Of all the states in New England, Connecticut embodies the greatest contrasts, and nowhere is that more apparent than in the eastern part of the state, which is home to big cities, rural farm country, and the state’s largest tourist attractions in Mystic Seaport and the Native American casinos of Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun.

East of the Connecticut River, the state looks more toward New England than New York. Much of the land here is devoted to farming—or at least was at one point in time. The remnants of stone walls and foundations are still visible through the trees in land that has been slowly reclaimed by forest. The land is especially scenic in the northeastern corner, which has been dubbed the “Quiet Corner” for its lack of bustle, and is the absolute antithesis of the bedroom communities and Manhattanites in the southwestern corner of the state. Indeed, driving its back roads, you might think for a moment that you’ve gone through a teleporter into the Northeast Kingdom of far northern Vermont. The fact that such a bucolic landscape is only an hour and a half from Boston is a secret jealously guarded by its residents.

The history of the region has been anything but quiet, however. This part of the state was very active in the maritime field, taking part in shipbuilding enterprises, naval battles, and the lucrative China trade throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. Like the Litchfield Hills in the west, areas of the state here were also heavily involved with the procurement of aid and supplies for soldiers in the Revolutionary War.

In the 20th century, the urban centers of Hartford and New London suffered while many upper- and middle-class residents moved to the surrounding suburbs, leaving the cities somewhat stagnant and depressed. New London has slowly been clawing itself back by restoring the buildings on its historic waterfront, while Hartford still struggles from lack of investment. While it has gotten its crime problems under control, it still needs a visionary mayor with the solid backing of the rich suburbs around it in order to recover from its malaise.

The Best of Eastern Connecticut

• Mark Twain House & Museum
• Wadsworth Atheneum
• Nathan Hale Homestead
• Roseland Cottage/Bowen House
• Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center
• Mohegan Sun Casino
• Mystic Seaport