Bowdoin College's beautiful 110-acre/45-hectare campus, where Nathaniel Hawthorne and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow both studied, is a focal point of Brunswick, 30 mi/50 km north of Portland. The college administers the fascinating Peary-Macmillan Arctic Museum (http://www.bowdoin.edu/arctic-museum), devoted to the exploits of its two Arctic-exploring alumni, Adm. Robert Peary and Donald MacMillan, as well as a nice Museum of Art. The college campus is part of the Federal Street Historic District, and there's another collection of buildings called the Lincoln Street Historic District.
There's also 24-hour fun nearby at L.L. Bean, the outdoor outfitter's original store, as well as at the dozens of other name-brand outlet stores that line Highway 1. Another popular spot is Bradbury Mountain (near Pownal), with views of Casco Bay and the White Mountains from a lookout at the summit.
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