Hi everyone. I'm glad to be back in blogland after our extended weekend vacation. We went to the most eastern city in the US, Eastport. Maine. We rented a little cottage on the ocean and it looked out onto Passamaquoddy Bay and across the bay into New Brunswick, Canada.
This is sunset but sunrises were also quite pretty too.
We even went over to Canada 2 of our 4 days, as well as doing a bit of hiking, beach walking, and some other adventures which I will share with you in the days to come, once I get my photos organized.
One place we visited was Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt's summer home on Campobello Island in New Brunswick. Too bad they had that piece of equipment in front of it to intrude into taking a good photo, but they were putting on a new roof.
Franklin Roosevelt was the US president from 1933-1945. Last summer you might remember I visited both his and then his wife's homes (Eleanor lived her own home after Franklin died in 1945 as his family home was left to the US Government/National Park Service) in Hyde Park, New York.
If you are interested in those buildings and info you can check out my posts from last August, Eleanor Roosevelt and also Franklin Roosevelt.
Many wealthy people from Boston and New York had homes on Campobello so they could escape the summer heat. This house was considered a rustic retreat since it has no central heating and no electricity.
You can see that it overlooks the ocean. In fact the city on the opposite side of this Island is Eastport where we stayed. The cottage we rented was about 1/1000th the size of this house.
I will show you more of the home another day ( as I still have photos to go through).
But I wanted to tell you about this because it is Tuesday which means its T day. T Day is time to share a drink and some food if you want to include that. I am going to share some tea today, in fact, tea with Eleanor Roosevelt.
The Canadian Park Service runs an hour long program called Tea with Eleanor. You go to a cottage on the park grounds to have formal tea, eat cookies and hear stories about Eleanor Roosevelt. I thought it looked like an interesting and unique thing to do, so we went and had tea.
The day we went they served ginger cookies, which is funny because I baked a huge batch of ginger cookies so we could have some snacks on the trip.
You can see the cookies we were served above, and here is my cookies.
We heard some wonderful stories about this woman who was truly ahead of her time. One story was about how at age 72 (or around then) Eleanor took shooting lessons because she had been asked to go speak in an area where she had threats on her life. Did she shy away and stay home? No, she drove herself there and went and spoke, carrying her gun in her purse. If you don't know, Eleanor Roosevelt died in 1962 at age 78 and I'm not sure how many women in the 1950's or in their 70's at that time period would do that.
Serving tea on Campobello was something Eleanor would have done when she summered on the island.
Stop by Bleubeard and Elizabeth's blog to see what the T Gang has been up to.
I'm working on catching up since I only had my phone when I was away, so be patient and I will be by to visit your blog.
Happy T Day everyone.
Sounds like a great trip. Campobello is a beautiful house even with the piece of heavy equipment in the front. No heat. No electricity. Not much of a problem during the Summer, but did they have indoor plumbing?
ReplyDeleteHow delightful to have tea with Eleanor. I'm fascinated by stories I heard about her. What a woman and a role model! So ahead of her time. And I bet she would have been proud to serve your cookies at her tea. Happy T Day. Enjoy the weather.
What a fab place you visited, thanks for sharing the photos and the stories about E.R., and for the ginger cookies - my faves! Glad you had such a great getaway! Happy T Day, hugs, Valerie
ReplyDeleteImpressive house of the Roosevelts!
ReplyDeleteThat must have been nice to take "tea with Mrs. Roosevelt" lol! AN funny you brought your own ginger cookies with you - I have to bake ginger cookies soon. Had none for so long!
Happy T-Day! Great to hear you had a good time out!
oxo Susi
Looks like a very beautiful place you stayed.
ReplyDeleteYummy cookies and lots of them to share with us.
Have a great T Day
Love Chrissie xx
I swear that looks like the building a movie company used for a story about Eleanor after Franklin died. Her five children all came (and there were a couple of grandchildren, too) to console Eleanor and "suggest" ways for her to "retire" from public life. Instead, at Truman's insistence, she went on to become a U.N. Ambassador. If memory serves, she was the first female ambassador to the U.N. I also learned she refused to give press conferences to any reporters except women. If a newspaper wanted to cover her press conference, they had to hire women as reporters. I had no idea about that.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you had a great vacation and you got to have tea with Eleanor. Thanks for taking us with you and thanks for sharing this with us for T this Tuesday.
it is really interesting to read your post about eleanor Roosevelt. and i surely would love to taste one of your ginger Cookies:)
ReplyDeletehappy t-day!
