Tea Week .3

An afternoon tea at home. Jill celebrated a birthday a short time ago and I served her an afternoon tea in the style (sort of) that we enjoyed at Waveland in Kentucky (Monday’s post). I brewed two teas from Elmwood Inn (yesterday’s post) along with an assortment of small bites on nice china. Not to worry, I bought most of the “small bites” at the food bar at Whole Foods so it was all safe and fun. A lovely afternoon experience with a touch of elegance..

Our first tea was Paris Afternoon and the second, Chocolate Mint, both are black teas. At the Elmwood Inn store we also had a short lesson on proper tea brewing and I bought a neat electric kettle from Cuisinart, a GK-1 Digital Goose Neck Kettle. It was at that point offered at half price which was nice but the neat thing is the you can set the temperature between 140 and 212 and when it reaches the temperature it will then hold it there for 30 minutes. And it is fast.

Tea Week .2

The tea we had at the mansion - yesterday’s post - was provided by a tea company just a short distance from Lexington in Danville, KY. So we thought we would visit. Turned out to be much more than we expected. The town intself is historic with beautiful old homes, Center College, and a great heritage, for example, this is where the Kentucky Constitution was signed.

The tea company, Elmwood Inn, was also much more than we expected. It was there we met Bruce, the proprietor, and, in keeping with our emerging theme, so much more than one would expect. Bruce is an encyclopedia of tea knowledge but that is not just our newly formed opinion, it is seen in his many books on the subject and his speaking about tea that takes him around the world, Bruce’s tea shop was the first in the US to be designated by the English Tea Association. His expertise in blending teas is sought out across the globe and he is known for his designer teas. One example was his blend to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party in 2023. He has designed teas for royalty, famous restaurants and many special occasions. We chatted with him and had an informative tour of the little shop that is adjacent to the shipping and production end of his business. We also enjoyed a tasting of two distinct teas. We did, naturally, purchase three cans of tea, Paris Afternoon, Paris Morning and Chocolate Mint. They are in small cans with a sealed reusable lid and will keep the tea fresh for a long while. There is a lot of tea in each container as well so very well-priced. Jill also bought a book - that Bruce autographed with lots of afternoon tea menus, ideas and recipes. Danville and the Elmwood Inn Tea Company turned out to be a delightful afternoon stop.

More information here: https://www.elmwoodinn.com

A suffragette reproduction tea service - I think Rusty and Dennis were opposed to this measure?

Tea Week

From the 1925 Broadway show, “No, No Nanette” comes a song with a chorus that goes:

Picture you, Upon my knee

Just tea for two, And two for tea

Just me for you, And you for me

Alone

Welcome to Tea Week on Two Lane Touring. Jill enjoys tea and we often have afternoon tea. That was the theme of our reception as well, Afternoon Tea. Photos from which will be included on Thursday’s post. On our honeymoon I made a reservation for an afternoon tea (no dummy here!) at the historic Waveland Estate near Lexington, KY. The home was built by the grandnephew of Daniel Boone in 1848 and is now a state historic site. We were there for their “Tea Tuesday” with our several hosts in period costume. There were two teas served and the story behind them is tomorrow’s post. The first tea was a darjeeling and the second was a mint dessert tea. And three courses of small bites like chicken salad on a croissant, tiny quiche, ham biscuit, and four desserts on the last plate. They even accommodated my “no cheese mandate.” After the tea we had a guided tour of the house and then walked the grounds and gardens. Nice afternoon.

Sunday Scripture: Photo is from Alaska's Kenai Peninsula

Food - Restaurant - Kennett Square - Pennsylvania

Kellett Square is a pleasant town located in Southeast Pennsylvania near the Delaware boarder. The famous Longwood Gardens is located just a mile to so away thus there are lots of restaurant choices and shops on the charming main street. Jill and I were engaged the day that we ate at Portabello’s so my usual brilliant, insightful, and completely accurate perspective “might” be flawed. Our engagement celebration was magical and the restaurant added to the nice day with a fabulous meal. The upscale atmosphere with linens and soft lighting were lovely. The dark apricot walls showcased many local artists. The chef owned restaurant serves contemporary American cuisine and the menu features several mushroom choices as they are in the midst of many mushroom farms. Jill had a mushroom risotto while I stayed with the seafood choice that was brimming with wild shrimp, clams, PEI mussels, calamari, and cooked with Pinot Grigio and Linguini. As a bonus Jill’s daughter and her husband had arranged with the restaurant for a slice of amazing cake for us. I found the food exceptional and if you are looking for a great meal and all flowered-out from Longwood Gardens, try Portabellos. And if you just got engaged it is a the superior choice.

