Saturday, February 13, 2016

My Country, 'Tis of Tea — Colorado


Colorado is a state I've never visited, but I'd sure like to. My sister's family vacationed there last year, and some of the photos they took were simply breathtaking. I also associate Colorado with blogger friend (and newly retired tea shop owner) Bernideen. What else might a tea lover need to know about Colorado?

• Colorado is the home of a tea company I'll bet all of us are familiar with, Celestial Seasonings. In fact, I'd like us all to pause a moment for a quiet prayer of thankfulness for Celestial Seasonings' creation of Candy Cane Lane green tea, without which Christmas tea sipping would be nowhere near the pleasure it is! The company had its beginning in 1969, when one of the founders, Mo Siegel, picked wild herbs in the Rocky Mountains and made the company's first tea. Today, the company says, it serves some 1.6 billion cups of tea a year. Not bad for what began as a little herb gathering in Colorado!




 • Several years ago, I began yet another obscure collection, old china that was once used in department store tearooms. I learned that some of the tearooms even held special tea parties just for children, and one of these was the Denver Dry Goods department store in Denver, Colorado, which operated from  1879-1987. I was so happy when I came across two adorable child-sized teacups from the store, because the stamp on the bottom told me these were mementos of The Dolls Tea Party in November 1927. Can you just imagine the little girls who got to enjoy using these teacups long ago?

(Photo by Jeffrey Beall and courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

• I was smitten the moment I set eyes upon the photo of this place, Miramont Castle in Manitou Springs, Colorado. Construction of the castle began in 1895, and it was originally the home of a French-born Catholic priest. Today, Miramont Castle Museum is on the National Register of Historic Places and also has a Victorian tearoom. Wouldn't you love to visit and have tea there? I say, let's go!

9 comments:

  1. Colorado is beautiful. I've only visited twice when my youngest son lived there. [He's now back in Michigan]. I enjoyed having Afternoon Tea in Denver's Brown Palace Hotel and touring Molly Brown's house. Thanks for triggering happy Colorado memories!

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  2. Celestial Seasonings is on my list of places to visit. My boss's wife brought back bunches of delicious tea from there a couple of months ago. And I do love some Candy Cane Lane tea! Those children's teacups are adorable, too.

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  3. We used to have a wonderful Tea Room here in SW Colorado called Victoria's Reign. It was my fsvorite place to go. But after many years, they shut their doors, so now we are left with no place to go for Tea! In Denver of course they have the Broadmoor Hotel which I understand is beautiful.

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  4. We were in Denver a few years ago. We enjoyed tea so much at the Brown Palace Hotel that we went twice on that short trip. We also drove to Colorado Springs and met sweet Bernideen at her shop. While there we had tea at the Broadmoor. I would return to the Brown Palace in a flash. Great gluten free tea!

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  5. Colorado is a beautiful state. My son lives there now and I must mention to him about Celestial Seasonings. I don't think it is very far from where he lives. He actually began drinking tea since he moved to CO. The children's teacups are adorable. Enjoy your Valentine's Day!

    Blessings,
    Sandi

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  6. Those tiny tea cups from the Doll's Tea Party at Denver Dry Goods in 1927 are the cutest things! They were obviously treasured by someone to last until the present day. You were so blessed to find them.

    --DCCardsFan

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  7. Hi Angela,

    I so enjoyed your post today. The information about Celestial Seasonings brought back memories of a dear friend from high school who moved to Colorado and became friends with Mo Siegel and would sit around his kitchen table and help package the teas they sold. My favorite Celestial Seasonings Christmas Tea is Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride.

    Colorado Springs is also home to Current, a card and gift company that sells lovely tea themed cards, stickers, and a cute teapots. They also have an outlet store there.

    I hope you get to visit Colorado. It is indeed a beautiful state with so much to see.

    Have a happy day,

    Mary Jane

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  8. OH my!! I couldn't even find Candy Cane Lane this past Christmas. Glad I had some left from the previous year. What sweet teacups. My husband grew up in Colorado, so I have had opportunity to have tea in a couple places around this beautiful state.

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  9. Nice to hear about Colorado, such a beautiful state! Was able to visit there, back in the nineties and it is gorgeous. Would be nice to visit there again. Have a great week, Joanie

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