GORDON

Gordon is a regular guy, whose only ambition after retirement was to relax, take it easy, and go on a nice little vacation. But no matter how hard he tries, he always seems to end up on the losing end of some misfortune, oddity, or injustice. He wins our hearts because he patiently puts up with Maude's complaining nature and patiently perseveres against all that can happen to him.

You can always spot Gordon in his loud flower shirt, crisp white shorts, and New York ball cap, head down in an unfolded roadmap looking for the next scenic byway, historic marker, or point of interest. Because he is from the north, the world of the deep South--confederate monuments, grits, seersucker, and kudzu--are strange to him. As are the southern folks he meets along the way.