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Hi Everyone!

Sorry it's been so long! I've been busy, but not on this blog. Want to know why? I haven't been avoiding writing about stuff to do in Southeastern CT, I've just been doing it somewhere else! Ragtag Parade has become a new website called sectkids.com! I'm writing it with another mom friend of mine. Almost all of my old posts from Ragtag Parade, are now on the sectkids.com website. I hope you like what you see :).

RAGTAG PARADE #3

RAGTAG EATS: New London - Mr. G's Restaurant

After 6 days without power, it was finally turned back on at our house. I can tell you my 2 year old enjoyed the novelty of using flashlights and taking baths with pots of water warmed up on the gas stove. Our 4 month old however HATED being in the dark. She has just started to grab for things and focus her eyes on people/objects/surroudings, and was not happy when she couldn't see anything for most of the night. As vengeance she wouldn't stop crying for 2-3 straight hours every night we didn't have power. Wee! Thank goodness for Nana, Gaga, and their Uncle who live nearby. The last 3 days of our power outage we were able to enjoy artificial light, refrigerated food, hot showers, and a happy baby. It was tough, but it could have been worse. I know we were one of the lucky ones.

And as most of you in the SE CT area know, Halloween was cancelled in many of the nearby towns. I didn't even know that was possible! Instead our friends invited us to trick-or-treat at Connecticut College nearby. The college kids were great and very generous when it came to giving out candy. After RAGTAG Annie filled up her Hello Kitty bucket twice-over, we headed over to Mr. G's restaurant for pizza.

Mr. G's was recommended by a local Connecticut College student. I was worried what it would be like since it was a college student's idea of a pizza place, but we emphasized the fact that we were looking for a FAMILY place and lucky for him it was. They were busy as it was Halloween night and half of New London was still without power, but they were able to seat a table for 11 of us after only a 5 minute wait. The restaurant has a comfortable and casual atmosphere and a very friendly waitstaff. The football/baseball/basketball game is playing on the flat-screen tv's overhead, but thankfully for those that don't have kids and just want to watch the game, there's a separate bar area away from the dining room. One room for kids yelling and crying, and the other for adults yelling and crying.

RAGTAG Annie likes: "Mushrooms"

Mr. G's Restaurant
452 Williams St.
New London, CT 06320

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Food:

• They have a large menu featuring salads, soups, sandwiches, grinders, burgers, pizza, and other Italian specialties.
• We ordered large pizzas and they are big enough to feed a family of 4. Our party most enjoyed the sausage pizza as it was topped with generously cut slices of sausage. We also liked the 2-topping mushroom and bacon pizza we custom-ordered. The bacon was meaty and perfectly crispy, but we noticed they used canned mushrooms.
• They do have grinders on the menu, but we weren't able to try any as they ran out of bread that night.
• Thankfully they have small cups with lids and straws for kids. No spills during this dinner!

Conveniences:

• They had a very nice and understanding waitstaff.
• They accept large parties without a problem and didn't hesitate when we asked them for 3 separate checks at the start.
• Mr. G's has a children's menu and each meal includes soda and ice cream for dessert.
• They have crayons and coloring books for kids.
• They have booths and regular tables. We didn't have a problem putting the infant car seat on the bench of the booth.
• Highchairs are available.

Things to Remember:

• A great place to eat if you're visiting Connecticut College arboretum or any part of the campus nearby.
• If you want grinders, you might want to try this place at lunchtime as it looks like it's a popular item (since they ran out of bread the night we visited).
• On a busy night, there will likely be a line for the bathroom. There is only 1 toilet in the men's bathroom and 1 toilet in the women's.
• I did not notice a changing station in the women's bathroom.
• Mr. G's offers take-out and catering. They also have a "Team Menu" for teams getting together and celebrating at the restaurant.

Still no power

6 days and still no power! ETA from the power company is Monday. Not great, but could be worse.

Hope everyone is doing okay out there!
Emily O'B

RAGTAG PLACES: New London - Connecticut College Arboretum

Last weekend we spent the day with some friends at Connecticut College Arboretum in New London. The kids loved it. We tried to catch slimy frogs in the pond, rolled down hills in the amphitheater, tossed up leaves on the trails, took a break in the grass while the kids explored, all while listening to the faint sounds of the saxophone in the woods (and being that it was a saxophone, we were happy that it was faint). It also didn't hurt that the leaves were changing colors all around us, making the place beautiful.

