The trip begins......

We began the 2010 trip today. Out from St. Augustine at 0715- up to the Georgia Welcome Center, a stop at Flying J in Brunswick for fuel and breakfast, then on to MM 94 to a Wal Mart stop to drop the car, then Gazza, Rayles and I headed on down to downtown Savannah. We stopped at the Savannah History Museum, primarily to see the bench that was used as a prop in "Forest Gump." We did see that and luckily there was a nice quilting display, so that was a bonus. Then we headed out to try to find the actual site of the filming, we first tried manual directions, and a map, fail, then we stopped and loaded in the directions on the GPS. Almost fail. Turns out the location is not marked at all- it's in one of the many pretty city squares in town. Garry and Raylene finally decided amongst themselves where the site most probably was, and as I was about to take a picture, one of the tour trollys came by and said over the speaker "Right where those two tourists are standing is the spot where the bench scene was filmed for Forrest Gump. " So success. We then made a quick stop down town to River Street, got a Savannah pin, and then we headed back to Wal Mart to shop a little for foodstuffs and then hooked the car back up and off we headed 129 miles up the road to our

stop for the night, Summerton SC.

After we got in and set up, we took the Hartmans up to the next exit so they could get a room at the Day's Inn, which they got at a good price, and then we tried to go out to dinner at the Summerton Diner, which I had thought was closed, and sure enough, it was. Back down the road 10 miles to a Cracker Barrel for dinner. We tried and failed to get to a Dairy Queen for Gary.

Tomorrow is a special breakfast at the Summerton Diner with a former schoolmate from Newberry College whom I haven't seen since 1966, and then on up to Dillon, SC to Pedro's South of the Border, then on to Wilmington NC, to see another classmate from Beaufort High and her husband.

happy to be on the trip!!!