See Mystic Country CT

Connecticut’s Office of Tourism unveils new campaign and video.

the editor — Wed, 16 May 2012 17:19:51 +0000

Connecticut. Still Revolutionary. Yesterday the Connecticut ‘s Office of Tourism unveiled its first video and accompanying ad campaign. You may have seen some of it during the ball game or online. If you haven’t had a chance to check it out, take a peek. Recognize any Mystic Country places?

For more on this campaign and all there is to do in Connecticut, go to CTVisit.

Music in the video is performed by the Hartford Symphony Orchestra and sung by UCONN student Dinelle Glaze.

YANKEE Magazine’s Best of New England 2012 Mystic Country choices:

the editor — Wed, 16 May 2012 17:07:07 +0000

YANKEE Magazine’s May/June 2012 Travel Guide to New England includes their 2012 Best of New England Picks. Congratulations to the Connecticut section winners in Mystic Country:

Food & Dining

Best Bowl of Noodles; Morning Glory Cafe, Old Lyme

Lodging

Best Vineyard B&B; Fitch Claremont Vineyard B&B, Bozrah

Best Country Comfort; Stonecroft Inn, Ledyard

Attractions

Best Art Glass; Studo Jeffrey P’an, Mystic

Best Lavender Patch Plus; Fort Hill Farms, Thompson

Best Farmer’s Market; Coventry Regional Farmer’s market, Coventry

Best Antiques; Nathan Liverant & Son Antiques, Colchester

Bargains

Best History at Half Price; Prudence Crandall Museum, Canterbury

Local Secrets

Best Morning Music and Munchies; Mansfield General Store, Mansfield Center

Outdoors

Best Mansion by the Sound; Harkness Memorial State Park, Waterford

Best River Walk (or ride); Putnam River Trail, Putnam

Best Prehistoric Play; Dinosaur Place, Oakdale

Victorian Days are here again. Visit Willimantic for a glimpse of the good old days.

Liz — Mon, 14 May 2012 14:52:24 +0000

A healthy dose of nostalgia for the old days can be whetted with a visit to the 14th annual Victorian Days in Willimantic, May 31-June 3. Every year, the Willimantic Victorian Neighborhood Association opens Victorian-style homes in Willimantic and South Windham for tours. This year, tours of local historic churches have been added to the lineup on Saturday only.

The weekend will have a plethora of activities, beginning with a walking tour of Main Street to kick off the event on Thursday, May 31. The tour includes a stop at the Franklin Hall Vaudeville Theatre. And on Friday, June 1, a free brass band concert will be held at the First Congregational Church.

Home and historic site tours will be held Saturday and Sunday. Tour stops include 10 homes (visit the website for details), Willimantic Camp Meeting Association, the Elks Lodge, Old Willimantic Cemetery, Windham Mills and the town hall with the Connecticut’s Connection to the Titanic exhibit. Tours of the Garden on the Bridge will also be available, along with concerts, other exhibits and Victorian teas.

The historic town boasts over 600 homes on the National Register of Historic Places. Find a full schedule here.

Stroll New London. Eat. Stroll more; Enter to win 2 free buttons to the Food Stroll May 16!

Liz — Thu, 03 May 2012 17:55:41 +0000

Foodies will crowd the streets of downtown New London for the eighth year in a row for the Spring Food Stroll on Wednesday, May 16. Hungry strollers can take in the waterfront, whet their appetites and enjoy the city’s culture all at once. Read on to find out how to win 2 stroll buttons for you and a friend.

Join nearly 50 of the city’s best eateries and specialty shops for a taste of their very best, including some newbies to the waterfront: Gaspar’s New American Cuisine, Little Sister’s Bake Shop, The Commoner, Sweetie’s Bakery & Café, High 5’s and The Pub. These and all our old friends will offer a sampling of their favorite, most loved dishes, so come hungry!

Strollers can visit one of New London’s specialty shops, and live music in the streets will set the mood. The Food Stroll Culinary Excellence Competition will be happening as well, where judges from Johnson & Wales University’s culinary arts program will rate eateries based on appearance, taste, texture and originality for a chance to win awards.

The stroll happens from 5:30-8:30 p.m., and more info, including a full list of participants, is available here. If you leave a comment below this post, you will be entered to win a pair of admission buttons, a $60 value.* Speak now, eat later!

*The winner of the 2 free New London Food Stroll buttons will be selected on May 15 at noon by random draw out of all of the entries below this post. Your email will only be used to contact you in the event that you win. No cash value for the two buttons. Must be 18 or older to win. One entry per email address. Many thanks to New London Main Street for offering up this fun promo. You guys rock!

Pomfret’s 6th Annual Tag Sale May 5, 2012. The mother of all area tag sales.

the editor — Tue, 01 May 2012 15:35:32 +0000

Celebrate spring in Pomfret on Saturday, May 5th with the 6^th Annual Town Wide Tag Sale sponsored by the Pomfret Proprietors, a local merchants group. Starting at 7AM, you can purchase a map to guide you to the many participating residences, businesses and organizations spread throughout town. Last year almost 60 locations offered bargains galore. A number of locations are fund-raising for their organizations, so your purchases will also benefit a good cause. A Town Wide Tag Sale Map makes bargain hunting a breeze. Maps will be sold for $1 at Pomfret Community School (GPS: 20 Pomfret Street, Pomfret Center, Pomfret). Profits from map sales and registrations benefit a local charity or community project.