National Park Service Week .4: Lake Clark National Park, Alaska

Lake Clark was all about bears. We saw 13 that afternoon. Tom Light and I flew from Homer, AK, in a sea plane (which was super cool all by itself) to vast salt water “flats” at the southern edge of Lake Clark. There is no access to this National Park except by plane or boat. The plane landed at a basecamp where we transferred to an airboat, like you see in the Florida Everglades. In fact this one was made in Florida and when we were at Lake Clark it was one of only two airboats in Alaska. The airboat sat two rows of 5 each and Tom and I were on the front. The operator would skim over the water and then cut the engine to wait as he knew the bears’ patterns and we would sit quietly as they approached. Not quite the thrill of Katmai National Park where we walked among the bears but close. A highlight for me was the young cub, six months old, with his mom. He was chasing birds and captured a large stick that he played with for 15 minutes. Also at one point another bear charged our boat but stopped - as the guide said he would - about 30 feet away. Still a bit of excitement for sure. We watched three of them move toward us but one caught a fish and ate it less than 25 feet from the boat. I also spotted three new birds for my life list and that was cool as well. We were in the airboat for about 2 hours and it took nearly an hour each way in the air from Homer. Note the photo of the old, rusty crane. There is a lot of abandoned equipment in Alaska because it is too expensive to remove it and the mud will slowly engulf the whole machine.

Great experience and worth the steep price.

This last photo is what many of the memories of Alaska represent. Bears, we saw about 35 grizzlies, mountains, water and small planes. A wonderland.

National Park Service Week .3: Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska

From the web site: “Kenai Fjords can be a challenging place to visit, with much of it only accessible from the water. The waters around Kenai Fjords and Resurrection Bay provide a unique experience, whether seeing the awe-inspiring power of a tidewater glacier and the expanse of the Gulf of Alaska.” The challenging aspect is characteristic of many of the parks in Alaska. Sometimes that can read expensive sometimes hard to get to and often both are true. Kenai Fjords is not hard to tour if you go on one of the boats out of Seward. We chose one that was full day and with the National Park ranger on board. I think it was a good choice. We saw the ice floes and glaciers from the boat but a side benefit was the rich marine life: whales, sea birds, otters, and seals were plentiful. There is also a land section of the park called Exit Glacier near Seward that you can hike to and we did that as well. The photos are self explanatory and since captions are not loading properly I will just say here the scenery is much more magnificent than these photos convey and the experience of seeing so many animals rather close is unforgettable. Kenai Fjords was my least favorite of the National Parks we visited in Alaska and it would still be worth the trip to Alaska to see if it were the only park - Alaska is a wondrous place and three months there flew by and there was so much to still explore. Breathtaking experiences.

National Park Service Week .2: Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site, Alabama

In many ways the story is the same as yesterday’s visit to the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site, physically a short drive apart, Black Americans heavily discriminated against creating remarkable achievements against difficult odds and often at great risk. The story of both the Tuskegee Institute under the guidance of Booker T. Washington and the personal story of George Washington Carver are told at this National Park unit, but not told as well as they deserve. I did read that the museum is under renovation and that was sorely needed. But the whole site is a joint project of Tuskegee Institute and the NPS but clearly funding is an issue here and maintenance is needed as well as modernization. This reality ought not keep you from a visit to learn more and honor two remarkable men and their great achievements in education, agriculture, health and medicine, just some of the areas where they helped change lives. Link to the NPS site: https://www.nps.gov/tuin/index.htm

Captions are not working correctly, so, photo two is a shot of the current campus, three is a Mobile Classroom or school. GWC knew most of those who needed information on how to raise better crops, healthier foods and provide better lives for their families could not make the trip to Tuskegee so he went to them. Ahead of his time! Photo four is “The Oaks” the home of Booker T. Washington.

Museum at Tuskegee is dedicated to George Washington Carver

National Park Service Week: Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site, Alabama

Our theme is week is National Park Service units. Each month until I get everything up-to-date in the National Park Galleries, I will feature four parks. I have tried a few ways to organize that section of TLT but have decided that the best way is to have pages for each park with links back to the page. A lot needs redone or done. Going in order i am doing two missing from Alabama and two from Alaska. There are many already done but more not finished than finished, so this is about a three-year project.

