the little town and enjoyed the architecture and unique little shops. Took the picture of the Artful Ewe for you Willow!

My son Josh and our DIL Laura

Do you see the sign the antique dealer has under her cash register in her shop? It says “YOUR HUSBAND CALLED – And said you can buy anything you want” On the way out of town we stopped at the Anglican Church.

From the cemetery we could see the Hood Canal Bridge and we commented that we should drop in on Dave and Beth but we didn’t call ahead and our afternoon was turning into evening. Maybe you can meet Katie and I for tea sometime in Port Gamble Beth!?

At the cemetery Josh spotted this engraving on one of the tombstones. “Remember friend as you pass by, As you are now so once was I, As I am now you soon will be, Prepare for death and follow me”

Sobering thought or it could be taken as an encouragement to prepare ourselves for the inevitable by making decisions today that guarantee our future in Glory when we meet our Creator…

Well we decided it was time to head back to the ferry dock and journey across the Puget Sound to Edmonds and onward. But what did we spot on the way back…

CB’s Nuts! A small Roasting operation right off the main highway. We made a U-turn and headed back after we zoomed by too fast to stop. We are glad we turned around. We met Mr. Roasting Guy and he sold us some fresh peanuts, pistachios, and peanut butter.

Can’t get too much fresher than this!

At the ferry dock while we were waiting for our boat I zoomed in for this shot of Mt. Rainier and downtown Seattle. If you look closely you can see the Space Needle to the right of the rest of the buildings.

Another fabulous day in the Greater Puget Sound! To end the day we met my other kids, Dan and Katie, at PF Chang’s for dinner. A very full day that made this lady pretty tired but joyful.

There is a current open tea room in Port Gamble.

T is for…

For April I’m challenging myself to an A-Z photo a day excluding Sundays and in addition to any regular posts that come to be.

Today is Wednesday April 23rd and we are on the letter T.

T is for Tea and Tea Rooms and High Tea and Tea for Two and a Table full!

Growing up, tea was the hot drink served most regularly. When there was ‘company’ involved with a meal, it was served at the end of the meal with some sort of sweet treat.

It has only been in the last 18 or so years that going to a tea room and enjoying high tea has been on my radar.

I love this photo of our daughter Katie drinking tea in our rented apartment in April of 2004 in Edinburgh.

Tea tables and tea times became front and center during my early blogging years.

This Blog-a-Thon at Gracious Hospitality by LaTeaDah lit the fire and inspired many table settings and hunting down tea rooms.

Living in Camarillo and closer to my California family for a few years (2006-2010) inspired planning tea times with family and friends. The first one was to celebrate our mom’s 85th birthday in 2008. We gathered at The Gilded Rose Manor Tea Room in Northridge, California.

SIL Kelly, Niece Melissa, Niece Jessica, Sister Kathy, Nadia~Mom and Babushka, Sister Vera, Niece Debbee, Niece Michelle, and me.

Our mom sharing words of wisdom.

There was a lot to learn about photography in those early years of blogging.

This was a fun tea room and it’s sad to report that it is no longer serving tea like many other tea rooms we have visited in the past 15 years.

There are too many tea experiences to try to post them all here for ‘T is for Tea’ this April. Maybe in May I’ll do a tea room or high tea experience a day until I run out of them.

Happy Wednesday everyone. If you are looking for Wednesday Hodgepodge it is the post before this one.

Hello Spring Hodgepodge

We are doing the happy dance because it is officially Spring!

Our local ‘kids’ treated me to a birthday meal on their mountain last Friday. It was fun to be together and enjoy some vitamin D outside watching the Grands on their bikes! We’ve been enjoying the glorious sunshine and temps above 60 the last several days.

Time for Wednesday Hodgepodge. Thank you, Joyce for hosting!

1. Spring is officially upon us, no matter what the weather may be in your neck of the woods. Is there any ‘spring cleaning’ on your to-do list? What’s your most dreaded task?

I would say washing windows inside and out. But…I don’t have to dread it because the window washer is only a phone call away and he’s efficient and inexpensive.

2. What’s something many people seem to love, but to you feels like ‘watching the grass grow’?

Nine innings of major league baseball.

3. Mint grows in abundance during the spring season. Are you a fan? What’s your favorite food with a ‘minty’ flavor?

I am a fan of mint.

Ina Garten’s recipe for Tabbouleh is a favorite food that uses fresh mint. Here’s a link to the recipe.

Ina Garten’s Tabbouleh

4. It’s been said, ‘Absence makes the heart grow fonder.’ Agree or disagree? Explain.

I suppose I agree. When something you enjoy isn’t available anymore you miss it and add an extra layer of fond memories to it that can make it seem even more important in your mind.

5. Are there any festive spring events in your city or town? If so, will you take advantage of them?

Our best Spring events are celebrating Easter and the birthdays of our Grands. Today is Addy’s birthday and we’ll all be together to celebrate her birthday this weekend. JJ’s birthday is in the April, so we’ll gather again to celebrate him. I’ll say a lot about Easter next week.

Happy Birthday, Addy! Baba and Gramps can’t wait to celebrate you!!

The one in town event that starts back up in the Spring is our Farmer’s Market and I do take advantage of that.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Greg and I are having a little escape in Idaho doing many things that I’m fond like good restaurants and a large variety of shopping. The photo below is from a High Tea that I was able to enjoy in Idaho.

We are traveling home today so I will be late in coming around to see how you feel about mint.

Tea in Coeur d’Alene

We are having a little getaway to our neighboring state of Idaho. We traveled on Monday morning and our first stop was at the Inland Café & Tea in Coeur d’Alene.

I enjoyed the High Tea. The scone was so fresh and warm and delicious.

My favorites of the little sandwich bites were the chicken salad and ham with pepper jelly.

I was able to choose my teacup from all of these and chose one with the daffodils.

Greg chose a hot sandwich for lunch. A turkey brie sandwich with a cup of the soup of the day.

We enjoyed and would recommend this spot in Coeur d’Alene for their fresh and good tasting food.

We left the cafe and shopped at a few spots before we checked into our hotel. After we checked in we tried Happy Hour at Bardenay Restaurant and Distillery close to our hotel. It was good and we enjoyed conversation with a couple who moved to Idaho from Alaska fourteen years ago.

Today we hope to walk along the Centennial Trail, shop, and enjoy two more new to us restaurants for lunch and dinner.

Grateful to God for all the abundance that we enjoy with peace and joy.

Tea for Two at The Feathers

After some time walking about the town of Woodstock we were able to check into our room and get freshened up for our High Tea reservations in the hotel dining room.

Earl Grey was my choice for tea.

After our tea we took a leisurely stroll to get a glimpse of Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill.

We walked to the end of High Street where these gates to enter the Palace grounds were. Happy to see a side gate open for us to get onto the property.

The end of a long day of walking we headed back to the hotel for the evening.

On Thursday September 22nd we planned to visit Blenheim Palace outer grounds more thoroughly and pay to enter the Palace grounds, too.

High Tea at the George Washington Inn

The tables were set on the ocean front piazza, also known as a veranda.

First course included Black Forest and Lavender Cheddar Scones, Dried Cherry and Orange Biscuits, Fresh Lavender Biscuits and assorted flavored Butters and Jams. Beth reads my blog and she’s a real fast learner. After the first course she knew to pass me the service plate for photos before any of us took a bite. The drawback to eating with a blogger!!

Second Course included Petite Spinach and Swiss Quiche, Smoked Salmon Mousse-Filled Cucumber Cups, and Lavender Cream Cheese Turkey Finger Sandwiches.