Hartford

Hartford, the capital of Connecticut, is a small city of surprising historical depth and architectural richness — the home of Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stowe (both of whose houses are open for tours), the wealthiest city in America in the late 19th century (thanks to insurance and manufacturing), and a gateway to the extraordinary beauty of the Connecticut River Valley. The Mark Twain House and Museum, the Victorian Gothic mansion where Twain wrote his greatest works, is the city's finest attraction. The Wadsworth Atheneum (America's oldest public art museum, 1842) holds a superb collection including Hudson River School paintings. The Connecticut State Capitol, in gleaming white marble with a striking dome, is impressive. New Haven (Yale) and Providence are both 45 minutes away.