The last time anyone heard from Republican South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford was last Thursday.  And despite conflicting claims coming from his office, his family, his lawyer, and his Lieutenant Governor, everyone can agree on one thing: nobody knows exactly where the governor is.

On Thursday, the conservative former member of the House of Representatives was seen somewhere near Atlanta.  But since then, the Governor has been completely AWOL, with no one from his inner circles- professional or personal- can say definitively where he has gone.

Earlier, Sanford's wife, Jenny, told reporters that he had wanted to write something, and left home so that he could be away from his children.  And although she says she doesn't know precisely where he went, she says that she isn't concerned for his safety.  He was not home for Father's Day this past Sunday.

But Mrs. Sanford's explanation appears to have faded into the background in favor of a new story.  Sanford's lawyer today released a statement saying that the Governor has embarked on a hiking trip along the Appalaichian Trail, a 2,000-mile long path stretching from North Carolina up into New England.  Attorney Joel Sawyer says that it's not unlike Sanford to disappear for a few days to "clear his head."

However, neither Sanford's lawyer, nor anyone in his office, has spoken to the Governor since Thursday.  Lieutenant Governor Andre Bauer, also a Republican, didn't miss the opportunity to release a statement of his own, noting that he "could not ignore" the fact that no one has had any contact with Sanford.  Bauer is running to succeed the term-limited Governor, and has yet to receive his endorsement.

Sanford has been increasingly visible in the national media spotlight, as he's been considered a top contender for the GOP presidential nomination in 2012 should he decide to seek it.  He made headlines earlier this year when he refused to accept some of his state's federal stimulus cash (but his state's Supreme Court recently ruled that he was required to accept it).