WARNING - This post contains references to quail hunting and fried southern food, which some people may find offensive. If you're in that group, please have a Salade niçoise and call someone who cares.
I may have mentioned that I was about to celebrate one of those milestone birthdays. Well internets, what I forgot to tell you was HOW I was going to celebrate it.
About a year ago, I made the choice to welcome my 60th with the SOUTHERN TRIFECTA: Fried Food, Alcohol and Firearms. After some research, I decided the perfect place to enjoy most of what makes the South GREAT was Pine Hill Plantation in Donalsonville, Georgia.
Don't make the mistake I made.
I waited until I turned 60 to discover Pine Hill Plantation.
If I was smarter (Can I help it that my parents had me when we were living under those power lines? Some things you just can't fix), I'd been coming here since I was big enough to cradle a shotgun.
That's right, in my 30s.
Pine Hill is a slice of southern-fried heaven in the heart of Georgia quail country. Their specialty is guided hunts through forests full of 40-50 foot pines, briars, wire grass and gnarly old oak trees. Transportation is via horseback or mule-drawn wagon.
The game is wild. The guides are courteous and professional. Everyone has a southern charm that makes you feel like you've been adopted by that Sandra Bullock family in the Blind Side.
Internets, you're probably saying to yourself, "Bob promised the SOUTHERN TRIFECTA of FIREARMS, ALCOHOL and FRIED FOOD. I'm no good at cipherin' but I only count ONE."
If you did that math in your head, congratulations. And, you're right.
The accommodations are spectacular (our "lodge" was a two-story, nine-bedroom, eleven-bathroom manor house built in 2014). The food is even better - from dinners featuring fried quail, steak, and shrimp and grits - to country breakfasts with sausage gravy, made-from-scratch biscuits, bacon, sausage and wild mayhaw jelly.
Alcohol was included and a fully stocked, help-yourself bar had our favorite beers, wines and liquors.
We thought we'd died and gone to outdoor sportsman's heaven.
Pine Hill Plantation carries the endorsements of Orvis, Beretta and now, The Boomer Brief. Owners Doug and Jackie Coe are two of the friendliest people you'll ever meet.
They didn't just give me a great place to celebrate my milestone birthday.
Getting There
Fly to Tallahassee, FL and the Pine Hill van will pick you up. The lodge is in Donalsonville, GA - about a 90-minute drive from the airport.
Contact
Jackie Coe
Reservations
Main Office 229-758-2464
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