Veterans Day

For the upcoming Veterans day, I am very grateful for what our men and women sacrifice for our country. We may be celebrating them, but I’m thankful for them every day all year long! 

Standing under the Hometown Heroes banner of my Poppop who served in the Navy.

What can we do to support our veterans?

Attend local events. Donate to charities/projects. Volunteer. Support veterans owned businesses.

• Mystic VFW [event] is hosting their annual 11am ceremony on Veterans Day at the WWI Monument on Baptist Hill (Library Street + West Main Street). Anyone is welcome to attend.

The WWI Monument in Mystic on Library Street and West Main Street.

• USSIV Groton Subvets [event] hosts ceremonies on Veterans Day. They also make lunches/brunches at their clubhouse. Be sure to check out the events and more information at their website here.

• The Town of Stonington [donate] is working with the VFW in Pawcatuck, currently collecting donations towards the Veterans Monument project. It is their goal to build a Monument to honor Stonington veterans. More information here. As of August 3rd, they have surpassed $110,000 in donations. Let’s help them reach their goal of $200,000!

One of donation jars for the Stonington Veterans Monument at Indulge Coffee.

• Dine at S&P Oyster in Mystic, CT on Veterans Day. Twenty percent of all sales that day will be donated towards Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs.

• Operation Stand Down Rhode Island [donate/volunteer/event], is a non profit organization based next door in Rhode Island. They focuses on helping veterans to find housing and services. If you are in Rhode Island, you can volunteer for the organization. You can also donate to them on their website here. Sometimes Operation Stand Down RI host local events.

• V.E.T.S. (Veterans Equine Therapeutic Services) [veterans owned/donate/volunteer] based in Stonington, CT, provides equine-assisted healing therapeutic services for veterans. It is a place for veterans to engage with horses and do activities such as archery, wood crafting, etc. If you donate to them on the website here, it will help veterans to participate at no charge. Also on the website, under ‘programs’ you can see what volunteer opportunities are available on the horse farm. Be sure to check out their cool military-themed tees in the shop too! 

• Submarine Museum in Groton [volunteer/donate], you can donate your time and become a docent for the museum. More information here on how to volunteer. You can also donate or support via shopping their store online here. The museum is owned and operated by the U.S. Navy. 

• Bank and Bridge [veterans owned] is a brewery in downtown Mystic, it is in the old bank building and owned by a Marine Corps veteran. This is a great spot for a bite and drinks! 

Bank & Bridge brewery - outdoor patio. It is cozy right now with the heaters!

• Mystic River Chocolate Cafe, [veterans owned] owned by a 3rd generation Navy veteran, they sell a variety of chocolate treats and drinks. I love picking up a few chocolate bars from there! My favorites are the Chocolate Vine, Pinot Noir, Blueberry and Black Cherry. During 2020, I ordered a few bars as a birthday gift for a family member who lives out of the area. I talked with the owner via email about shipping, they were super helpful. I love their non-dairy hot chocolate, it is delicious! Located in the Factory Square but available online here too. 

Mystic River Chocolate Cafe.

They have special Mystic River Bridge editions!

• Absolute Bearing [veterans owned] is an online coffee company based in Mystic, owned by a Navy veteran. During the summers, you can find them at farmers markets. Shop online here. Their product is also available at Mystic River Chocolates (the business mentioned above). 

Absolute Bearing coffee sold at Mystic River Chocolate Cafe.

• Mystic Army Navy [veteran family owned] is a long time Downtown Mystic business (28 years!). It was originally owned by two Veterans who have since passed away, it is currently owned by one of their daughters. Support this veteran-family owned business who sells military surplus! Shop online here.

Mystic Army Navy store in Downtown Mystic.

• 13 Stars Hot Sauce [veterans owned] based out of RI is Veteran-owned. A portion of their profits are donated towards Veterans & First Responders causes. The hot sauce can be found at McQuade’s in Mystic, CT also at Ocean House and Dunn’s Corner Store in Westerly, RI. Their products are available to order online here. 

Some of 13 Stars hot sauces at McQuade’s store in Mystic.

Support Veterans out of area:

• Climb-4, [veterans owned/donate] is an online charity founded by a veteran, Leslie (a wonderful person who I’ve got to know via Instagram and she’s also a Dalmatian mama!!). Climb-4 strives to help fight depression and PTSD by allowing veterans the opportunity to get outdoors. Donate towards the costs of the essential gears for veterans here. 

• Got Your Six Coffee, [veterans owned] veteran-owned coffee company. The profits from their sales goes back in helping Veterans and first responders. They have strong passion in helping other veterans, with goals to eliminate veteran homelessness/suicides. Get your coffee, apparel or others here.

• America’s Vet Dogs [donate] is an organization providing service dogs for Veterans and first responders. All services are provided at no charge for Veterans. If you recall President George H.W. Bush’s service dog, Sully came from this organization. Donate here at their website. Also on the website are apparel, accessories and products in the shop.

THANK YOU VETERANS,

I am grateful for each and every one of you EVERY DAY.

