Visit Your Dog's Ancestral Home - Cocker Spaniel

Origin: Rollinsford, N.H.

Story: A spaniel was one of two confirmed dogs to come to the New World on the Mayflower. (The other was a mastiff.) But the wavy-coated breed we officially call the cocker spaniel came later. In 1882, a dog brought from England while pregnant gave birth to a puppy given the unlikely name of Obo II. It was America's first cocker spaniel, according to the American Spaniel Club. Obo II lived and died near Salmon Falls River in the mill town of Rollinsford, N.H. His tombstone can be seen on the grounds of the elementary school at 487 Locust Street.

The trip: Rollinsford's 19th-century mills and mill housing have been redeveloped into an area called Salmon Falls Mills, where you'll find dozens of artists making jewelry, textiles, sculpture, pottery, and furniture. Starting here, take your canine companion on a scenic, five-mile loop. Head south to Foundry Park, a river inlet with a boat launch, and then cross Salmon Falls River on Route 4 to adorable South Berwick, Maine. On your way back to New Hampshire, take Main Street and you'll pass over a bridge that runs parallel to a historic railroad trestle. Then enter Scoutland, a woodsy spot with hiking trails. There are no accommodations in Rollinsford, so consider staying a half-hour's drive away in Durham, N.H., at Hickory Pond Inn (800/658-0065, hickorypondinn.com).

Hot tip: On Sundays during warm weather months, Front Street in Rollinsford becomes an open-air market. And twice a year, the artists of Salmon Falls Mills open their studios to the public. millartists.com

Credit: msnbc.com; Photo: dogbreeddigest.com