Did you know...Charleston has the only tea plantation in America?

It is TRUE!  The Charleston Tea Plantation is THE ONLY tea plantation in the USA, and we were lucky enough to visit them last Saturday with Joe & Nancy.  They're going again on Thursday, so we were a bit hesitant to ask them to come with us, after all, we are about an hour south of them (only about 15 miles, but it's bike week, and traffic is horrendous), and then Charleston is about 2 more hours south of us!  So, we knew a long day was ahead of us, but they were willing to make the trek, and so were we. After what seemed a lifetime of riding, we found the road in to the plantation.  There was a lovely tree canopy, very much like the live oaks we found down in Floral City, FL, but this time, we were in the car, not the coach, so we weren't so concerned about losing the air conditioner or peeling the roof off.

They had a complimentary sampling bar (who would have thought there was such a thing?) where we all sipped and found our favorites.  Dick and I really like the raspberry and peach, while Joe and Nancy preferred only the raspberry.  I couldn't choose which one I like better, so we came away with both boxes.  These plants are recently harvested (that's why the tops are all the same height) and are direct descendants of the the original 100 year old plants.  We got to visit the greenhouse, where we learned just how hard it was and how long it took to make a new tea plant.  Now we know why good tea costs so much!

After the tour, we stopped in at the Angel Tree, not too far down the road.  Wow. This tree is purported to be around 400-500 years old.  Local folklore says that ghosts of former slaves can appear as angels surrounding the tree, and as recently as 2018, it was featured in an Allstate television ad saluting the strength and fortitude of South Carolina in the wake of Hurricane Florence.

There was more, much more, to our day, but it's getting late and I still have to upload lots of pictures to share. 

Ten wheels turn again in the morning, heading to Chesapeake, VA for a couple of weeks.  Why Chesapeake?  'Cuz that's where they're holding the 31st VA State Square Dance Convention, and we have ribbons!  😁

Till next time, y'all be safe and stay well!