Mellow Monkey in Stratford is located on a dead-end street near the former Stratford Army Engine plant, which is now undergoing a major revitalization.

Owner Howard Aspinwall says, "half the adventure is just getting here!" The destination is a shoppers' paradise in a huge warehouse filled with three rooms. There, you will find nearly everything under the sun -- from home decor, to lighting, gifts -- including some that are really sassy, products made by local artisans, and even unique customizable creations. It's practically an alphabet soup of fun finds.

Aspinwall says, "I would be really surprised and I would challenge anybody to take me up on this. If there isn’t something for every single letter of the alphabet in our store," A for Art — Z for Zodiac products -- and everything in between.

You really just have to see it to believe it.

"Why do I want people to come to Mellow Monkey? Well, one thing that I love about this store is that I’ll have customers who will come in and they’ll tell me 'I came today just cause I had a bad day,' and then they come and they tell me 'I came today and I’m leaving feeling much better.' That makes me feel really good."

Aspinwall is a huge promoter of both local and Connecticut tourism. He hopes you will spend the entire day in Stratford when you visit. He even has a list of all the town's "must sees" — everything from antiques to dining, museums, breweries and beaches.