This Destination Spotlight was paid for by a promotional fee from a Home & Away Publishing advertiser.

There are images forever linked to the changing of the seasons. When one thinks of fall, for instance, football surely comes to mind, but the blazing reds, oranges and yellows of turning leaves would have to be a common thought as well.

And few places could match the autumnal backdrop spread across the landscape of Mystic Country, Conn., where it’s captured spectacularly along state Route 169, a National Scenic Byway. Not only does the roadway showcase Mystic Country at its prettiest, it also provides a convenient path through quintessential New England.

It doesn’t get any more idyllic than here: white, wood-framed churches anchoring neighborhoods; tidy downtown parks complementing Colonial-era architecture; farmland and orchards bursting with nature’s bounty and standing behind stone fences; and wooded hills waiting for their time to shine. Short of handing a traveler clam chowder and a Boston Red Sox cap, one couldn’t bring the Northeast anymore to light.

Come to the Country
Mystic Country isn’t a geographic area as much as it is a consortium of like interests. It comprises 42 communities located in an area halfway between Boston and New York City that recognized the value in banding together to utter a louder voice to potential visitors.

What those visitors hear is a message about the region being an attractive sum that’s greater than its attractive parts. After all, there’s Mystic Seaport, one of the world’s premier maritime museums; New London, the second-largest whaling port in the U.S.; Mashantucket Pequot Museum, the teller of the tales of Woodland Indian life; Groton, home to U.S. Coast Guard Academy and the world’s first nuclear submarine; and the Florence Griswold and Lyman Art Museums, major stops on the Connecticut Impressionist Art Trail.

There also is the Quinebaug Shetucket Heritage Corridor, also known as the Last Green Valley. This corridor of forest and farmland stretches through 35 towns in eastern Connecticut and southern Massachusetts, and at 695,000 acres, it is 10 times larger than Acadia, the largest national park in the Northeast. And metaphorically, it symbolizes the vast offerings offered in Mystic Country no matter the time of year.

Fall Into It
If autumn is the calling, though, Mystic Country’s high-profile attractions offer sizable pegs on which to hang one’s fall itinerary. The same could be said about the full slate of festivals and celebrations sharing the unique flavor of the region seasoned by the fall staples of harvest, food and holidays.

September’s lineup is anchored by the Woodstock Agricultural Fair, one of the oldest harvest celebrations in the country. Begun in 1858, it also doubles as a homecoming with activities that range from go-kart racing and midway rides to agricultural exhibits and antiques. For more information, visit www.woodstockfair.com. More September events include A Taste of Mystic Food Festival, which highlights cuisine from the best local eateries, www.atasteofmystic.com; and Celebrating Agriculture, which shares the experience and joys of all sorts of farming endeavors, www.celebratingagriculture.org.

In October, Walktober leads the way. All month long, visitors can choose from more than 100 free, guided tours in the Last Green Valley. The tours are for folks who like to hike, bike or canoe, and they link up with more than 50 regional events. In all, it showcases the Last Green Valley’s natural, historical and cultural wonders. For more information, visit www.thelastgreenvalley.org. The month’s other offerings include Mystic Seaport’s Chowderfest, where the taste of the Northeast staple blends nicely with views of fall foliage, www.mysticseaport.org; Nautical Nightmares at Mystic Seaport, during which local ghost stories are explored, www.mysticseaport.org; and Blue Slope Country Museum’s Harvest Tyme, which celebrates old-time, down-home fun on the farm, www.blueslope.com.

During November, there is the Holiday Lighted Boat Parade, which continues a local tradition and punctuates the region’s connection to the water. During the parade, the procession of decorated vessels sails down the Mystic River and return to Mystic River Park, where spectators be waiting. For more information, visit www.mysticchamber.org. Another November event is the Annual Fall Artists Open Studios of Northeast CT, which occurs over two weekends and spotlights locally created works from more than 80 artists, www.aosct.org.

Apples to Apples
October is National Apple Month, but no one has to tell anyone in Mystic Country. After all, the ability to get in on the favorite seasonal activity of apple harvesting adds another facet to the region’s autumn attractiveness. Throughout Mystic Country, visitors can enjoy the bracing fall breeze as they fill baskets and bags with their desired fruit.

At Scott’s Yankee Farm in East Lyme, for example, apple picking begins Sept. 1. On Sept. 20, wagon rides begin, giving harvesters more mobility and non-harvesters the chance to enjoy the outdoors. The farm grows several types of fruit and vegetable—peaches, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and pumpkins—that, in addition to the pick-your-own offerings, are sold at a roadside stand. Scott’s also raises and sells sweet corn. For more information, visit www.scottsyankeefarmer.net.