After getting your map, visit the school cafeteria where the Friends of the Pomfret Public Library will host a Used Book & Tag Sale from 7AM until noon, featuring current fiction, non-fiction, children’s books, biographies, and usually a lot of mystery/suspense. Most books are $1 for hardcovers and trade paperbacks, 50 cents for regular paperbacks, plus a $5 Bag Sale from 11AM to noon (excluding individually priced books). Tag sale items will run the gamut. All profits benefit the Pomfret Public Library.

Follow Route 169 (a National Scenic Byway—enjoy the views!) north to the Pomfret Horse & Trail Association‘s tag sale, including tack related items at Meadow Rock Farm. A percentage of proceeds will be donated to the Wyndham Land Trust (conserving over 1,200 acres of open space in northeastern CT); the rest will be used for local trail maintenance. Another mile north on RT 169, you’ll find Christ Church’s Colossal Rummage Sale (8AM to 1PM, 527 Pomfret St./RT. 169). This indoor sale benefits the youth group “Journey to Adulthood” Summer Pilgrimage and features lots of great bargains.

From Christ Church, consult your map for more tag sale locations all over town. Don’t miss the 57^th Annual Windham County 4-H Fundraiser (326 Taft Pond Road). Their 2-day tag sale runs Friday and Saturday from 12 to 6PM. Lunch and homemade desserts will be available at reasonable prices both days, beginning at noon. There is also an auction of goods and services on both days (preview 5PM, auction 6PM). Many items are donated from local businesses to support this popular youth camp and the Ragged Hill Woods Environmental Education programs.

While you’re in Pomfret, enjoy this scenic town. Better yet, spend the weekend and book one of the local B&Bs, visit Pomfret’s winery, check out shops & galleries, take a walk on the town’s many nature & hiking trails, and check out CT Audubon’s new Grassland Bird Conservation Center on Day Road.Go to www.VisitPomfret.com for more information.

Taste wine, stamp your passport and win prizes. Passport to Connecticut Farm Wineries.

Liz — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 18:03:36 +0000

The Passport to Connecticut Farm Wineries is a great way to visit our state’s wineries, admire bucolic scenery AND win cool prizes. This year’s program gets underway May 1.

Participants in the 2012 Passport program must get their passport stamped at 16 of the 32 participating wineries in the state by November 11 to be eligible to win prizes that include a two-week trip for two to Benalmadena Costa, Spain! Other prizes include a chauffeured limo trip for eight to visit some of the wineries, an overnight getaway at the Courtyard Marriott in Norwich and a certificate for two bottles of wine.

The Passport program has been promoting wineries and grape growing in Connecticut since 2003. “It’s a great way to explore other parts of the state besides the more well-known areas,” said Linda Auger of the Taylor Brook Winery in Woodstock.

Wineries include Taylor Brook, Saltwater Farm Vineyard in Stonington, Sharpe Hill Vineyard in Pomfret, in Eastern Connecticut plus many others. Taste the wines, visit the vineyards and learn how wine is made.

Start a passport at any winery in Connecticut and enjoy exploring all summer long. Happy sipping and stamping, oh and good luck. That trip to Spain sounds amazing.

A barn full of art. Visit the Spring Artists Collaborative in Woodstock, weekends now through May 20.

Liz — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 13:55:39 +0000

Weekends are for getting inspired. Spend one of the next four in the Quiet Corner, where local artists and other creative types will be presenting their work at the Spring Artists Collaborative.

For the eighth year in a row, local artists from Conn., Mass. and NY will showcase creations ranging from hand-crafted jewelry, clothing, glassware, sculptures, paintings and photography, all displayed for sale in a country barn in Woodstock during this outdoor juried art show and sale.

Great atmosphere and amazing choices if you’re looking for a gift for someone, or just something special for yourself. And proceeds go to a great cause–a local autism and special needs kids camp–so you’re doing a good thing by shopping. Art talks and outdoor musicians will also be part of the event.

If you know anything about our Quiet Corner, you already know the depth and breadth of art that lives in that space, with the galleries and studios scattered throughout that area. This is a great chance to see a sampling all in one place, and meet the artists as well. The show happens on Thursdays/Fridays 5-6:30 pm, Saturdays/Sundays, 11 am- 5 pm now through May 20.

Photo courtesty of artistsinthecountry.org
Artist: Laurie-Annyo Linfoot

Curtain Up: The creative process behind favorite Broadway shows. At Lyman Allyn now.

