LouAnn's Tea sPot and Gifts

After all the work hosting tea, Priscilla and I decided to treat ourselves with a visit to a tea shop.  I recently learned about this new tea room in Wapakoneta.  

Exterior

Entry Area

First Impression:  The tea room is located in a very homey setting.  The home was rented until LouAnn's niece visited an area tea room and the seed for a new business was planted. 

Dining Area

Tea Room Setting:  The interior is bright and cheery.  Two rooms are used as dining rooms, a prior living room and dining room.

Our Table

The back of our menu card featured a seasonal prayer, which I found a nice touch.

The Table:  The dishes are mix and match vintage pieces.  The table clothes are vintage as well and keep the room very homey.  Several sweetener options are on the table - honey, stevia, sugars, etc.  

Tea Cabinet

Tea:  Loose leaf tea from Mountain Rose Herbs is served.  There were several varieties of black, roobis, and herbal to fill your cup.  The loose leaf tea is served in a tea bag along with a pot of hot water.  

Menu card

Menu:  The menu changes monthly.  You have an option of the high tea, which includes everything on the menu; the luncheon, a choice of soup or salad and a sandwich on the menu; or respite, scones and tea.

Tiered Server

Soup and Salad

Tea Tidbits:  All the the food is homemade in house.  My favorites were the crab salad sandwich and the lemon gem.  Food was served at appropriate temperatures and was very tasty.

Entertainment:  We were busy visiting at our table, so I did not notice if there was any background music.

Owners - LouAnn on the left and Kim on the right

Service:  Exceptional!  Both ladies could not have been nicer.  When I called for reservations, I could tell that customer service was a priority.  Many guests were walk ins and they were greeted and treated as courteous as guests with reservations.  I felt as if I was a guest at their personal dinner table!
Gift Shop:  Many locally handcrafted items are available, scarves, notecards, goat milk lotions and soaps.   Tea cups, pots, tea sets, tea lamps, etc are also available.

Price:  High Tea $15

            Luncheon $7

            Respite $3

Extras:  Since yesterday was March 14 - 3.14, they also offered several types of pie.

Decor in corner of dining room

Isn't This Cute:  I ADORE this table.  If you look closely, you will notice the bottom pulls apart and the sides flip up to form a larger table.  At first I thought this was a tea cart, but I think this little table is much cuter!

We look forward to visiting this tea room again.  They just opened December 4 of this past year and the story of how I discovered it will be in a future blog.  Let me tempt you with this -  "A teapot walked into a bar . . . "

Have a tea filled day. 

Sips and Smiles,
Teresa

Temple of Tolerance

Priscilla's belly is full of Jasmine Pearls this morning.  This tea is from Elmwood Inn Fine Teas.  What is in your cup?

We made a detour to Wapakoneta on our excursion the other day.  One of our stops was the Temple of Tolerence.  I asked a couple of ladies for directions to the "rock yard".  They gave me the address and told me "There might be a few rocks in front of the house.  Just walk up his driveway and the rocks are in the backyard."

A few rocks in the front yard?  I parked across the street and walked up the driveway on the right.

Priscilla thought this looked like a nice spot to rest.

We admired many rock megaliths. 

 There were many paths with twists, turns, and metal gates. 

This barrel house has bullet holes, which were shot into it during prohibition.  

I wish I had an aerial photo.  Each time I thought I was at the end, we would make a turn and another entire section of rock would appear.

Eventually, you arrive at the "temple", a large mound of rocks.  The stones and things made from stone were collected in the area.  Most of the rocks came from farmer's fields.  Steps lead to the summit, but we didn't make the climb.  

Many rock formations surround the temple area. 

The walk was very relaxing and pretty on a snowy afternoon.

We had the place to ourselves, except for a few birds.

When I dropped my donation at his front door, I picked up his business card.  

James R. Bowsher

(Jim)

Writer - Archaeologist

Folklore Collector - Lecturer

Master of the Temple of Tolerance

203 South Wood Street - Wapakoneta, OH  45895

I did a bit of research on the internet after I returned home and found it took him eighteen years to build.  "A few of his favorites: a slab from a bank counter that robber John Dillinger leapt over; a potato-shaped rock from Woodstock; the front step of the former Klu Klux Klan headquarters in Wapakoneta. "I ask black people to sit on the step," said Jim, "so they can liberate it."   The place is much larger than it looks from the road.  I was thinking, a back yard.  This gentleman owns the entire middle of the block, about two dozen back yards!  He has a catalog of all the rocks with photos, their location and where he found them. 

It is amazing that someone has built something so unique in their back yard.

Sips and Smiles,

Teresa