But on to more important things, the first park, Tuskegee Airmen, is a wonderful place located near Tuskegee Alabama and the Tuskegee Institute. If you like American history, aviation, WWII history or the amazing ability of people given opportunities to take hold of those rare circumstances and go well beyond what was expected, you should visit. The heroic men of the Tuskegee Airmen all fit that category. Rather than write all that is in the two cited articles, I have some notes with each photograph. If you are not familiar with or need a refresher this NPS article is a very good overview: https://www.nps.gov/tuai/index.htm, Or this one with more detail: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuskegee_Airmen

There may be some members still surviving but it is thought the last man died at 102 in 2023.

This is the business end of the two-seat Stearman Kaydet training aircraft used by the Airmen.

This is a full view of the trainer. It has the strips on the tail, which later became Red Tails. This is also one of the first models I ever built, I guess I was about 10 or so. Didn’t look much like the box when I was done but I did get better!

This was the workhorse of the fighter units, the P-51 Mustang with the Red Tail and other red markings. They were a formidable force in the air battles over Europe.

This is a Piper J-3 trainer and what the first flights for the Airmen would be in. Mrs. Roosevelt went up in one here. Brave woman.

This is an overview of Moton Field today. Many buildings are missing. The dinning hall / dance floor and a few other buildings are here. Including the big hanger below where the prime museum is today.

Sunday Scripture: Photo is from Isle of Palms, SC, Atlantic Ocean beach

We often see the amazing hand of God written large in front of us: sunrises, mountains, deep forests, waterfalls and watching the milky way emerge in the darkness. And we see it equally as well in the minute like tiny babies’ giggles. The intricacies of this world are beyond any earthly architect to design. I read recently about bees. When a bee returns to the hive after finding a significant source of pollen it will vibrate (dance), to indicate how far away the source is and can orient in such a way that other bees know to fly in a certain direction for a specified period of time to get to the source. Fascinating. Yet what adds even more wonder is that another bee who was in the area and may have noted a predator can vibrate in a different frequency to alert the others to possible danger and thus negate the first bee's message. Amazing.

Food - Ice Cream - Kentucky - Lexington

Jill and I did a hard hike to an overlook of the Kentucky River on a too hot, very hot afternoon. On the way back to town the unanimous vote was for ice cream. Off to a little spot we looked at earlier that day in the Lexington Distillery District, an old industrial park and current distillery and brewing hub for several makers. Nestled in among the large structures is Crank and Boom, a tiny premium local ice cream maker cheerily welcoming customers with a mosaic of bright colors among the aroma of hops and mash and fermentation. It serves both traditional ice cream treats and alcohol-infused concoctions made from various distilled beverages “on tap.” Jill and I chose a sampler, four different flavors: chocolate truffle, coffee stout, lemon sorbet and Kentucky blackberry & buttermilk - with generous sized scoops. It looked like too much to finish, ha, that was a joke. We scrubbed the sides of the bowl just in case we missed a drop. Crank and Boom is a clear winner in the ice cream derby. You can visit the website here: https://www.crankandboom.com

Our rating for Crank and Boom - Top Shelf!

Wedding - part four

Jill came up with a wonderful theme for the reception - Afternoon Tea. We have enjoyed sharing tea many days and decided it was the perfect way to celebrate our marriage. Jill made most of the food: buttermints, cheese wafers, sugared pecans, and sausage balls, while Carin, Evan and I jumped in to finish her cucumber sandwiches and the fruit skewers. Prepare for a shock, I made the shortbread cookies. As you may already be ahead of me in this process, yes, Jill indeed made the cake too. A marvelous white layer cake with orange and lemon filling and seven-minute icing, displayed on vintage family cut-glass cake stands. The table linens, china and flatware, and silver trays and coffee service were also beloved family pieces. Even the two goblets that Jill and I shared at the cake cutting came from her mom and dad’s wedding. That heritage made it all the more beautiful.

We were so happy to share our celebration with a limited number of friends and family, and we treasure the photos of people we love gathered to bear witness to the love God has designed us to share.

There are so many other photos that in a couple of weeks I am going to do one more post.

