The other night we pulled into a small private campground just outside Brattleboro, VT. When we woke in the morning, it had gone to the dogs.

Overnight and in the early morning hours while we slept, the place had transformed into a mecca for enthusiasts of the canine-agility sort. The field at the back of the campground, empty during our nighttime star walk, was now lined with trailers, people and dogs. Spectators and event officials clustered under shade tents along a snow-fenced perimeter—none of which had existed just 10 hours previous.

Every so often, the PA system would announce upcoming contestants: “Daisy, Sparky, Sir Charles and Mr. Zippy, you’re next.” Racers were handicapped according to leg height with obstacles adjusted accordingly—lower for the little Terrier, higher for the English Sheepdog (at 12 years old, he is in the senior division, I was told).

I found the whole thing fascinating, all the more so because it was so unexpected. I hustled back for my camera and was lining up a shot near a teepee-shaped ramp when a spotter asked me to move—my position might distract the athletes. I complied, but silently wondered how they felt about the smell of grilling burgers coming from the nearby campsites.

Stay: We stayed at Ashuelot River Campground, located just outside Keene, NH, twice—once on the way north and then again on the way back south. The owners, campsites and location (On a quiet river and a rail trail that takes you straight to Keene) are all very nice. They stock Talenti Gelato in the campstore freezer—an amenity that was much appreciated after a warm day on the river.

Explore: Woodford State Park, high in Vermont’s Green Mountains, is secluded and small at 400 acres. A single trail circles the inviting Adams reservoir, which is right-sized for a quick afternoon paddle. The park offers 3 lakefront campground loops which made us wish we hadn't made reservations in Brattleboro.