No Sto

North Stonington Agricultural Fairgrounds

July 07, 2019 by Kelly Eagen in New England

One of my favorite part about summer is when the fair season officially starts! North Stonington Agricultural Fair is the first fair to kick off the season this upcoming weekend July 11th-14th. I have been going to No Sto Fair as long as I have been in CT (8 years!). It’s my favorite fair to attend in New London county. Nothing beats the small community of No Sto, the folks are amazing. They show their pride by the hard work they put into the fair and know how to welcome everyone to their beautiful town.

Dog Watch

Dog Watch Cafe

June 23, 2019 by Kelly Eagen in New England

Last month I blogged about my day in Stonington borough. Many local readers saw that I “forgot” a restaurant for the recommendation list… Dog Watch Cafe. Guess what? I intentionally left them off the list! Why’s that? Lemme tell you, Dog Watch Cafe is TOO good, they deserved their own post. When I moved to Connecticut in 2011, Dog Watch Cafe was one of the very first restaurants that I tried in New England. Dog Watch quickly became my go-to restaurant for many milestones and celebrations. It’s safe to say that Dog Watch is my favorite restaurant in the entire New England region.

Electric Moon Peony Farm

June 16, 2019 by Kelly Eagen in New England

One of my most favorite flowers (beside hydrangeas!) are peonies. Once I found out that there was a peony farm in Rhode Island, I had to make the drive last weekend to see it. The peony farm was located outside of Little Compton, Rhode Island. Little Compton is quaint small farming town on the coastline classified as “farmcoast”. It was the kind small town where you didn’t see much of traffic lights or big chain stores. There are many long winding roads with views of farm lands while you’re inhaling the coastal breeze. It’s perfect town for a slow paced day of driving to take in the beautiful scenery.

East Haddam

June 09, 2019 by Kelly Eagen in New England

This past Saturday was one of my favorite days in the state of Connecticut… it was Open House Day! What is “Open House Day”? It’s a day when museums and attractions all over Connecticut offers discounted or free admission. Some museums and attractions also have giveaways or special activities. It’s a fun day to explore so off to East Haddam I go! East Haddam is a small town that lies on Connecticut River in Middlesex county.

Stonington Borough

May 18, 2019 by Kelly Eagen in New England

I drove over to Stonington Borough for a quiet, slow paced day. The borough is just a hop over from Mystic, CT. Stonington quickly became one of my favorite New England towns when I first moved here. I was drawn to the beautiful homes that lined the main street along with the fascinating town history. Stonington is the oldest village in Connecticut established in 1649. The borough is a perfect destination for a leisurely stroll during any season.

A literary filled day in the Rose of New England

Cafe Otis

April 27, 2019 by Kelly Eagen in New England

Cafe Otis is housed in the 19th century building located right across from the City Hall. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner as well happy hour. The food on the menu is locally sourced and they have a craft cocktail bar too! The menu is described as Mediterranean-inspired with many vegan or non-vegan options. There was a selection of smoothies called Wild Otis with variety of flavors.

Hoppy Easter!

Latitude 41 Restaurant and Tavern

April 21, 2019 by Kelly Eagen in Other

Hope everyone had a wonderful celebration. It’s one of my favorite holidays to celebrate with my family, but unfortunately it’s not always possible since they still live in Upstate New York. I made a new Easter tradition 5 years ago to go to the Easter brunch at Latitude 41 Restaurant and Tavern in Mystic, CT.

Niantic

Niantic Main Street

April 14, 2019 by Kelly Eagen in New England

Southeastern Connecticut got more warm weather last weekend. Inspired by exploring Essex’s main street, I decided to explore another main street. Niantic was my pick, the only exception is that I have been there several times. I visited the beautiful seaside village of Niantic for the first time during my first summer of living in New England. I went there for the Lions’ annual Lobsterfest and their outdoor arts & crafts show. Niantic is a village that is part of East Lyme, CT surrounded by Long Island Sound and Niantic Bay.