Wedding - part three

The ceremony was traditional and we had fabulous music provided by Tim Mynatt on the piano and Ildar Khuziakmehtov with the cello. They are both brilliant; what a delight to hear them play and the music Jill selected was perfect: Holy Art Thou, Come, Thou Fount, The King of Love My Shepherd Is, and O God, Beyond All Praising were played as a prelude. Carin, Jill’s daughter entered first, then Jill with the musicians playing Gabriel’s Oboe. Later Carin and her husband, Evan, sang a beautiful version of Be Thou My Vision. The recessional was my suggestion, Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee. Carin was Jill’s bridesmaid and Geof and Gregg, my two sons, stood with me. My long-time friend and associate from Williamsburg, Dave Faith began with a scripture and prayer. Then Jerry Mattingly, a good friend to both Jill and me, officiated the service with a nice blend of humor and reminders that marriage is a sacred commitment. Vows were promised, rings were exchanged, kissed bestowed, blessings given and Jerry pronounced us as husband and wife. A day of rejoicing and praise.

Tomorrow the reception and lots of photos.

Wedding - part two

The day of the wedding, August 4th, began with Jill and me attending church together, joined by a few friends and that was a perfect way to begin this joyful journey together. The venue for the wedding ceremony was Maple Grove Estate, a home built in 1799 and expanded several times that is now used as an event center in West Knoxville. Our host, Karen, did a wonderful job assisting us in both preparation and in many ways during the day. We used just an indoor portion of the property, two rooms in the original house and larger spaces for the reception. We met the photographer, Cyd, there about an hour before the service for some of the photos and what I have now learned is the “First Look.” I was set up outside looking away from the house and Jill approached me and invited me to turn around and see her in her dress the for first time. Wow. She was stunning. We were positioned a few places around the property for couple portraits and also did some group family shots. What a wonderful time to concentrate on each other and share this time with our families. Tomorrow the ceremony!

Wedding - part one

Last week was the first of the theme weeks on the slightly revised but still evolving Two Lane Touring and today we introduce the second, the photos from the wedding of Jill and Dave on August the 4th. We hired a professional to take photos and Cyd did a good job for us. But in addition three of our friends are professional photographers and their photos are sprinkled in among the ones from the studio. Plus a few from my grandson and an iPhoto or two that made it back to us. So with heartfelt thanks in advance to Dennis Mook https://www.thewanderinglensman.com, David Jenkins (http://alifeinphotography.blogspot.com), Steve Tweed (Steve posts on Facebook, and Kellen Hileman, a senior at App State he has little time for posting photos but when he does they are usually on Instagram. Two Lane Touring really elevated the quality this week with the guest photographers!

We begin with a very few photos - trust me there are a lot more on the way - from the Saturday night “I Do Barbeque” we hosted for out-of-town guests.

Sunday Scripture: Photo from Keeneland Racetrack, Lexington, KY

Clearly no chariots here and these are not the kinds of horses the bible was speaking of, more of the trust in the might of an army. We might boast in the tanks, carriers and soldiers of our armed forces. But I was struck by the amazing maintenance, funds and effort put into the care and raising of thoroughbred horses. The enormous and well maintained farms, the breeding and training and equipment needed to feed, prepare, and transport these amazing animals is striking. And I am sure there are those who trust their fortunes and their life’s work to them. Nothing wrong with the career choice I am sure but the scripture is reminding us that what we can ultimately trust is not the wealth we accumulate, the “sure thing” we bet on that is 90-1, the military, or governmental strength that surrounds us but in the Lord who created it all, sustains it all and will finally will see that it meets his purpose.

Food - Restaurant - Kentucky - Lexington

Jill and I chose to spend a part of one day riding through the horse farms that surround Lexington, KY. Such beautiful country and the farms are stunning with brown, black, or white board fencing stretching around each of them and often with entrances off the highway full of flowers and stone pillars. Quite nice. We noted a small white framed restaurant that was at one time a country store along one highway. As we drove by we also paid attention to the busy parking lot. After a couple of hours touring (on two lanes, naturally) we headed back to Lexington and decided to see if Wallace Station was a good place for lunch. The building is small, the seating is basic, the dishes are paper, the restroom is shared with the hot water heater and an old shower, and the menu is limited. Oh, and very good. Jill had Whitesburg soup beans with terrific cornbread, we ordered a side of slow cooked kale that had some extra ingredients that made it tasty. I had a burger that was well done with an excellent bun! We also shared a ginger cookie - maybe sharing the cookie was not a super idea, it was very good and I could have eaten a whole one or three.