Liz — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 16:05:44 +0000

Theater buffs will love the new exhibit at New London’s Lyman Allyn Art Museum, especially if you’re interested in the creative process behind the curtain. Curtain Up: Broadway Behind the Scenes: Costume, Set, and Lighting Designs from the Broadway shows The Producers, Young Frankenstein, Memphis, Hairspray, FELA, Avenue Q, and the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center takes visitors through the design process of each show, with set and costume designs, props and costumes, as well as excerpts of interviews with each designer. You’ll also get to see B-roll of all the shows, playing on a DVD throughout the exhibit.

Designers participating include Robin Wagner, David Rockwell, David Gallo, Marina Draghici, Robert Wierzel, and William Ivey Long, as well as the producers of each show. Each production is highlighted in an individual gallery. And, you’ll be welcomed by an Avenue Q puppet in the lobby to direct you to the second floor.

There’s also special programming available May through July associated with this exhibit. Visit the website for more details and to make reservations:

Saturday, May 5, 3:00 pm: Q & A with Memphis Set Designer David Gallo, ”Broadway Design: Past, Present and Future.”

 Saturday, May 5, 8:00 – 11:00 pm: Post-Gala Patron’s Party at The Garde. Attend a performance of Young Frankenstein followed by cocktails with the cast.

 Saturday, June 9, 2:00 – 4:30 pm “So You Want to be in Pictures:” For middle- and high-school students, a behind the scenes look at the world of theater and acting. Get a head shot taken by photographer Joe Standart, take part in an acting workshop with Francesca Webster, and take notes on the business side of acting with Charmagne Eckert.

Sunday, July 15, 1:00 pm: Broadway Producers Round Table at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center in Waterford. Moderated by Connecticut College Professor David Jaffe with Sue Frost (Memphis), Tom Viertel (Hairspray, Young Frankenstein, The Producers), Geoff Rich (Avenue Q), Stephen and Ruth Hendel (FELA). Free event.

Curtain Up is open now and will run through September 1.
If you’ve never visited Lyman Allyn, do it this summer. Along with Curtain Up, there are a number of other great exhibits and events happening, including Free First Saturdays, Children’s Film Festival: Broadway for Kids, and other cool stuff.

And while you’re here, check out New London’s downtown. Visit the Hygienic, grab a bite to eat at one of the coffee shops or restaurants, or take a walk along Ocean Beach.

Images:

William Ivey Long

Costume design for “The Producers”

Graphite, watercolor, gouache, glitter paint, sequins, rhinestones on Bristol board

24” x 19″ 2001

Collection of the artist, photograph courtesy of the artist

David Rockwell

Set Design for “Hairspray” (maquette)

Painted wood, foam core, plexiglas, plastic, acetate

25” x 34” x 19″ 2002

Collection of the artist, photograph courtesy of the artist

Explore the Titanic one hundred years later. Now open at the Mystic Aquarium.

Liz — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 15:33:52 +0000

One hundred years later, people are still fascinated by the HMS Titanic and its doomed journey across the Atlantic. I confess I am one who is thrilled that the Mystic Aquarium has opened its newest exhibit.

On April 15, 1912 the luxurious ship’s maiden voyage ended abruptly taking with it the lives and memories of a bygone era. Titanic–12,450 Feet Below at Mystic Aquarium explores and celebrates the Titanic without actually disturbing what many refer to as its sacred resting site on the ocean floor.

Created by Dr. Robert Ballard, the famed oceanographer and explorer who led the team that discovered the sunken ship, and Tim Delaney, a former Walt Disney designer, the exhibit is meant to not only tell the story of the ship and its passengers, but to engage the public in the exploration and discovery process too.

Here you can experience the journey from day one–the ship’s construction, its passage through the iceberg-laden sea, the collision and its aftermath. Then be a virtual part of the team who discovered her and brought her story to the surface. The exhibit includes eerie casts of artifacts found at the site as well as interactive components both children and adults will appreciate; the HD film in the Discovery Theater is a must.

Look also for the special gallery delving into the lives of the incredible passengers, both the ones who perished and the ones who survived–each life a story within itself.

The exhibit contains a number of digital elements, like iceberg encounter kiosks, an interactive video footage wall and a graphic representation of the ship sinking. What you see here is sure to stay with you for a long time, and should not be missed.

Photos courtesty of Khoi Ton.

Kick off school vacation with fishing and fun at the Horse Listeners Orchard Saturday.

Liz — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 23:24:24 +0000

First day of school vacation (for some) calls for a special event–the Horse Listeners Orchard Fishing Derby and opening day festivities are the perfect kick-off for a week of fun.

The Orchard, located in Ashford, is one of the Quiet Corner’s favorite farm stands, not only for its yummy apples and other fruit, cider and pies but all the other fun events held here regularly–not to mention the horses.

The fishing derby is all about fishing, of course, but you and the kids will also enjoy a sheep-shearing demo, NY Life Child ID Program, wagon rides, Adopt-A-Tree and a scavenger hunt. The orchard has a number of other activities available as well, if you want to branch out on your own to explore.

The weather has promised to cooperate, too. So pack up the kids’ fishing paraphernalia (inexpensive fishing poles are fine) and call for your spot. We’ll see you at the pond!