From a special place between the Milky Way and Earth, a friendly dragon manages to escape the confines of forced retirement and is now attempting to fend for himself in Michigan. As botanist Ernie McCord heads to the Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes with his class from Grand Valley University, he has no idea that he is about to have a chance encounter with Drako, a giant dragon with a giant problem and only one person in mind to help him solve it. Ernie hikes to a summit to view Lake Michigan and sits on what he thinks is a tuft of scrub and sand-only to discover he has accidentally planted himself on Drako's back. After Drako introduces himself, he asks for Ernie's help in finding Bela, his dragon girlfriend. It turns out Drako has heard of Ernie's reputation as a ladies' man and hopes he can use his new friend's experience in his favor. As a bizarre chain of events is set into motion that attract the attention of the media, a Pentagon major, and a circus manager, Ernie is pursued by two former girlfriends-a matter that only complicates his life further. In this amusing tale, a friendly dragon and a man-about-campus become unlikely friends as each embarks on a journey to pursue true love-and their destinies.