The Big E: A New England Institution

Come and hang with the alpacas!
(or the cows, goats, pigs, chickens, llamas, sheep ...)

The Big E is one of those must-do's for any New Englander. Haven’t been? 

My guest blogger this week is the Super Awesome Dr. Christine Buckley - my friend, former coworker, and own personal restaurant advisor (see her wise Paul's Pasta Shop recommendation here). She was so kind as to brave fried Oreos, farm animals, and, well, foot massagers (read on) for some serious investigative reporting, so that she could tell you exactly why you need to make your way there this weekend. Many thanks, Christine! 

The Big E is a New England institution so great that it doesn’t even need a name anymore – just a letter. 

Begun in 1968, the Eastern States Exposition is the official state fair for the six New England states, and touts itself as the sixth largest agricultural fair in the country. Most New Englanders know all about the madness that is the Big E. But for those of you who live in a box, here’s a quick description:

Hang with the Champs at the New Haven Open

My very first guest blogger, features editor Marisa Nadolny at The Day - a daily newspaper based in New London, Conn. - is taking the reins today here at Stefcations. She was lucky enough to check out the New Haven Open earlier this week, a tennis tournament held every August in - you guessed it - New Haven, Conn. Interested in tickets? The tournament runs through this Saturday if you still want in.

Be sure to check Marisa out via her blog, "Fear No Recipe," or on Twitter @TheMDesk. A smart and fabulous writer by day, she's also my own personal Twitter guru and, by night, harbors a secret talent as a ridiculously good RockBand drummer. She does not disappoint!

Unlike my colleague Stef, I’m what nice people would call a homebody and what mean people call a shut-in. My Hobbit-like tendency to prefer a quiet evening at home with Netflix is only trumped by truly spectacular food and fun.

Watch the pros from surprisingly good seats
at this week's New Haven Open.
(Photo by Marisa Nadolny.)

The New Haven Open (Pilot Pen, once upon a time; the Volvo-something-or-other even further back) is one of those spectacular events that gets me off my duff. World-class tennis players come to the always-fab city of New Haven for two weeks at a delightfully intimate venue at Yale.

This is no exhibition. These players are on their way to the U.S. Open, and they are most definitely in it to win it.