Top 10 Places to Find the Most Holiday Cheer

2. Mystic, Conn.

People come year round to the historic seaside town of Mystic in the southeast corner of Connecticut. But in the weeks leading up to the holidays, a visit here is especially festive. Several nights a week, from Nov. 29 to Dec. 28, history comes alive with the annual Lantern Light Tours in which actors dressed in period costume recreate Christmas Eve 1876. The performance is a "moving play," leading groups of bundled-up guests along dirt roads and cobbled pathways, here dropping into a home for a ginger cookie as a family trims its tree, there wandering aboard a tall ship after a horse and buggy ride. Other pit stops include the local tavern for a spin on the dance floor. Even against the chill of the briny air, the nostalgic tour will warm the most jaded of hearts. Reserve tickets for the one-hour tour online ($25 for adults, $18 for children) or call 860-572-5331.