We just enjoyed a weekend away in one of the most charming coastal towns in Connecticut during the holidays. Christmas in Mystic, Connecticut is a fantastic holiday spectacle that begins the weekend right after Thanksgiving with their annual Holiday Lighted Boat Parade. All December long, Mystic Country offers fun for all ages with activities like the Lighted Lantern Tours at the Mystic Seaport and Lobster Trap Tree Lighting in Stonington.
Here’s where we stayed, and everything we enjoyed from our festive weekend in Mystic for the holidays…
The historic Mystic downtown in the snowfall. I shot this early in the morning right before sunrise when the sky was all blue and the snow started to fall.
Where to Stay
We love to stay at The Whaler’s Inn when we visit Mystic. Their location right across from the Bascule Bridge is so convenient and walkable to everything in the historic downtown. The on-site parking is so nice too. The rooms are cozy and well-appointed with every thoughtful detail. It always feels like a home away from home when we stay with them.
The Shipwright’s Daughter, their on-site restaurant, has a seasonal menu featuring creations by James Beard award-winning Chef David Stanbridge. Every dining experience we have had with them has been exceptional. It’s one of our favorite restaurants in Mystic.
This visit, since it was just the two of us, we opted for a water view room in the Hoxie House complete with a fireplace and jetted soaking tub. We were graced with the prettiest snowfall our last morning of our stay, and enjoyed sitting by the fire with our morning coffee and watching the snow outside. Our corner room had the best windows and views of the water, bridge, and downtown.
The main lobby was decked out in Christmas decorations and added to the spirit of the season. As always, the hotel staff makes you feel so welcome and comfortable. They even offer wine and freshly baked cookies for guests in the afternoon.
Our holiday weekend itinerary…
Day One
LUNCH AT HARINGS NOANK
Before checking into The Whaler’s Inn on our drive down, we stopped off in Noank for lunch at Haring’s. This is a great spot to enjoy the water and have a classic seafood meal. The chowder and cheddar biscuits hit the spot and we enjoyed our entrees. I had the swordfish and Topher had the seafood linguine. This spot is BYOB, if you’d like to bring a brew or bottle of wine to enjoy with your lunch or dinner. They had it all dressed for the holidays with lights and a tree on the dock.
MYSTIC SEAPORT LIGHTED LANTERN TOURS
Our first night, we went to the Mystic Seaport for their Lighted Lantern Tours which was a lot of fun. We met up with a couple friends for the night. They had live music, holiday lights, horse-drawn carriage rides, and actors performing scenes of the Charles Dickens holiday classic A Christmas Carol. There were plenty of warming stations with cocoa, blankets, and fire pits to cozy up by between visiting the ships and performances.
FEZZIWIG’S TAVERN AT PORT OF CALL
Afterwards, we had dinner and drinks at Port of Call. They had a festive Fezziwig’s Tavern menu for the season. The eggnog is a must try! It’s so delicious. They had a great jazz trio performing, and we loved the atmosphere with leather chairs, wood paneled walls with nautical sconces, crystal chandeliers, and antique rugs. A great place for a winter night.
Day Two
BREAKFAST AT SIFT BAKERY
Sift is hands down our favorite bakery in Connecticut. It’s always a treat to enjoy a breakfast here during our visits. Our first morning in Mystic, after my sunrise shoot, we walked over and enjoyed our favorites. You can’t go wrong with any of the baked treats or breakfast offerings. We picked up some goodies to bring home for our boys our last day here too. It’s that good!
SHOPPING & LUNCH AT SANTA’S SLEIGH STATION
Our second day, we shopped Mystic’s downtown for Christmas presents, and had lunch at Santa’s Sleigh Station. This was such a fun vibe! The whole restaurant and bar is completely decked out over the top for the holidays. Even if you just stop for drinks, it’s worth dropping in.
STONINGTON LOBSTER TRAP TREE
At dusk, we stopped by the Stonington Lobster Trap Tree lighting. All the buoys on the tree are the works of area artists and children. There are some really fantastic pieces of art on the tree, and for a donation you can go inside the tree for a holiday photo. You can bid on the buoys too. I recommend showing up a tad early before the 4:30pm lighting every night. We arrived around 3:45pm and snagged a parking spot, but it filled up really fast.
OLDE MISTICK VILLAGE HOLIDAY LIGHTS SPECTACULAR
After tree lighting, we drove over to Olde Mistick Village to enjoy the Holiday Lights Spectacular. The campus of 40 shops and restaurants is all decked out with light displays for the season. It’s the largest light display in Southern New England.
FIRESIDE DINNER AT THE DANIEL PACKER INNE
We love to seek out cozy fireside dinner spots for the holidays, and our last night in Mystic we enjoyed dinner at the Daniel Packer Inne. The tavern downstairs is just idyllic New England with it’s large stone fireplace and lively bar. Upstairs you can enjoy the fireside dining room. We loved dining here, and highly recommend it if you are looking for classic New England vibes.
We loved our holiday weekend away in Mystic. It’s one of our favorite weekend trips in Connecticut. The downtown is so charming and festive to walk around. There’s so many amazing restaurants and fun shops. If you love an early wake-up, I recommend a morning walk at sunrise. The sunrises here are just stunning and so colorful on the water. If you are lucky, you may even get some snow and a Santa sighting.
Pin for Later
Happy Holidays,
xx Kristy
Many thanks to our friends at The Whaler’s Inn for our holiday stay. All photography & opinions are mine.