Historic Essex Village

April 06, 2019 by Kelly Eagen in New England

The beautiful spring weather called for exploring a new town. I decided to explore Essex which is a small town on the Connecticut River in Middlesex county. I went down to the historical main street of Essex which had the Colonial seaport town vibe. The street is lined with Colonial style homes and buildings that house restaurants and shops.

Cochlear implants

March 28, 2019 by Kelly Eagen in deaf

Cochlear implants. A taboo word in the deaf world. For those who aren’t familiar with what cochlear implants are - it’s an electronic device installed under the skin behind the ears.

Flogging Molly

March 10, 2019 by Kelly Eagen in deaf

Happy March everyone! I’m excited that it’s March because of celebrating St. Patrick’s day all month long! Being Irish is one of my most favorite thing about life - it’s always so much fun to celebrate my heritage (but I celebrate year round!). At end of last month, I was able to kick off that celebration a little early when Flogging Molly came to town. They started their ‘Life Is Good’ tour at Foxwoods Casino.

Wicked chowda

Olde Mistick Village

February 19, 2019 by Kelly Eagen in New England

It’s almost time for some wicked chowda!!! This year marks the Olde Mistick Village’s 16th annual Cabin Fever Festival which hosts the chowder cook off to donate all the proceeds to a charity. This year’s charity is Always Home which works to prevent homelessness. It will be taking place this upcoming Saturday February 23, 2019 from 12-4pm at Olde Mistick Village in Mystic, CT.

Sift Bake Shop Mystic

Sift Bake Shop

January 30, 2019 by Kelly Eagen in New England

If you visit Mystic, Connecticut, you can’t leave without a stop at Sift Bake Shop. Located on Water Street right around the corner from downtown Mystic, you can’t miss it. The bake shop has a lot of french focused bakery treats as well as cakes and breads.

Happy 2019!

January 03, 2019 by Kelly Eagen in deaf

The holidays is always one of my favorite time of the year since I get to spend a lot time with family. I was also lucky enough to visit Rochester, NY during the winter break. A visit to Rochester always helps to reset my self esteem being around my “people” since Rochester is one of the largest deaf community in America. It was great to have that right before the New Year.

Christmas in Newport

The Breakers

December 12, 2018 by Kelly Eagen in New England, travel

The Preservation Society of Newport County decorates the mansions for the holidays season so I knew I would return to visit this month. With my love for Christmas trees, I had high expectations and boy, I was not disappointed! It was stunning and beautiful!

Holiday Lighted Boat Parade

Mystic River Park

November 26, 2018 by Kelly Eagen in New England, Other

Hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I had some family that came in town from Upstate New York so getting that family time is always fun! Every time they come in town, a visit (actually several!) to Mystic is a must. We went there on Small Business Saturday to do some shopping and then see the annual holiday lighted boat parade. The holiday lighted boat parade is unique event that Mystic has and it’s always delightful!

Can you lipread?

November 09, 2018 by Kelly Eagen in deaf

The very first question that I get asked every time once someone finds out about my deafness is “can you lipread?” (and yes, they’re verbally asking me this). It’s a misconception that every deaf person knows how to lipread. It’s a skill that is learned.

Mystic Knotwork

October 22, 2018 by Kelly Eagen in Other, New England, travel

One thing I love about Mystic are the mom-and-pop shops. There are several in downtown and in the surrounding area. I love supporting local businesses. Naturally the nautical name of Mystic Knotwork drew me into their store when they opened on Cottrell Street in 2015.

Spicer Mansion

October 10, 2018 by Kelly Eagen in New England, travel

Spicer Mansion is full of history - it once was owned by a sailing captain. The captain also had donated Mystic & Noank Library which was across the street from Spicer Mansion. I have gone in the library several time to enjoy its beautiful historic building. I had no idea that those two were connected so it was an interesting fact! Spicer Mansion only recently opened in 2016 with eight guest rooms and dining hospitality.

B.F. Clyde's Cider Mill

October 02, 2018 by Kelly Eagen in New England, travel

Fall is my favorite season! It’s the time of pumpkins and apples (I’m team apples all the way!). I love that the New England region offers so MANY gorgeous places to visit the during fall season. One of my favorites is the apple cider mill in Old Mystic, CT - B.F. Clyde’s Cider Mill.