A college classmate in Oregon was from New Jersey and freshman year got up super early to drive to the Oregon coast to watch the sunrise. We kidded him about that for a long while.

I'm just back from a week in Tennessee, adjacent to the Smokies. Took me a frustrating couple of days to get my bearings so that I had a rough map in my head. I'm accustomed to knowing instantly what is N-S-E-W. Easy in DC since the streets are in a grid and the major monuments conform. Was easy growing up in Oregon because of the Cascade Mountains running due north. We lived on Mt. Hood.

I've marveled at my dogs' geospatial sense and recall over the years. They have an uncanny ability to remember specific rowhouses belonging to friends -- even when there are several identical alongside one another and we haven't been there for a long time. The rod iron fences and gates are virtually identical all over my neighborhood.

If I ever get lost and have no map, compass or GPS, I'll trust my pup to find the way home or trailhead.