Come explore Charleston, SC with me over Memorial Day Weekend 2026

 

Come explore Charleston, SC with me over Memorial Day Weekend 2026

I wanted to put together a fun tea themed weekend that focused on tea in Charleston.

Want to join?

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☕️Tea weekend in Charleston, SC!☕️

$500 deposit due 2/4/2026
Book with The Traveling Tea
630-592-8490
Limited spots

What’s included for $1,640?

**single or double occupancy available, single rooms are not extra***

Friday
✈️Arrive in Charleston
🏨Stay at 4 star, Francis Marion Hotel 🍲welcome dinner at Coast -included (walk from out hotel)

Saturday
🥐Breakfast included at hotel
☕️Afternoon tea at Camellias included (in Bennett hotel- walk from our hotel)
Afternoon free to explore
I hope to antique and you can join me
Dinner on your own



Sunday
🥐Breakfast included at hotel
☕️Taken to Charleston Tea Garden, tour, tea and lunch included (picked up at hotel)
🍷Then taken for wine tour included
Taken back to hotel
Dinner on your own

Monday
🥐Breakfast at hotel included
✈️Fly home at your leisure

Flight not included
Travel to/from the hotel not included
Travel insurance not included
Saturday and Sunday dinner not included
Tips for Sunday tour not included

Feel free to ask questions
@thetravelingtea_kristin
#kerriescupoftea

I also have a discussion page on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1RHaFiiePK/

Colossians 3:23 NIV 

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,

Kam Hing Tea in Chinatown New York trying Bangkok Tea

                                                    Tea stop number 1 of 7 today in NYC.... 

               Wonder what is happening and why I am trying so many teas in NYC?  See below.

                              

I led a bus trip of 56 people to NYC this fall.  This is my second leading of this bus trip.  It is so much fun!

We leave my town in Ohio, at 10pm on a Friday night, drive all night.

Get dropped off in Chinatown around 6:30am.  Everyone gets to do their own thing around New York until around 9pm.

We are picked up at 9pm at Bryant Park, drive all night and get dropped off in my town at 6am Sunday morning.  All this for $185.00

I love the charter bus, red eye trip.  I am leading one this March to DC for the Cherry Blossom Festival.  This trip is only $165 per person.

Below is my tea map....I plan on stopping at least 9 tea shops in the 15 hours in NYC ( I did only make it to 7 cafes).

         

8 hours of riding in a bus from Ohio to NYC and we arrived for the beautiful sunrise!!

              

We were dropped off in Chinatown and I was off to track down some tea!

             Don't let the outside fool you or scare you away.  
Find your way to 118 Baxter Street. 
This bakery is known for their sponge cakes.  And since I knew I was headed to breakfast next I did not grab one.  I should have grabbed one to go though....next time!

                        

There is nothing like the sights, sounds, and smells of the city.   It's not even 7am and people are bustling around, sirens in the background, and sweet aromas of bread as you pass bakeries. 

https://www.newkamhing.com

           

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had never heard of a Bangkok Tea, so that was my choice, hands down.  I have been Bangkok and I don't ever remember seeing this kind of tea.   I am not sure if Kam Hing created this drink or not, but I will definitely be working on making it too.

      

 

When I asked the lady about the tea, she said it was Thai tea with lemonade instead of milk.  I loved it!  The uniqueness of this drink is not like anything I have ever had.  It has that Thai tea flavor that is like nothing else and then with the sweetness of the lemonade it is just great.

     

Chinese tea set gift, Shi Shi Ru Yi, Black, Green, and Oolong Teas.

 A high school friend has in laws that live in China.  He said that they got this as a Christmas gift and knew that they would never really enjoy it....but they knew I would.

What an incredible gift!!!

This set has a teapot, 4 teacups, 10 teas.  There were the tins of tea and then more in a cardboard sleeve.

What a great teapot so fun and tiny for tastings!

My nephew was helping me out...googling translating what some of the teas might actually be called.

In the red sleeve below on the right was more tea.

There were some teas I was familiar with- like cinnamon and jasmine.  Then there were other teas I had no idea what they were - like Biluochun and Tieguanyin.

I can't wait to try them and discover some new tea notes.

I did a google photo search and was able to find out some of the information about the tea as well.

I decided to try some teas while watching the Ohio State football.  O-H!

I heated the water for a green tea (185 degrees) and then used a fun stand with a candle to keep it warm.

These are beautiful long wiry, twisted tea leaves.  See below what they look like after they are steeped.

I steeped the western way- a scoop of tea per 8oz of water and steep for 3 minutes for a green tea.

Eastern steeping would have been a lot more tea, hotter water and steeping of just seconds.

My friend gave me this tea pitcher with stand.  Her parents received it as a 60th wedding anniversary present at least 40 years ago.

It is so fun to serve from.  There is also a matching creamer and sugar to go with it.

I poured all 4 cups for myself, each cup was about a sip.

I wish I appreciated the subtle notes in tea more  These Chinese teas are so fun and unique, but I think the subtle notes are lost on me.  I get the green tea notes but struggle to find other notes other than grass.  I need to work on taste testing more teas like this to prefect my palette.   However, I love this tea set and all the fun teas.  This was an incredible gift and I will for sure keep trying the teas and using the tea set.

The leaves after steeping.  I love that you can see the entire leaf.

Colossians 3:23 NIV 

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,

 

Train Dinning car would be a great Tea Cafe in Orrville OH

I love to dream and plan for my tea future!

The latest vision I have is to add a tea car to my town and make it a destination spot!  My town already is a depot town.  We have a Railroad Heritage Museum and the ORHS Rail Yard.  

Our Union Depot was built in 1868.  We were originally founded as a fuel and water stop on the Ohio and PA Railroad.  We served passengers for 100 years.

Don't you think we need a cafe in a dinning car?

I personally love destination spots.  Places to visit with unique stops are so fun.  I believe a dinning car cafe would do well in our cute little town.

We could have train tickets when people enter.  Train themed teas and scones.  Train route maps covering tables. The staff dressed in train uniforms. The ideas are endless.

Orrville currently has an unused dinning car, but when I reached out to them about partnering, they said they had plans for this car.

So the search begins for me.  I am also thinking a double decker bus could be a lot of fun.  I have seen airplanes used as well.

So then I started looking on line about buying a dinning car and having it delivered.....

There are some really great concepts already out there.

How fun would tea parties be in a dinning car?  The dinning cars typically already have a "bar" area where one can serve from as well as a small bathroom.

Maybe someday you will see my train car in Orrville.  If you read this and are from Orrville reach out to the city and tell them you want to see a dinning car tea cafe and you know just the person to run it, hahaha.  I have also already mentioned it to Mayor Plybon...who did like the idea, but did not offer to work with me on making it happen.

Or if you want to invest in this with me, let me know.  I am looking for a partner in this process.  A silent money partner would be the best, lol.

We could have a great outdoor area as well.

Colossians 3:23 NIV 

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,