Land of the free, home of the brave!

gluten free eats in Mystic

In Mystic, we are blessed with amazing restaurants. There are so many choices so it’s hard to pick sometimes! Even if you’re gluten free! Wait, there’s actually options for gluten free?? I get this question online all the time, so as a Mystic resident I’ll share the good spots with you!

---

Breakfast

• Somewhere in Time - GF toast / GF pancakes / GF bagel

• Popover Eatery - great GF options including waffles, chicken fingers, etc!

• Kitchen Little - GF toast / GF French toast / omelettes

• Deviant Donuts - one option of gluten sensitive donut every weekend

---

Lunch/Dinner

• Red 36 - GF menu

• SP Oyster - GF menu

• Engine Room - the best homemade GF buns!

• Mystic Pizza - the best GF pizza crust!

• Daniel Packer Inne - GF starters + entrees options

• Rio Salado - majority of menu can be GF

• Taquerio - all tacos are on corn tortillas so most can be GF

• Noble BBQ - GF options / BBQ sauces are GF

• Chapter One - GF pasta / salads

• Mango’s Wood Fired Pizza - GF pizza crust

• Angie’s Pizza - GF pizza crust

• Friar Tuck’s - GF bun

• Anthony J’s - GF pasta

• Mystic Market - GF bread / GF wrap / GF sides

---

Dessert

• Sift - GF + Dairy Free chocolate chip cookies / GF macarons

• Lis Bakeshop - few GF options

---

Please note that cross contamination is always a risk at all locations. Talk with your server for more questions/concerns. None of the recommendations has a dedicated gluten free facility.

Engine Room.

S&P Oyster.

Red 36. (The beer is NOT gluten free, just posted with it for this photo!)

Taquerio.

100th anniversary of Mystic Drawbridge

Mystic is celebrating a huge milestone this week… the 100th anniversary of the Mystic Drawbridge! The bascule bridge is the oldest operating in the United States. Even if you haven’t been to Mystic, you will recognize the bridge on many logos, tourism ads, clothing and much more! The bridge is located in the downtown, it’s hard to miss! The bascule bridge is a movable bridge with counter weights that lifts the bridge. During the summers, it goes up every hour at the 40 mark. (8:40, 9:40, etc) from 8am-8pm. The best viewing spot is obviously in the Mystic River Park nearby.

Mystic Chamber is hosting several events to honor the 100th anniversary of the bridge. The fireworks show will be occurring in October. They also have a visitor’s center at the foot of the bridge for this summer, showcasing the history and artwork of the Mystic Drawbridge. Signature bridge souvenirs are also sold here, as well in many of Downtown shops.

Also at Groton Public Library, The Mystic River Historical Society set up a small exhibit with the history of the Mystic Drawbridge. I found it very interesting when I went there back in May. Several photos shows the drawbridge going back to the 1800’s. It is the 100th anniversary of when the bridge became moveable, opening the bridge for the first time on July 19, 1922. There also is a section about what the drawbridge was like the day ‘Mystic Pizza’ was filmed (the only scene filmed in Mystic). The exhibit will be there until October 31st, free of charge and open during library hours.

It’s amazing how many of my memories includes this landmark. I visited Mystic in the Summer of 2010 before moving here later that year. I remember standing on the drawbridge looking toward Mystic Seaport, thought about how much I fell in love with the town and could see myself living in this coastal town. Two months later, my husband got a job a town over! It was meant to be! Few years later, we had our engagement photo session on the drawbridge. We had our first family photo with our Dalmatian by the bridge. Many summers were spent here with my family visiting from Upstate NY. Too many fond memories to list them all!

Watching the bridge go up and down will never get old. I enjoy that 10-20 minutes of time standing still, looking around at the scenery on the river and watching the visitors in awe of the bridge (also laugh at those who aren’t familiar with the bridge’s horn). I still enjoy photographing the bridge through all seasons and at different times of the day. I admire other people’s photographs of the bridge - it’s amazing how many different photos we can get of this landmark!

The bridge isn’t the only thing to see in Mystic. Within walking distance of the bridge, in Downtown there are many shops, plethora of restaurants, art museum and galleries, diverse bookstore, ice cream shops and many more. I have plenty recommendations if you ever need some, check out the MYSTIC tab here!

Here’s to another 100 years of this beautiful drawbridge in Mystic!

Mystic Seaport: Where History Meets the Sea

If I had to name my most favorite spot in Mystic… it’d be the Mystic Seaport Museum. That won’t come as a surprise if you’re following me on Instagram (@knotsoloud) as I’ve posted many, many photographs from there! I have been visiting them for years, so often that my parents gifted me a membership one Christmas. I’ve been a proud member since 2013!

Mystic Seaport is DOG FRIENDLY! I bring my Dalmatian and we’d walk around the grounds, enjoy the beautiful scenery of Mystic River. The drawbridge downtown can be seen from many points at Seaport. I was particularly excited when ‘Bring Fido’, a traveling app for people with pets used my photo of my dog and I at the Seaport!