Connecticut College Arboretum
Entrance is located at Gallows Ln and Williams St (see map)
270 Mohegan Ave
New London, CT 06320

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Arboretum:

• Open daily to the public from sunrise to sunset.
• Parking is available on Williams St on the same side as the main entrance (look for the large iron gates with gold leaves). Don't forget to check nearby parking signs!
• Alternate parking is also available in the South Parking Lot. This is on the main campus and you will need to get a parking permit. For more info see here.
• There are many marked walking trails, including the main trail which is 2 miles long and takes about an hour to complete.
• If you're with small children, I would suggest the trail that circles the pond. There are benches along the way and a stone-paved area with short stone walls which provides great seating for a snack break.
• The arboretum is home to a large Bebb Willow tree, a championship tree that is one of the largest of it's species. Have your kids help find it as part of your walk.
• Free programs are available for adults and children all year round. Coming up is the Pumpkin Circle: An Autumn Gathering for kids and the Annual Fall Foliage Walk for all ages.
• In the summer, Flock Theatre presents "Shakespeare in the Arboretum" for free in the amphitheater (although donations are accepted).

Conveniences:

• Natural shade available...everywhere! Shocking I know!
• Free guided tours are available on Sundays afternoons from May-October. 
• A self-guided brochure is available on the sign board inside main entrance to the Native Plant Collection. It's also available here if you would like to view it or print it out ahead of time.
• Bathrooms are available. I don't recall seeing any inside the arboretum, but they will have restrooms located in the F.W. Olin Science Center.

Things to Remember:

• Great place to see the fall foliage.
• If you have an infant/toddler, I would suggest carrying them in a baby carrier/front-pack. If you need to bring a stroller, make sure it can handle trails. There's a steep hill at the entrance that can be tough to navigate without a heavy-duty stroller (and even tougher if you don't have the muscles to push it back uphill!). 
• Do not collect any plants or animals as advised by the arboretum brochure.
• Bring a blanket and a picnic. The amphitheater, with a view of the pond, is the perfect place to lay a picnic. It's also a great place to roll down hills.
• Wear comfortable clothes you're willing to get dirty. Rolling in the grass or trying to catch frogs in the pond is can be nasty business. 
• Watch out for dogs. We had an incident where an un-leashed dog ran to us from across the field and as happy as he looked, we couldn't be sure whether he was kid-friendly.
• Alcoholic beverages are not allowed.

RAGTAG PARADE #2

RAGTAG PLACES: Mystic - Mystic River Park Playground

If you're visiting Mystic and need a playground break for the little ones, try the River Walk Playground near the historic Mystic drawbridge. It's an older playground, but has a lot of running room and is entirely fenced-in. It's always nice when you don't need to worry about your kids running straight into the street every time you look away, don't you think?

Mystic River Park Playground
End of Cottrel St
Mystic, CT 06355

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Playground:

• The enclosed playground has a child-safe gate to prevent your child from escaping.
• It is targeted for slightly older children. Besides the swings, there's not much for children under 1 yr. Steady walkers will have more to do, but they will need a lot of guidance with the equipment.
• Does not have cushy-padding. The ground is made up of wood chips.
• Has both toddler and regular swings. They did not have a handicap swing when I visited the park, but this may have changed (see next bullet).
• We didn't get a chance to visit the playground this summer, but according to The Stonington-Mystic Patch they did some renovations and spring-cleaning. There should be more a new swing set and slide. If you've visited the playground recently, let me know what you think of the improvements.

Conveniences:

• Free parking next to playground.
• There are benches and a lot of natural shade at this playground.
• Public restrooms are across the street by the drawbridge.
• The playground is next door to Mystic's downtown area. After the playground, take the family out for ice cream and watch the drawbridge go up/down. One of my favorite toy stores is on Main Street, Mystical Toys of Mystic. It's either a place you want to avoid or won't want to miss!

Things to Remember:

• Pets are not allowed at this playground.
• Great place for a picnic.