The Road Trip Tea Plan: Welcome to Cloudcroft, New Mexico and the Old Barrel Tea Company.

I love road trips. The fine science of packing up an ice chest so that everything will fit. Traditional road trip munchies of cheese rolls with butter and horseradish, hard boiled eggs, grapes, oranges and chips. A huge flask of tea at hand. Packed up luggage. Quick stop at Starbucks, a full tank of gas, there’s nothing better. Where were we headed this time? This time we were on a 9 hour trip to Cloudcroft New Mexico-WHERE?

Cloudcroft, New Mexico

Cloudcroft is a village on a mountain in Southern New Mexico. It’s tagline is 9000 feet above stress level, so who wouldn’t want to go there? Tucked away in the Lincoln National Forest Cloudcroft sits amongst huge pine trees and big open skies. In the winter there’s a small ski area dependent on snow levels, out door ice skating rink and sledding. For all seasons there are trails and hiking. In the Spring and Summer there are craft fairs or farmer’s markets. There’s shopping in the cutest little shops. Golfing, a small spa. kids play area. Getting a green chili burger there is a must as well as an ice cream in the warmer months. There’s even a dollar store., well I’m confused by that but when I need supplies I surely walk over there. It is a really cute village and I feel the 9000 feet stress level tagline to be a true occurrence. It’s a place that makes you take a moment and breathe.

Tourist Life

I have been going to Cloudcroft for years and although the village does not change too much there is always the excitement to discover a new little cafe or shop every time we visit. Most of the accommodations are log cabins for guests who stay there. The altitude still cracks me up as makeup, mousse or shaving gels seem to have a life of their own when used by not stopping. We stay in a cabin there so we try and come prepared with food and supplies. We always inevitably forget something or need to replace whatever item the altitude has effected etc so we head to the infamous dollar store.

The Tea Plan

Each trip to Cloudcroft is very different for us. Sometimes we are home bodies but most of the time we are off exploring the local areas from Roswell and the Aliens to the Valley of Fires. This particular road trip I had a plan.  A tea plan-if there was anything interesting tea wise I planned to go there. Day 1 was to go to Ruidoso. Ruidoso is a much bigger town about 1 Hour away from Cloudcroft, well known for skiing. There are more shops and cafes and bigger chances for tea. I did my online search and found a tea shop that had great reviews so off we drove.

TEA!

The big bold letters on the shop greeted me.  

I had arrived at The Old Barrel Tea Company and it did not disappoint.

TEA-so many choices. Awesome displays. The cutest tins. Ton’s of honey too. What should I do?  Something logical. Go by the ingredients perhaps. Type of tea. Nope I went with my DAVID’s TEA- Buddha tea philosophy. I went by the name and look of the tea.  If it worked once in finding a wonderful tea for me I thought I would try my luck again.

My Choices

Sweet Gunpowder Tea and Lavender Berry White Tea

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DISASTER!  NO TEAPOT!! Would the dollar store back in Cloudcroft have one? I could not chance it. Not to worry, hidden away, back off the street I found a shop with a tea pot display in the window. I grabbed the cutest lime green tea pot and was ready to go back to the village to try my tea.

I ran into some friends in the teapot shop who were staying in Ruidoso‌ at the same time (small world). I chatted on about my tea purchases, as I always do. Where I got them, how I chose them and so on when they told me they found this shop when they went to visit Cloudcroft the day before. WHAT?? I had looked up about tea in all of the other towns but not where we were staying.  Never overlook the coolest stuff in a small village. When we went back up the mountain we visited there too.

My thoughts on Sweet Gunpowder Tea by The Old Barrel Tea Company

Note: Gunpowder tea is a Chinese tea where each leaf is rolled into small pellets and named because they looked like gunpowder.

Ingredients

Gunpowder green tea

• Apple pieces
• Cinnamon bark
• Rose hip
• Marigold flowers
• Rose Petals
• Natural Crème Brulee flavor
• And other natural flavors

It is like a smoky dessert. Yum!

My thoughts on Lavender Berry White Tea by the Old Barrel Tea Company.

Ingredients

• White Tea
• Blueberries
• Lavender flowers
• Lemon grass
• And Natural flavors

It’s very calming and not an strong overpowering lavender flavor. Another Yum!    

Both of the teas I purchased are awesome.  From how they look, smell and taste. I wish I had purchased more. I have checked into it and they are currently not on Amazon but they do have a website and are worth a try. I will definitely be putting in an order. They have locations a few towns in New Mexico or Colorado and I would definitely recommend checking them out or giving them a try online. If you’re ever in Cloudcroft remember to check the one out there.

I hope you enjoy your tea on road trips. Have you found any new ones on your adventures? Let me know if you do. I’d love to try them.

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