It’s one place that is gorgeous during all seasons. I really can’t pick a favorite. The Mystic River is gorgeous in the autumn with the trees changing colors. The reflection of its colors on the river’s water just enhances the beauty of Mystic. The snowy covered grounds is also a sight! I was lucky to be granted access (member privilege!) right after a snow storm, one of my favorite photographing memory! Summer is colorful, with those sailboats in the river.

Mystic Seaport Museum is known for their 19th century seafaring village, the shipyard, and sailing ships. Each of the building in the village is set up as an exhibit. The exhibits portrays all the craftsmen and trades that contributes to ship building. It is very interesting to learn about what goes into building a ship.

The shipyard is where it all happens, the constructing of a boat. There is always a boat there that is being restored. There is an observe deck near the boat that is being restored so you can watch the volunteers at work. It amazes me to watch them work!

There are a few ships at Mystic Seaport to tour. The Charles W. Morgan ship is a favorite. It is the oldest surviving wooden whaling ship from the 19th century.  I watched it go under a multi million dollar restoration project in 2010, it was very fascinating to follow the progress. I followed it closely up to the day it was re-launched into the Mystic River. That day was a very memorable event. Thousands of people came out on their boats on the river or stood along the Mystic River to see the ship sail. I stood near the drawbridge when I saw it sail down the Mystic River to embark on the voyage around New England for the summer. It is currently docked and an active exhibit at Mystic Seaport so I highly recommend you to check it out.

The Mystic Seaport hosts many events throughout the year. A favorite of mine is the Wooden Boat Show at end of June. I attend the event annually! It shows a collection of beautiful traditional and classic wooden boats. The festival is usually all weekend long, so there is plenty to do. There are demonstrations and performances to see, special tours of wooden boats, and vendors/exhibitors.

Another worthy mention about the Seaport, is that they offer sailing programs. This is where we learned how to sail the year we purchased our sailboat. The instructors were very informative and helpful. My husband enjoyed it so much that he returned for Dyer Dhow racing series.

Don’t forget to stop in the Museum bookstore on your way out. A collection of nautical related books, apparel, souvenirs, nautical home decor products and many more!

Hours and pricing information are available here on their website here.

All photos are my own. Prints are available for purchase.

Mystic Pizza

When you drive through Downtown Mystic, most often you’ll see someone or a group taking a selfie photo under the Mystic Pizza sign. The pizza parlor is the inspiration for the romantic-comedy movie, Mystic Pizza. It was filmed in Mystic, CT and the surrounding areas in 1987-88.

Mystic Pizza is a romantic-comedy movie following the lives of three young women (starring Julia Roberts, Annabeth Gish and Lili Taylor) who work at Mystic Pizza as waitresses. It also follows their romantic adventures. The screenwriter was inspired when she visited Mystic Pizza to use it in the movie.

When I visited Mystic for the first time in the summer of 2010, before I officially moved here, I couldn’t help but notice the amount of people taking pictures at Mystic Pizza! This is when I learned of the movie. I had never seen the movie but when I moved here, I finally watched it. Now it is one of my favorites that I watch on repeat!

Many do not realize that the pizza parlor in Downtown Mystic wasn’t the one used in the movie. The restaurant couldn’t afford to close for the duration of the filming so they created a fictional Mystic Pizza set in Stonington. After the movie was released, the original Mystic Pizza underwent a renovation to be similar to the one in the movie. If you do go for a slice of heaven, the restaurant is filled of memorabilia of still photos, posters, etc on the walls with the movie showing on all TV’s. Mystic Pizza also offers merchandise such as t-shirts, hats, stickers, glasses and more. At the time of the movie release, Mystic Pizza couldn’t keep up with the demand so a second location opened in North Stonington in 1991. Mystic Pizza II is at 211 Providence New London Turnpike, North Stonington. The menus are very similar using the same family ingredients for their pizzas. Mystic Pizza II has a more low key setting while Mystic Pizza is mostly filled with visitors who visit Mystic. Either location is worthwhile to check out and the pizza is really good!!

I do suggest that you watch the movie first before you take the self guided tour around the Mystic region. It’s fun to see the filming locations! Do keep in mind that some are private residences, so please respect the homeowners and do not trespass on their properties.

In Mystic, Connecticut:

• 56 W Main Street - The original Mystic Pizza (not filmed in movie, but inspired it).

• Drawbridge - A couple scenes were filmed here. One scene is when Bill and Jojo exchanged words about the fishing boat’s rename (which was an insult to Jojo). The second scene shows Charlie driving over the drawbridge with Daisy on the way to their first date.

• 75 Greenmanville Ave - The planetarium where Kat worked. It is the Mystic Seaport’s Treworgy Planetarium. It requires a museum admission to enter the planetarium.

• 105 Greenmanville Ave - The pizza critic scene was filmed in the tavern at Latitude 41 Restaurant. (UPDATED 6/5/2023: Latitude 41 is no longer there, it has been demolished).

