Teatime in Leesburg, Va.
At Oatlands Historic House and Garden, afternoon tea comes with a “helping of history,” said Debbi Wilgoren in The Washington Post. This Victorian-style plantation, nestled amid the rolling farmland of Leesburg, turns back the clocks to a time when manners mattered more than anything else. Constructed in 1798, the National Historic Landmark preserves a rich history of two American families: The Carter family, once the largest slaveholders in the county, lived there through the Civil War. After losing their fortune, they were forced to sell, and the Eustis family resided there from 1903 to 1964. Though the “rooms are mostly for looking,” families can explore the manicured grounds, which include the Potting Shed, a brick greenhouse turned gardening store that dates to 1810. Youngsters can hold class in the one-room schoolhouse. And for an extra $25, children can experience high tea, complete with scones and finger sandwiches. “Voices hush, eyes grow wide, and table manners improve dramatically” when history comes to life.
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The charms of Lake Chautauqua
Lake Chautauqua is “one of the prettiest lakes you’ll ever see,” said Bob Downing in the Akron Beacon Journal. Yet the biggest attractions of the lake, situated in the southwestern corner of New York, are found along its shore. On the northern side sits the venerable Chautauqua Institution, “where Susan B. Anthony argued for women’s suffrage in 1892” and where Franklin D. Roosevelt gave his famous “I Hate War” speech. Each summer, the institution hosts a “highly acclaimed” program of speakers who over the years have ranged from Amelia Earhart to Ken Burns. Located at the lake’s southern end is Jamestown, a quaint town that was once home to both Lucille Ball and the “foremost naturalist of the 20th century,” Roger Tory Peterson. Fans of I Love Lucy can visit the Lucy-Desi Museum or walk on one of the replica sets at the Desilu Playhouse. Nature lovers can stop at Peterson’s Institute of Natural History, which is “part art gallery, part nature center, and part museum.”
Contact: Tourchautauqua.com
