A few years back, I attended a coffee and tea festival ( My wife loves coffee, and I enjoy tea). We figured it would be a fun experience, since we are often looking for fun/ unique things to do. It was basically like a food festival set up, just with ( you guessed it) Coffee and tea tasting, samples, lectures, exhibitors... It was interesting too see some the ' tea purists' showing you the proper way to brew it, hold the mug, sip it ... For me personally, it was over the top. Im personally a 'does it taste good, or not' kind of a guy. But watching other people get so into it, and go through their motions made for a good people watching experience ( not making fun of them, or mocking their love for the beverages, just interesting seeing people making something that appears so simple into such a process).
We also attended a lecture on a woman who owns a tea farm in California. I did purchase a tea plant ( forgot what kind). It never flourished , and I read you need like 80 + leaves to to be able to make 1 cup of tea , and thats about all the leaves the plant had on it.
http://coffeeandteafestival.com
A few years ago, we visited Celestial Seasonings Factory outside of Boulder Co. and took the tour. Prior to the tour, as you are waiting in the lobby, you can sample like 80 + teas ( hot and cold). Then they bring you through the factory and of course, wind up in the gift shop at the end. One specific thing I remembered is that they keep all the Mint teas in one room, separated from the others, due to the intense odor of the mints would affect the other teas if kept in the same room).
http://www.celestialseasonings.com/visit-us
In the future, when I can safely road trip again, we want to visit the Charleston Tea Garden in South Carolina. Its owned/ affiliated with The Bigelow Tea Co. After having seen the Celestial Seasonings layout of harvested and dried teas, it will be interesting to see the actual growing process to complete the tea experience. They theoretically take you on a tour of the gardens/ tea plants along with educating you on the journey from planting the tea plant to processing and drying. I love that stuff. Im a sucker for behind the scenes factory - like tours.
https://charlestonteagarden.com