Mystic Pizza [the inspiration] - 56 W Main St

Drawbridge [a couple scenes filmed here] - Downtown Mystic

Planetarium at Mystic Seaport Museum [Kat’s workplace] - 75 Greenmanville Ave

Latitude 41 [interior shots] - 105 Greenmanville Ave

In Stonington, Connecticut:

• 72 Water Street - The fictional Mystic Pizza location was filmed here. It currently is the home of New England Science & Sailing Foundation (NESS).

• 66 Water Street (behind NESS) - The interior shots of ‘Mystic Harbor Yacht Club’ where Charlie and Daisy had their first date. It is currently the Breakwater restaurant.

• Cannon Square Park - A brief scene was shown here when Kat delivered a pizza to her mom.

• 53 Church Street - The home of Charlie Windsor (Daisy’s boyfriend). It currently is a private residence. You can see the house from the sidewalk.

• 201 North Main Street - 'Peg Leg Pub’ where Daisy met Charlie.

• North Main Street x Pequot Trail - The hitchhiking scene. Charlie and Daisy were filmed here hitchhiking when Charlie’s car had a flat tire.

NESS [Mystic Pizza restaurant] - 72 Water St

Breakwater [Mystic Harbor Yacht Club] - 66 Water St

Cannon Square [Kat delivering pizza] - Stonington

Private residence [Charlie Windsor’s family home] - 53 Church St

Private property [Peg Leg Pub] - 201 N Main St

Pequot Trail [car breakdown/hitchhiking scene] - Pequot Trail x N Main St

In Pawcatuck, Connecticut:

• 185 & 187 Mechanic Street - the homes of Daisy, Kat and Jojo. Both are currently private residences. You can view the home from the sidewalk or drive-by. The interior scenes of bedrooms/second floor were filmed at 17 Broadway Ext, Mystic (also a private residence).

• Fishing docks - Bill’s work place was filmed in one of the marinas off Mechanic Street, right across from the houses.

Private residence [one of the girls home] - 185 Mechanic St

Private residence [the other girls’ home] - 187 Mechanic St

Marina [Bill’s workplace] - Mechanic St

In Noank, Connecticut (GPS might use Groton for city):

• 15 Riverside Ave - Ferriera Lobsters, the workplace of Daisy and Kat’s mom. It is the location of Ford’s Lobsters.

• 87 Front Street - The movie opened with the exterior of the church where Bill and Jojo’s wedding took place. It currently is a private residence. You will notice that the steeple is gone. The interior scenes were filmed at 780 State Pier Rd, New London (formerly a church, now is a homeless shelter).

Ford’s Lobster [Ferriera Lobsters] - 15 Riverside Ave

Private residence [church] - 87 Front St

In Westerly, Rhode Island:

• Breen Street - Tim Travers’ home. The house filmed in the movie has been demolished.

• 4 Water’s Edge Road - Tim Travers’ client home that he was renovating. It is a private residence, which you can see from the road.

• 60 Ocean View Highway - The country club where Charlie had dinner with his sister (Daisy mistook the sister as a date). It is the location of Misquamicut Club.

Private residence [Tim’s client home he was renovating] - 4 Water’s Edge Rd

Misquamicut Club [country club] - 60 Ocean View Highway

The Mystic area has been in a few movies. A few Hallmark holiday movies were filmed in Mystic and Stonington as well other locations across the Nutmeg State. Meryl Streep and Tommy Jones filmed a movie Hope Springs (2012) in Stonington, CT. The Cannon Square was frequently shown in Hope Springs, as well the Breakwater restaurant. Mystic Pizza movie is one of the reasons why visitors come to Mystic! It’s amazing that 30+ years later, the movie is still popular. Happy hunting and don’t forget to get a slice of heaven!

Mystic Pizza’s sign in Downtown Mystic

Mystic Deaf History

Did you know that Mystic, Connecticut has some deaf history?!

I never knew this until a few years of living here. I bumped into some older Deaf adults who all told me about their former deaf school… which happened to be right here in Mystic. It used to be The Whipple Home School which established in Ledyard, Connecticut then moved a few miles away, in order to expand to Mystic. 

Mystic Oral School.

First some history tidbits. In 1869, Whipple Home School was built in Ledyard, Connecticut (formerly known as Quakertown) by the grandson of Jonathan Whipple who successfully taught his deaf son, Enoch how to lip read and speak. Zerah Whipple, the grandson, wanted to continue the success of teaching oralism to other deaf students. The first student to come to the school was a 12 Y/O boy from a rich family in Delaware, a few years later he completed his education with great lipreading and speaking skills. Zerah began to receive more students and was getting crammed in the farmhouse so he bought Silas Burrows, a retired sea captain's mansion in Mystic on a hilltop overlooking the Mystic River.

