FOLLOWING THE DOG’S NOSE

Two hawks rise from the depths of the valley, leveling off in front of us. Wisps of white, feathery clouds drift lazily across the blue sky. Indy (named after Indiana Jones), sits gazing out at the dense deciduous forest that stretches all the way to the dark blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean. She’s in something of a trance; her tongue hangs out as she pants from the uphill hike, her tail remains still, her nose works overtime to take in all the smells of the natural world. We’ve made it to Acadia National Park, but the road trip to get here was the real adventure.

The plan was for me, my girlfriend Katheren and Indy to drive up the coast of New England, making sure to only take back roads and scenic routes. Indy