There is no such place as Greenbow, Alabama

I know, I hope this isn't as devastating to you as it was to me. But, it's true. There is no Greenbow, Alabama. Forrest Gump was filmed in South Carolina. South. Carolina.

http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=4860792

However, a place that does exist is Foley, AL which is quite close to the more well known Gulf Shores, AL. We visited my dad and step-mom this weekend and stayed at their 'glamping' resort. I am designating it as 'glamping' because attached to their parking slip for their GIANT RV is a finished 'casita' which has a full bath, fold out sofa-bed, a refrigerator and stocked cabinet. In addition to the casita, there is a finished porch which has a fire place and a grill with a table and fire rock centerpiece thing. It is definitely glamping, there is no roughin' it in their neck of the woods in South Alabama.

While we were there, we got to put our toes in the sand and picked up some more provisions for The Trip. We also gorged ourselves on delicious seafood and had a nice visit with my family. It is nice to see how happy they are and how much they are enjoying their current locale. They have decided that Alabama is not warm enough for the winter months and will be heading down to Florida. I am trying to convince them to visit Harry Potter world in Orlando so they can give us a recommendation when we return. However, I can't imagine that diagon alley could disappoint and if someone told me that it did, I would still probably have to see for myself.

Seattle

Hey! First post! I hope that this blog will allow friends and family to read about and follow the Hedges' adventures around the world. The hubs and I are pretty stoked for our upcoming quest and want to be able to share our experiences as well as record them for us to re-visit when we are old and wrinkled and our memories are fading...

That being said, I thought I would start my efforts at record keeping by documenting my time until The Departure, including our preparation efforts as well as our trips to see as many friends and family as we can before we are out of the country for 10 months! This weekend, the hubs and I were apart and while he celebrated a friend's birthday in Vegas, I spent the weekend in beautiful Seattle. This was my fourth trip to Pacific coast and despite the pervasive dreariness, the city did not disappoint. Visiting a native definitely has it perks when seeing a popular tourist destination. Not only do they know the best modes of transport to and from all the sites, they also know which sites to skip and which ones to make a priority. For instance, my long time beastie advised against going to the top of the Needle (as the price was not worth it) and instead going to a park near her apartment and capturing the skyline. I am thankful for her suggestion as not only did I capture a great scene but also spent some time walking through the nearby neighborhood to see some beautiful, old homes.

As she recently relocated to living in Seattle (instead of nearby Bellevue) we also explored downtown Seattle for the first time. It was quite interesting. City Targets are different than the Targets I frequent in Texas. This includes not only the layout but the type of people that frequent the establishment. As I was in the restroom, for example, I overheard a lady exclaiming her joy about her newly (purchased or shoplifted) underwear. Apparently they fit well and were much cleaner than the pair she was wearing previously. "Woo hoo!" was repeatedly exalted from the stall. It was nice to hear such excitement about underclothing. After the Target and a (couple) happy hour beverages, we happened upon a palm reader and happened to strike a deal. My friend is convinced her fortune is true and she has a new found confidence in some recent decisions. The palm reader/psychic told me I have an abnormal number of worry lines- whatever- she obviously doesn't know me at all...

The highlight of the trip (despite the amazing company) was perhaps the visit to the local (and tiny) restaurant called Biscuit B*tch. It was amazing. For those that know me, know my obsession with good breakfast and this place did not disappoint. It was also accompanied by a full frontal provided by one of the residents of the apartment complex across the street... all in all a palatable and surprising experience- quite indicative of Seattle as a city- there is never a lack of surprises and it is always palatable.