The mansion that perched on 77+ acres was reformed into a residential school where deaf students lived while they attended school. The main focus was lipreading and speaking, no usage of sign language. They continued the oralism method. There was another deaf institute a hour away in Hartford, Connecticut which is known as American School for the Deaf today. It was known as the “sign school in Hartford” during the 1900’s. All students who attended the ‘signing school’ had a free education; however, there was an admission cost to attend Whipple’s school in Mystic.

Many families were impressed with the oralism method since it made the deaf people be more immersed in the hearing world. More families wanted their deaf kids to attend the school but Whipple did not have enough funds. In July 1872, Zerah Whipple got state aid to allow more students to attend. The Whipple Home School was given over to the state of Connecticut causing the name change to the Mystic Oral School (again later changed to Mystic Educational Center). Mystic Oral School faced chronic financial troubles and challenges with the oralism method (which declined over the years) but survived at least for 108 years.

Mystic Oral School shut down in 1980 after funds ran out. In that last year, the state tried to bring ‘mentally retarded’ (please read the disclaimer about this terminology) students to the school. The admission numbers of students attending Mystic Oral School had declined so they were looking to fill up space at the school. The Department of Mental Retardation had a waiting list of 170 students, the school had space for 55 students. Many parents of the deaf argued against this idea with their lawyers, stating that mixing deaf students with these students give credence to the stereotype of ‘deaf and dumb’. As a result, 5-4 opposed this idea. 

DISCLAIMER: While I do understand the use of terminology is not encouraged in the present day. It was the terminology used back in 1979 and was the actual name of the Department. 

A year later it was closed permanently. The town of Groton used the space for their Park & Recreation programs until 2011. The school had been abandoned since then. It has been in long need of renovation to preserve the historical site. 

In November 2019, Respler Homes LLC purchased the land. Their plans showed their vision of turning the oral school into a ‘mixed use village’ named Mystic River Bluffs. The village consisted of luxury apartments, restaurant, office spaces, coffee shop, market, etc. The project became controversial in the community. You might’ve seen the red lawn signs that stated ‘Restrict the MOS Development’ pop up around the area. The signs came from the group Mystic Oral School Advocates (MOSA). MOSA is a group of citizens to express concerns about the project. Their main concern is that the sizing of the project was too large that it needed to be scaled back or eliminated, they also focused on zoning changes that would not harm the neighborhood/rural nature. 

After 10 years of MOS being abandoned, the property unfortunately degraded overtime and was vandalized. In early 2021, I was filming a quick video in front of the school explaining the Deaf history of MOS when a re-development team leader from Respler Homes LLC was checking the property. We engaged in a conversation and we had a dialogue about the future of MOS. He offered to show me the inside of the school, I was thrilled to see some of the history! 

Walking around the interiors gave me a mixed feeling. I was so amazed by the history, seeing the old classrooms, main office/lobby, dorms, staff quarters, cafeteria and old performing stage. Yet on the other hand, I was saddened by the vandalism (graffiti, broken windows, wallpapers torn down). Some of it was from state testing from hazardous materials but mostly from vandalism. The property definitely had a long way to go! 

After a long year of going back and forth to move ahead with the project, it has stalled. The future for MOS is unknown at this time. I hope with the right people and with plans that works for the community life will be brought back into the beautiful historical site! 

Perched on a hilltop overlooking Mystic River (look closely thru the branches, that’s the water!)

The former infirmary. CORRECTION 1/27/21 this is the former house of the Superintendent.

The old gym/pool.

Inside tour: the former cafeteria.

The staircase.

Old classrooms (the walls had to be demolished so only the framing is left).

Another old classroom.

Old classroom. Did you notice the ceiling fan melted from the heat?!

Hallway between Pre-K section of the school and staff quarters.

One of the rooms in the staff quarters. The night shift staff lived in those rooms during the day.

Old performing stage.

Outside courtyard near the former cafeteria.

Exterior of the school.

Former entrance to the dorms.

Loved the ship weathervane!

Mystic has a ‘sign name’ representing the oral school history. If you look up the sign for “oral”, it will make sense. The letter Y was picked from Mystic to place on chin as shown in the photo below to be the sign name for Mystic. See more videos on Instagram here.

Showing the sign name for MYSTIC. It is close to the sign for “oral”.

Historical information was learned from several library books.

All opinions in this blog are my own.

Mystic Yachting Center

Calling all brides-to-be and anyone who is planning a party in Mystic!

Mystic Yachting Center.

I received an exclusive invite to a cocktail party at Mystic Yachting Center at Mystic Shipyard last week. It recently had been renovated and updated event spaces. I’ve lived here in Mystic for the last decade and never seen this gorgeous venue in person! I was blown away by the nautical touches of the center. Especially the vaulted shiplap ceiling on the upper level! The entrance foyer was very open and welcoming, the walls were covered with photos of New England scenes. 

It’s the ideal location for a nautical wedding for sure! The tablecloths even had beautiful blue and white waves design on them. There was a beautiful picturesque and panoramic view of the boat marina and Mystic River. 

