here we go

parks/forms.py

@@ -3,48 +3,89 @@ from django.urls import reverse_lazy
 from .models import Park
 from cities_light.models import Country, Region, City
 
+class LocationFilterForm(forms.Form):
+    country = forms.CharField(
+        required=False,
+        widget=forms.TextInput(attrs={
+            'class': 'w-full border-gray-300 rounded-lg form-input dark:border-gray-600 dark:bg-gray-700 dark:text-white',
+            'placeholder': 'Select or type a country',
+            'hx-get': reverse_lazy('parks:country_search'),
+            'hx-trigger': 'focus, input',
+            'hx-target': '#country-results',
+            'autocomplete': 'off'
+        })
+    )
+    region = forms.CharField(
+        required=False,
+        widget=forms.TextInput(attrs={
+            'class': 'w-full border-gray-300 rounded-lg form-input dark:border-gray-600 dark:bg-gray-700 dark:text-white',
+            'placeholder': 'Select or type a region/state',
+            'hx-get': reverse_lazy('parks:region_search'),
+            'hx-trigger': 'focus, input',
+            'hx-target': '#region-results',
+            'autocomplete': 'off'
+        })
+    )
+    city = forms.CharField(
+        required=False,
+        widget=forms.TextInput(attrs={
+            'class': 'w-full border-gray-300 rounded-lg form-input dark:border-gray-600 dark:bg-gray-700 dark:text-white',
+            'placeholder': 'Select or type a city',
+            'hx-get': reverse_lazy('parks:city_search'),
+            'hx-trigger': 'focus, input',
+            'hx-target': '#city-results',
+            'autocomplete': 'off'
+        })
+    )
+
 class ParkForm(forms.ModelForm):
     # Hidden fields for actual model relations
     country = forms.ModelChoiceField(queryset=Country.objects.all(), required=True, widget=forms.HiddenInput())
     region = forms.ModelChoiceField(queryset=Region.objects.all(), required=False, widget=forms.HiddenInput())
     city = forms.ModelChoiceField(queryset=City.objects.all(), required=False, widget=forms.HiddenInput())
     
-    # Visible fields for Awesomplete
+    # Visible fields for Alpine.js
     country_name = forms.CharField(
         label="Country",
+        required=True,
         widget=forms.TextInput(attrs={
             'class': 'w-full border-gray-300 rounded-lg form-input dark:border-gray-600 dark:bg-gray-700 dark:text-white',
-            'placeholder': 'Start typing a country name...',
+            'placeholder': 'Select or type a country',
+            'data-autocomplete': 'true'
         })
     )
+    
     region_name = forms.CharField(
         label="Region/State",
         required=False,
         widget=forms.TextInput(attrs={
             'class': 'w-full border-gray-300 rounded-lg form-input dark:border-gray-600 dark:bg-gray-700 dark:text-white',
-            'placeholder': 'Start typing a region/state name...',
+            'placeholder': 'Select or type a region/state',
+            'data-autocomplete': 'true'
         })
     )
+    
     city_name = forms.CharField(
         label="City",
         required=False,
         widget=forms.TextInput(attrs={
             'class': 'w-full border-gray-300 rounded-lg form-input dark:border-gray-600 dark:bg-gray-700 dark:text-white',
-            'placeholder': 'Start typing a city name...',
+            'placeholder': 'Select or type a city',
+            'data-autocomplete': 'true'
         })
     )
 
     class Meta:
         model = Park
-        fields = ['name', 'country', 'region', 'city', 'description', 'owner', 'status', 
-                 'opening_date', 'closing_date', 'operating_season', 'size_acres', 'website']
+        fields = ['name', 'description', 'owner', 'status', 'opening_date', 'closing_date',
+                 'operating_season', 'size_acres', 'website', 'country', 'region', 'city']
         widgets = {
             'name': forms.TextInput(attrs={
                 'class': 'w-full border-gray-300 rounded-lg form-input dark:border-gray-600 dark:bg-gray-700 dark:text-white'
             }),
             'description': forms.Textarea(attrs={
-                'rows': 4,
-                'class': 'w-full border-gray-300 rounded-lg form-textarea dark:border-gray-600 dark:bg-gray-700 dark:text-white'
+                'class': 'w-full border-gray-300 rounded-lg form-textarea dark:border-gray-600 dark:bg-gray-700 dark:text-white',
+                'rows': 4
             }),
             'owner': forms.Select(attrs={
                 'class': 'w-full border-gray-300 rounded-lg form-select dark:border-gray-600 dark:bg-gray-700 dark:text-white'
@@ -79,15 +120,26 @@ class ParkForm(forms.ModelForm):
         super().__init__(*args, **kwargs)
         instance = kwargs.get('instance')
         if instance:
-            if instance.country:
-                self.fields['country_name'].initial = instance.country.name
-                self.fields['country'].initial = instance.country
-            if instance.region:
-                self.fields['region_name'].initial = instance.region.name
-                self.fields['region'].initial = instance.region
-            if instance.city:
-                self.fields['city_name'].initial = instance.city.name
-                self.fields['city'].initial = instance.city
+            try:
+                if instance.country:
+                    self.fields['country_name'].initial = instance.country.name
+                    self.fields['country'].initial = instance.country
+            except Country.DoesNotExist:
+                pass
+
+            try:
+                if instance.region:
+                    self.fields['region_name'].initial = instance.region.name
+                    self.fields['region'].initial = instance.region
+            except Region.DoesNotExist:
+                pass
+
+            try:
+                if instance.city:
+                    self.fields['city_name'].initial = instance.city.name
+                    self.fields['city'].initial = instance.city
+            except City.DoesNotExist:
+                pass
 
     def clean(self):
         cleaned_data = super().clean()
@@ -95,12 +147,26 @@ class ParkForm(forms.ModelForm):
         region_name = cleaned_data.get('region_name')
         city_name = cleaned_data.get('city_name')
 
+        # Get or create default country if needed
+        default_country = Country.objects.first()
+        if not default_country:
+            default_country = Country.objects.create(
+                name='Unknown',
+                name_ascii='Unknown',
+                slug='unknown',
+                geoname_id=0,
+                alternate_names='',
+                search_names='Unknown'
+            )
+
         if country_name:
             try:
                 country = Country.objects.get(name__iexact=country_name)
                 cleaned_data['country'] = country
             except Country.DoesNotExist:
-                self.add_error('country_name', 'Invalid country name')
+                cleaned_data['country'] = default_country
+        else:
+            raise forms.ValidationError("Country is required")
 
         if region_name and cleaned_data.get('country'):
             try:
@@ -110,7 +176,7 @@ class ParkForm(forms.ModelForm):
                 )
                 cleaned_data['region'] = region
             except Region.DoesNotExist:
-                self.add_error('region_name', 'Invalid region name for selected country')
+                cleaned_data['region'] = None
 
         if city_name and cleaned_data.get('region'):
             try:
@@ -120,6 +186,6 @@ class ParkForm(forms.ModelForm):
                 )
                 cleaned_data['city'] = city
             except City.DoesNotExist:
-                self.add_error('city_name', 'Invalid city name for selected region')
+                cleaned_data['city'] = None
 
         return cleaned_data