Brunswick and the Harpswells

Lovely brick-and-clapboard buildings are the highlight of Brunswick's Federal Street Historic District, which includes Federal Street and Park Row and the stately campus of Bowdoin College. From the intersection of Pleasant and Maine streets, in the center of town, you can walk in any direction and discover an impressive array of restaurants. Seafood? German cuisine? A Chinese buffet that beats out all the competition? It's all here. So are bookstores, gift shops, boutiques, and jewelers. From pushcart vendors on the shady town green, known as the Mall, you can sample finger foods such as hamburgers, clam rolls, and that old Maine favorite, steamed hot dogs.

From Brunswick, Routes 123 and 24 take you to the peninsulas and islands known collectively as the Harpswells. Small coves along Harpswell Neck shelter lobster boats, and summer cottages are tucked away amid birch and spruce trees. On your way down to Land's End at the end of Route 24, stop at Mackerel Cove to see a real fishing harbor; there are a few parking spaces where you can stop and picnic and look for beach glass, or put in your kayaks.