The venue is small and intimate, which would be perfect for weddings/parties/events up to 160 people. For more information, please contact the venue about the capacity limits. The center consists of lower level which was the event space/cocktail hour space with in-house kitchen. The upper level is the larger room with a dance floor, ideal space for receptions. Both levels had bathrooms and is handicap accessible. Plenty of parking for everyone!

At the cocktail party, we ate some appetizers and New England Paella while enjoying some live music. The event was set up like it would be for an event/wedding. It was gorgeously set up with that nautical charm. You couldn’t beat the waterfront views out of the large glass windows from the upper ballroom! It was a cloudy night so unfortunately we missed out on the sunset, but I know sunsets in that area are amazing! I highly recommend you to contact Mystic Yachting Center for your next party/event/wedding!

Boats and more boats.

The set up for an outdoors wedding (unfortunately it was cloudy that day, but imagine a beautiful sunny day!)

The main entrance.

Cookies!

The cocktail hour space.

Beautiful nautical photography through out the venue.

Great views of the shipyard.

Some tables on the balcony.

Enjoying some food and drinks!

Pudding for dessert!

How cute is this centerpiece set up? Loved the Mystic Knotwork knots!

Gorgeous window looking out front of MYC.

Upper level - food table.

More food!

The space where music is being played with some tables around.

The stairway was gorgeous!

Again, another shot of the main entrance lobby. The stairs goes upstairs to the ballroom space.

Some of nautical interior decor.

MYC at night.

Holiday Lights at Olde Mistick Village

‘Tis the season!

December is one of my favorite months when all towns gets into the holidays festive mood! I love walking around to see garlands, wreaths, trees, ornaments and all the decor. It is different this year without our usual events. The season typically kicks off with the annual holiday boat lights parade that happens the weekend following Thanksgiving. This year it was the lights show at Olde Mistick Village!

Olde Mistick Village (as previously blogged about here) is having their holiday lights spectacular show. The lights have already been lit since the week of Thanksgiving and will remain on until January. According to their website, it is the largest lights display in southern the New England region with over half a million lights! It is decorated throughout the village, which is very walk-able and perfect for social distancing activities. Come see the Christmas wonderland!

Shops are also open later for holiday shopping if you haven’t finished your shopping! Please consider shopping small to help businesses to keep thriving in our community through this difficult time. I’ve listed my recommendations in the previous blog (linked in last paragraph). The shops are opened until 8pm, with exception of the weekends (9pm Friday & Saturday and 6pm on Sunday).

To add to the festivities at Olde Mistick Village, Jealous Monk brought out some igloos in their beer gardens! It can fit 4-8 people. Reservations are strongly encouraged as they only have a few time slots per day (to allow cleaning in between uses). Email: Brittany@jealous-monk.com

Olde Mistick Village

The duck pond at Olde Mistick Village.

Olde Mistick Village hosts their annual Cabin Fever Festival and Charity Chowder Cook-off this month. I have attended this event religiously ever since 2012! It’s always a fun event which I previously blogged about on here. I realized is that I never went in details about the Olde Mistick Village. What is it exactly? It is an outdoor shopping center with over 50+ unique shops. The village also has the vibe of the colonial 18th century New England. It’s always enjoyable to take a stroll around this beautiful village which is opened year-round. The village also consists of a luxury movie cinema theater, restaurants and services.

If you’re coming into Mystic, CT from I-95, Olde Mistick Village will be your first stop right off the highway. It’s an ideal stop for stretching out those legs from the car ride and to check out everything they have to offer. Each shop has something to offer for everyone. I love the variety of shops making it unique. I will mention my favorite shops (organized by the route starting at the first shop to the last one) and where to DINE below:

Alice in the Village is inspired by the movie ‘Alice in the Wonderland’ with a tearoom and shop. It’s so fun to walk in here and feel like you’re in the movie! There are bakery cases with treats to take on the go with drinks as well. If you have time, sit in their tearoom and order British Afternoon Tea. The treats will come on those three-tier stands! In their shop, they sell Disney items and teas.

The fun whimsy interior of Alice in the Village.

Toy Soldier was the first store to open in Olde Mistick Village. It is the classic family owned old fashioned toy store. Walking in here, you will immediately feel welcomed while having nostalgia of your childhood. It’s a good shop to get your kids a toy or buy a gift for the kid in your life! If you aren’t sure what to get, they are willing to help you and are very knowledgeable.

Get a selfie with the bear at Toy Soldier!

Garden Specialties is the perfect shop for the garden lovers. There are items for your outdoor gardening spaces, as well home decor items. I feel like I always see unique products here every time I stop in. I also love the Willow Tree collection which they sell it in their store.

The Boardwalk makes me feel like I’m at the Jersey Shore. For those who may not know, I’m actually a Jersey girl, born in central New Jersey. It’s always fun to visit this shop. The shop has all of your Mystic souvenirs as well beach decor for the home. There are also clothing, hats, glasses, signs and many more.