I forgot to mention that we have been to the Muse (the Museum's restaurant) on several occasions and never had to wait before. Usually there is plenty of room by the time we arrive. That day there must have been some kind of convention or something because instead of lots of little tables (like ours), there were rows and rows of tables put together so people could sit together. Another couple who arrived after us agreed this was very unusual. They gave up and left, but Sally was in for the day until she ate, so we stayed.
ReplyDeleteA little cottage by the ocean is so idyllic and beach walking, hiking and adventures sounds perfect - I hope you had lots of fun! The view of the sunset is stunning and I enjoyed visiting the summer house with you. I love ginger cookies/biscuits too, and they would be perfect with a cup of tea - I'm off to raid my cookie jar now ... lol 😁. Happy T Day! J 😊
ReplyDeletewhat a lovely trip you had and anything overlooking the water is perfect in my eyes. thanks for sharing the Roosevelt home-it's quite large, and nice! Eleanor Roosevelt was a strong character wasn't she? Looking forward to seeing more of your trip. Happy T day!
ReplyDeleteIt looks a wonderful place to spend a holiday break, great views, your photos looked super. The tea with Eleanor and information shared over a cuppa sounded good as well.
ReplyDeleteYour cookies looked delicious ginger are favourites of mine as well.
Happy T day wishes
Yvonne xx
I always found her to be such an interesting woman. I love to hear stories of her... What a beautiful sunset photo... begs to be painted don't you think? Look forward to hearing more of your adventures... Your crackletop cookies look alot like my molasses cookies.. just a different color ofcourse.. Happy happy T day! Hugs! deb
ReplyDeleteWe have been out of town for almost 3 weeks so I am not going to even try to catch up. So glad you both are doing well and I loved your pictures!
ReplyDeletesandy xx
What a great trip! The ocean views are stunning, and Tea with Eleanor sounds like something I'd enjoy. She is an inspiring woman!
ReplyDeleteHappy T Tuesday :)
Sounds like just a perfect vacation to me-and in such a lovely place. I enjoyed the Roosevelt house you shared-and loved the tea with Eleanor-that must have been quite special
ReplyDeleteHappy T Day Kathy
So very interesting! I love when the park service does innovative programs like that tea with Eleanor...and i must admit, i love ginger cookies! You are right, she was ahead of her time. surprised at the 'no electricity' in the house...love that it kind of has a barn-like shape. sounds like you had a very nice mini vacation. Thanks for sharing! Happy T day!
ReplyDeleteWow, what an interesting program! I enjoyed having tea with you and Eleanor Roosevelt. Thanks for sharing these photos, and Happy T Day!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful view from your holiday cottage. Sounds like a great trip, and it was extremely interesting to read about Eleanor Roosevelt and to see her house (and her cookies!).
ReplyDeleteSilly me. I never realized that Campobello Island was in New Brunswick, Canada. Franklin and Eleanor were both incredible people in their own right. It's nice that the home is so well preserved. Tea with Eleanor sounds like fun. But I think your ginger cookies look better than hers ;-) Very interesting post, Erika.
ReplyDeleteThank you for taking a look at my Sonoma journal and for your lovely comment. I'm pleased that you enjoyed it.
Happy T-Day! Hugs, Eileen
Oh, I'd love to visit there! I have two Roosevelt bios on my reading list this summer (Doris Kearns Goodwin and Joseph Lash.) They fascinate me -- especially the war years. It would be so amazing to see where they lived.
ReplyDeleteAnd that sunrise. Wow! It all looks great including your T-day! What a happy post!
Sounds like you had a great get away and the pictures you showed are great. Can't wait for you to get them all organized so we can see more ♥ THANKS for stopping by my blog. Our weather is still beautiful even if the humidity is up a bot again.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds as though you had a lovely relaxing break! That sunset looks as though you had some decent weather too! Look forward to seeing more photos! I don't know much about the Roosevelts so I will come back and have a look at your link! Happy T Day! Chrisx
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely place to visit! The house is beautiful and rustic. (no electricity? Even in and before the war people had electricity. It seems unnecessarily primitive for someone important and probably rich).
ReplyDeleteTea with Eleanor sounds a really interesting thing to do. I think I would have done that even though I don't like ginger biscuits. Yours look very yummy indeed, but I'll pass thank you.
A belated happy T-Day,
Lisca
Tea and history, perfect. xox
ReplyDeleteYou visit great places! I love ginger molasses cookies. The sunset is amazing!
ReplyDelete