As I travel the country this summer I am taking my alma mater’s mascot along for the ride.  I am a proud graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Lowell.  Our sports teams just moved up to NCAA Division I in all programs, competing in Hockey East since 1984 for Hockey, and America East in all other sports.   Our mascot is Rowdy the River Hawk.

Why is Rowdy coming along for the ride? You can thank Boston Magazine’s Digital Editor Garrett Quinn, who used to write for my conservative blog Red Mass Group.  He takes Wally the Green Monster across the country with him, and posts the pictures to Twitter and Instagram.  I asked him who he thought I should take with me, and his suggestion was my college’s mascot.  That’s how the idea was born.

It’s been five short days since Rowdy has started his trip and he’s gone from Shrewsbury, MA to just east of Cleveland on the shore of Lake Erie.

You can follow Rowdy’s journey by following either me on Twitter @robeno, or by following the hashtag #rowdyroadtrip

Here are some of the places Rowdy has been so far.

Rowdy visits #GreenportNY on Long Island @RiverHawkNation #rowdyroadtrip pic.twitter.com/uMxNhB8LGP

— Rob Eno (@Robeno) June 6, 2015

Rowdy visited the home of his rivals @SBAthletics on #rowdyroadtrip @AmericaEast @RiverHawkBB pic.twitter.com/ZBOI6nheGw

— Rob Eno (@Robeno) June 6, 2015

Rowdy meets interesting folk on the Q Train #rowdyroadtrip @RiverHawkNation @AmericaEast http://t.co/xwpUc7HeqK pic.twitter.com/jv1uMfca5E

— Rob Eno (@Robeno) June 7, 2015

Rowdy is celebrating the @RiverHawkHockey dominance over @PUTIGERS by nibbling a nose #rowdyroadtrip @hockey_east pic.twitter.com/6HKZfcteJp

— Rob Eno (@Robeno) June 7, 2015

Rowdy misses @nfl #Boston Bulldogs & visited their 1stcity #pottsvillePA #rowdyroadtrip #freebrady @RiverHawkNation pic.twitter.com/CHECnruvfy

— Rob Eno (@Robeno) June 8, 2015

Rowdy’s scouting out @PennStateHockey for the next time @RiverHawkHockey visits and wins #rowdyroadtrip #unitedinblue pic.twitter.com/OzyJai1jJz

— Rob Eno (@Robeno) June 9, 2015