Becca Rose carries goat milk soap, skincare, makeup, face care, candles, books and many more. Many of their products focus around wellness. When you walk into the shop, it always smells so good. The friendly customer service is always top notch and very knowledgeable. I’ve brought the goat milk soaps and the essential oil patches. I love them! Their patches are great for headaches, anxiety, sleep comfort, muscle relaxing, focus, stress relief and more. Each of the soap is also classified by the remedies it works best for, making it easy for the customers to choose!

The goat milk soaps at Becca Rose.

Irish Eyes is my favorite Irish store in Connecticut. I’ve had MANY purchases from this store, as you know I am a proud IRISH girl! They carry clothing (those comfy sweaters!), home goods, accessories, jewelry, hats, BELLEEK products, teas and many more! I love that they have my favorite chocolate from Butler’s in Dublin, Ireland. It’s difficult to find them in the United States. The owner is very friendly too, willing to help any customers. She was willing to place a special order when I was in search of a replacement Claddagh ring. The jewelry section has so many beautiful items that I wish I could buy them all!

Irish Eyes, one of my favorite shops!

Deviant Donuts serves up their delicious gourmet donuts every weekend. Those donuts are out of the world amazing! The donuts are fresh made in their shop. Each weekend they have a special theme dedicated to the donuts. Just look at their Instagram, it is mouth watering! The donuts do sell out FAST every weekend! Be sure to watch their IG for the weekly specials and set those alarms!

Vault/Deviant Donuts did Patriots themed donuts when they were in the 2019 Superbowl!

R.A. Georgetti & Co. is a fun store! I feel like it’s a maze full of treasures. This shop has a large collection of everything from jewelry, glassware, home decor items, accessories, figurines and many more that I am missing. They are able to have so many products to sell without making the shop feel cluttered, which amazes me! There’s definitely something for anyone in this shop. I love checking out the Jim Shore collections when I go in there. The folks working there are always welcoming and friendly.

Franklin’s General Store is known for their amazing FUDGE. I didn’t even like fudge, I took a bite of their free samples that they give out daily and I was SOLD! I’ve been back everytime since buying fudge for friends, family and myself. They do seasonal flavors monthly - usually February is cherry vanilla which is my favorite! Be sure to sample their fudge or if you’re not a fudge person, they have delicious roasted nuts too. The general store sells gifts for anyone - books, puzzles, home ware goods, candles, nostalgia candy, t-shirts and canned goods. I’ve been a long time customer of this store, it’s one of my favorites.

Out here, you can smell the roasting nuts. Fresh fudge is in there too!

Pop on the Block is the store for the popcorn fanatics! They have a variety of flavored popcorn. There’s even flavors that you will be shocked by! Peanut butter and jelly popcorn! Coffee popcorn! Dill pickles popcorn! Pizza popcorn! Maryland crab and cheddar popcorn! The list goes on and on and on! I loved their chocolate peppermint popcorn they had around the holidays. The popcorns are so good, and locally made. I love that the popcorn is sourced from USA farms. There are variety packs, gift baskets and even popcorn pizzas to buy as gifts! I like that i’m able to sample popcorn before making a purchase. I’ve always had helpful service from staff in the shop.

The delicious dark chocolate peppermint popcorn!

Kitch is centrally located in middle of the village with their infamous duck pond. Many visitors have flocked to the pond to see the ducks. This setting was used in a Hallmark Christmas movie (A Very Nutty Christmas with Melissa Joan Hart). Kitch is a kitchen ware store selling cookware, knives, gadgets and utensils for the kitchen. I love shopping their cookie cutters selection - they have many to choose from! They host cooking classes in the store too. I had plans to go out for Valentine’s Day dinner one year but bad weather at dinner time cancelled the reservation. The dinner plans turned into a brunch cooking class. That was one of the best Valentine’s day date! It was so much fun, we learned how to cook some delicious foods. Be sure to check their website for their upcoming cooking classes. It’s worth while to go!

Kelley’s Pace, the place to go for running shoes. I popped in there one year when Brooks (the brand) did a special run of limited edition Boston Marathon sneakers. I was obsessed with the lobster sneakers! This was when I found out the meaning behind Kelley’s Pace - founded by John Kelley who was 1957 Boston Marathon winner. There is a statue of John Kelley in downtown Mystic, across the street from Mystic Pizza. Kelley’s impressed me with their excellent customer service. They were very friendly and willing to help you find the right shoes (even if it’s not for running). If you want to join a running group, they have one that runs on Thursday nights. I love how Kelley’s Place is involved in the community. Their Hare Hop 5K is coming up on March 7th at 9AM - sign up is on their website.

Need some running shoes? This is the place to go!

Sticky Situations has the BEST honey selection! I love the many flavored honeys that I’ve purchased over the years from here. My favorite is the elderberry honey - I put it on my salmon. Another favorite is the dark chocolate honey as well the peppermint honey. What to eat with the honey? No worries, each of the honey has a sign with recommendations. It’s super helpful! On top of that, the folks working there are also willing to help too. I’ve engaged in several conversations which gave me plenty of ideas on how to combine their honey with my favorite foods. You can sample ALL OF THE HONEYS! It’s super helpful to be able to taste and buy your favorites! They also sell olive oil, vinegar, syrup and pasta sauces.

