Moses Cone Manor and Blowing Rock - October 27, 2017

What I really wanted to see the most was Flat Top Manor, which is the house of Moses and Bertha Cone that is now owned by the National Park Service.  The first floor serves as a craft center and also the NPS Visitor Center for the park.   The second floor is not always opened for tours, and when it is, it is guided.  Fortunately for us, the Friday we were there, the second floor was opened for self-guided tours from 10:30-12:00.  It was also one of the last days before the house closes for the winter.

The porch is the best part of the house!

Bass Lake

Got my stamp!

Second Floor of the house

Moses and Bertha Cone

The shorter trail on the property

It was hard leaving this place, but by then it was lunch time, so we went to Main Street in Blowing Rock.

We ate at Mellow Mushroom, and then walked around.

Coffee from Camp Coffee Roasters

To end our lovely day, we went back to Moses Cone Manor one last time.

Lady Bedford's Tea Parlour and Gift Shoppe - Pinehurst, NC

    Today's day trip took my sisters and me to Lady Bedford's Tea Parlour and Gift Shoppe in Pinehurst, NC.  This little tea shop is ranked high on teamap.com and trip advisor for the state of North Carolina.  This was our first time going.  I made reservations earlier in the week for us to have tea at 2:30 pm.

     Pinehurst is a golfing community, that is beautiful, charming, unique, and circular.  The tea shop is at 21 Chinquapin Road, which is the main village shopping district.  If you blink you might miss Lady Bedford's, because it is hidden in between two buildings.

 

 

Gift shop items are for sale in the narrow entry way.

Items for sale

Items for sale

  

We were seated at the back table by the windows.

 

Another view of the room

Chandelier with a mirror reflecting a chair

 

My place setting

Center piece

 

Our tea was served first;  I had Irish Breakfast.

   
One of the Afternoon Tea selections is the Tea Sampler.  This included

•  One blueberry-lemon scone (served with strawberry preserves, lemon curd and cream)
• Three types of sandwiches: cucumber on cinnamon raisin bread (which is different; I'm used to cucumber sandwiches on white bread); tomato on white bread with some type of cream savory spread (which was very good) and pimento cheese on pumpernickle or some sort of rye bread
• The sweets were chocolate mousse, a small circle of chocolate cake coated in chocolate (tasted similar to a Ding Dong) and a madeleine.

     

This is the Afternoon Tea

 

 

Photo bomber: Umbrella Lady

Here is Executive Chef with the waitresses who are twins.

 

Our table inside overlooked this view.

The Holly Inn built in 1895