Welcome to letter H and to this year’s Theme:

 The Glories of Tea With Stepheny

Taking afternoon tea at a luxurious hotel or inn is a wonderful way to enjoy the ambiance of the surroundings for a few hours. Whether with friends or a grandchild, afternoon tea takes you through the doors of a destination you might not otherwise see on your travels because you are not staying overnight.

There are three basic types of Afternoon Tea:

Cream Tea – Tea, scones, jam and cream

Light Tea – Tea, scones and sweets.

Full Tea – Tea, savories, scones, sweets and dessert. Most tea rooms today serve tea from three to five o’clock. The menu has also changed from tea, bread, butter and cakes, to include three particular courses served specifically in this order: Savories – Tiny sandwiches or appetizers  Scones – Served with jam and Devonshire or clotted cream Pastries – Cakes, cookies, shortbread and sweets
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A few tips about serving tea or being served…
Milk is served with tea, not cream. Cream is too heavy and masks the taste of the tea. Although some pour their milk in the cup first, it is probably better to pour the milk in the tea after it is in the cup in order to get the correct amount. Remove the tea bag from the cup and place it on a side saucer or in a slop bowl. Do not use the string to wrap around or squeeze the tea bag. When serving lemon with tea, lemon slices are preferable, not wedges. Either provide a small fork or lemon fork for your guests, or the tea server can place a slice in the tea cup after the tea has been poured. Never add lemon with milk since the lemon’s citric acid will cause the proteins in the milk to curdle.

Here are eight hotels listed as best for afternoon teas.(USA Today) I have added the link to the hotels I have written about during the blog challenge. 1) The Jefferson in Richmond, VA.  2) The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, CO. 3)  Park Hyatt Washington in Washington, D.C. 4) The Palm Court at The Drake Hotel in Chicago 5)  Lady Mendl’s Tea Salon at the Inn at Irving Place in New York City 6) The St. Regis San Francisco 7) The Fairmont Olympic in Seattle  8) The Umstead Hotel and Spa in Cary, N.C.