The chef who owns it has five restaurants with a couple of very fancy ones in the area. We also ate at Zinn’s for a light late night meal, a restaurant she owns that is across the street from our hotel. Also very good food.

Even more fun when you have a dog to pet after your lunch.

These were perceptive women of extraordinary taste who told Jill as we were leaving that she was beautiful. And she is.

An afterthought shot with a bit of the food heater skelter across the table. Too busy eating to photograph.

Keeneland .4

Let us begin today’s post with a riddle. Ready? What has 12 legs, 8 eyes, and hovers over the earth?

The answer is the last photo today.

Keeneland, like all other places in the US where a tourist may venture, has a gift shop. Unlike many of those places, the quality and the prices are not the normal fare. Well the prices might be Disney-esk, but the quality exceeds what you will see anywhere that sells T-shirts. I mean $80 ties and special edition vodka at several hundred dollars is not what you would find at DollyWood. You can get an unimaginable array of goods with the Keeneland logo, or horse-themed clothes, or bibelots of all sorts. And bourbon, naturally.

I would also be remiss if I did not single out the wonderful breakfast we had at the Track Kitchen. What a nice experience. Good food, well-priced, friendly and helpful staff, and a pleasant atmosphere. Plus all the coffee you can drink for $2, or maybe it was one dollar. We ate eggs, bacon, potatoes, grits, apples, and biscuits for $6.50. And it was good. You could even have cheese on your eggs or gravy on your biscuits, though why anyone would ever do such a thing is beyond my comprehension.

Keeneland was so much fun that Jill and I are considering attending a race day. The price is just a few dollars, and I really want another shot at photographing the early morning experience there, as I now have a much better idea of how and when and what to do. I also met a fellow photographer there and we had mutual acquaintances, though I knew them very casually while Neil was a long term friend. Turns out he is from Bloomington where Jill’s daughter and son-in-law just moved so we made a plan for coffee the next time we visit in Indiana. His site is: https://www.instagram.com/neil_powell_photography/ or another of Neil’s is https://www.instagram.com/therusticilliterate/

All in all a most delightful morning.

Keeneland .3

I have visited only one race track (for horses!) in my life, but what a choice. Keeneland is a jewel of a venue on 147 manicured acres, sporting white fences and trim with deep green colors on the buildings, striking architecture, and two race tracks. The first one is a dirt oval of just over a mile - races are set by the movable starting gate so they end at the same place but are run in many different lengths. The second track is a slightly smaller turf oval inside the other one, installed for the visit of Queen Elizabeth II. Keeneland is on the National Register of Historic Places and was voted by industry insiders as the number one track in the United States. You might have seen it if you watched the movie Seabiscuit, the 2005 movie Dreamer, or the 2010 movie Secretariat.

We saw a lot of work going on, as there were people painting, cleaning, cutting grass and working on the track. Quite a lot of work to prepare and maintain these places for the two racing months, October and April. The fall and the spring offer different kinds of racing. The track also hosts auctions, with the one in the fall featuring one-year-olds. If you plan now you can get in on the bidding for one of the 4396 horses registered to be sold in September. The auction will take in about $50,000,000 dollars, a percentage of which stays with the track.

Keeneland .2

I have seen enough old black and while movies to know that you can bet on the horses. Or if you prefer color, The Sting. I also know enough that it is not likely to be the best investment you can make. In fact, if the movies are true, some guy named Lou is going to show up and make sure you pay in full. So, I would suggest a mutual fund instead; there you will get some guy named Dwight Parker III and he will just buy you lunch, a better choice.

Actually, while not really a good investment, I think it is much less certain that you will meet Lou if you bet on a horse at Keeneland. And there are LOTS of windows to do so, dozens and dozens. Plus they offer helpful tips - a large section on the website describes how to wager, plus lots of information on the actual horses who will race, and it is a parimutuel betting system. What is that you ask? According to people who actually know: “With very limited exceptions, a horseplayer bets against other bettors, whereas a typical casino gambler is betting against the house. I.e., when I win, you’re more likely to have lost and vice versa. This is important because understanding how other people bet can be as much of an edge as understanding how and who to bet.” This removes the odds being set by bookmakers and allows the pool of bettors to determine the odds. A more fair system, according to what I have read, and popularized in the US by Keeneland, which has offered only this type of betting since its beginning in 1936.

I would never bet on anything anytime, but if you choose to do so, this would be a fun way to “invest” in the outcome of a race. Or so I am told. Make sure you take your lucky horseshoe!