Showing off my favorite honey, elderberry along with Coffee Bean Honey Butter (it was first time to try it and the verdict is… thumbs up!)

Bleu Squid located behind Sticky Situations is known for their cupcakes and grilled cheese. It’s 1:00 PM in the afternoon and you’re craving breakfast. Where to go? Bleu Squid serves breakfast (as well regular lunch food) all day long. Pancakes, eggs, gourmet sandwiches, house made soups and grilled cheese sandwiches. My heart is breaking now that I recently discovered my dairy allergy. I’m telling you, the grilled cheese sandwiches are delicious. My favorite was the chicken cheddar which is grilled cheese with chicken, sauteed apples and cheddar. Sounds simple but it is good! Save some room in your tummies for their award winning cupcakes.

Bleu Squid - home of the grilled cheese and delicious cupcakes.

Sofia’s Mystical Christmas is the place to go for ornaments! Stocked with a variety of ornaments for your nurse, EMT, teacher, Irish, newlyweds, firefighter and ANYONE. The ornaments are organized so it’s easy to maneuver through the shop to pick what you need. Need a Mystic ornament? They’ve got it. I love shopping in here yearly to pick out gifts for others or even to find new ornament for my tree! The store is willing to personalize ornaments too.

Posted on Kitch building - most of OMV shops allows dogs!

There’s so many more shops that were not mentioned. I can’t just list them all! That’s why I said there is something for absolutely everyone! It’s always fun to visit Olde Mistick Village year-round. I love to take walks there with my pup, enjoying all that it has to offer. It is so dog friendly there! Most shops will allow well behaved dogs to come inside. Few years ago the Olde Mistick Village security guard even brought his dog, sporting a security vest and sunglasses, to a past chowder cook off festival. I definitely suggest you guys see the village at night time with their beautiful lights. Every building is dressed with lights. It can get busy at the clam chowder cook off festival so you will want to plan to come back again to really see what Olde Mistick Village is all about. Off to stretch my tummy for all of those delicious chowders…

The security pup that was at the clam chowder cook off back in 2014!

The Meeting House next to the duck pond. On Valentine’s Day, many couples renewed vows or got married here!

The luxury movie theater in OMV. People love the luxury chairs in there… only if the movies were captioned I would be there!

B had to get a photo with the gnome! It is in front of Bestemors, a Scandinavian gift shop located near the duck pond.

Whittle's Willow Spring Farm

One of my favorite things about living in New England are the farms. There are so MANY around here. Every road trip, you will see at least one farm stand on the roadside. I love that! I didn’t see too much of that in the area that I grew up in Upstate New York. I learned more about the importance of farming once I started living here. I appreciate them so much more for the ability to provide us with fresh food!

Whittle’s Willow Spring Farm in Mystic, Connecticut quickly became my favorite farm stand in the area. They have the BEST sweet corn during summer time. I literally go there weekly just for the corn! They also sell many other veggies, eggs, honey and more. I also love their peaches and tomatoes. So delicious! The farm stand is always plentiful and has great prices.

Delicious juicy peaches.

The farm stand during summers.

BEST corn ever (the cornfield is where the pumpkin patch will be in the Fall).

During the fall (my most favorite season!), Whittle’s is the place to be. They have apple picking with plenty of trees for you to pick from. I found it very difficult to find an apple orchard that is dog friendly. Luckily I am able to bring my pup with me to Whittle’s Willow Spring Farm. Please do respect the farm, keep your pets leashed and pick up after them. The apple picking usually starts in September. The apples are always so juicy!

I go to Whittle’s Willow Spring Farm every October for pumpkins too! They have a gigantic pumpkin patch where you can pick your own pumpkins. Last fall, they had white and mint green pumpkins! They were really cool so I purchased a few of those. I love putting pumpkins on the front steps of my home. Again, I am able to bring my pup with me for pumpkin picking. I love getting annual family photos in the pumpkin patch. In their farm stand, they sell gourds, sugar pumpkins, Indian corns, etc.

The pumpkin patch.

Go big or gourd home!

There are farm animals in the pen next to the farm stand - roosters, chickens and pigs. It’s fun to visit them! This summer the mama pig just had a few babies, it’s been fun to visit the piglets!

Oink oink! The 10 weeks old pig.

The farm is currently operating under the fifth generation of the family, the farm has been around for a long time. Every time I visit the farm stand, they are friendly and knowledgeable. They answer any questions I may have or give tips on how to use the produces (like what’s the best way to cook corn, etc). During apple and pumpkin picking seasons, they put up decors and tractors for folks to enjoy and take photos with. Their customer service is always top notch!

Fall 2015 - my pup had enough of my kisses!

Fall 2016 - posing on the tractor.

Fall 2017.

Fall 2018 - the pup is too busy looking for the perfect pumpkin!

This blog is not sponsored. All opinions in this blog are my own.