If you are looking for a reason to escape to the Lavender Festival this weekend, in Sequim, Washington, think about this: there is a new tea shop in town. Nicole Livengood (and that’s some name) opened the shop last year, selling bulk teas, culinary and medicinal herbs, and spices. The shop is well placed in downtown Sequim, next door to the Hurricane Coffee Company, which also sells some of her teas by the cup. I tried the organic Jasmine Pearls, which was light and delicate, and then the herbal Cranberry Citrus, which is really a tisane, not a tea. Tisanes have no true tea in them, just nuts and peels, roots and berries. I drink a lot of herbal iced tea during the day, for hydration. I don’t like the taste of tap water, and bottled water gets expensive.

Nicole Livengood attended the American College of Healthcare Sciences, in Portland, Oregon to learn about herbs, and her love of tea comes from a lifetime of being around good teas. Her shop carries classic green, flavored green, rooibos and honey bush teas. She also has oolong, pu’erh, black (flavored and not), and flowering teas. There are white, herbal, mate, and chai teas. In honor of the Lavender Festival, there are six lavender teas. The chocolate chai is a delight if you love all things chocolate, and the darjeeling is light and pleasant, if you don’t.

Nicole’s shop is the Sequim Spice & Tea Co. It’s at 115 N Sequim Ave, Sequim, Wa. Although she does not yet have a website, you can reach her at 360-683-2050 or sequimspiceandtea@gmail.com. Hours for the shop are Tuesday - Friday: 11am to 5pm, and Saturday: 11am to 4pm.

The drive to Sequim takes about 2 hours, the Lavender Festival starts Friday (that’s this coming weekend), July 20 and runs through Sunday, July 22. The Sequim Spice & Tea Co is open all year for herb and tea lovers. I wish Nicole good fortune with her shop, and hope to see her at the fabulous and informative NW Tea Festival, Oct 6 & 7, at the Seattle Center. I hope to see you as well.