We may not all be as romantic — or wealthy — as the famed True Love in the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” but with a little bit of imagination and creativity, you can find some version of each of the gifts from the popular Christmas song somewhere in the Peach state. Of course, some items may need to be modified to add a little local flavor.
Below is a scavenger hunt of sorts of where you could find each of these items in Georgia.
A Partridge In A Pear Tree
While you could certainly find or plant a pear tree in Georgia, this is the peach state, so we strongly suggest a trip to one of Georgia’s peach farms.
Now, finding a partridge in Georgia could be a tall order, as partridges are not native to the state and are more commonly found on other continents with a few in the northwestern U.S.
However, were you to visit some of the aforementioned peach farms, you would be sure to find a pigeon, which Georgia has an abundance of, sitting in a peach tree.
One such peach farm is Jaemor Farms in Alto, Georgia. The farm has been owned by the Echols family since 1912 and was once known as Echols Orchards. The farms current name is an homage to its current owners, J.immy A.llen E.chols and Valvoreth Mor.rison Echols.
Turtle Doves
Turtle Doves are a symbol of enduring love and constant companionship. Georgians don’t need to look to birds to find this kind of enduring love. Georgia has its own couple that embodies the essence of the Turtle Doves in former president Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn.
The Peach State’s presidential pair has been going strong for more than 75 years. While a marriage that long is amazing for several reasons, the Carters have also been married longer than any president and first lady in American history. Jimmy Carter is also the oldest living and longest-lived president in history.
The Carters had their first date back in 1945.
French Hens
Georgia isn’t located in France, so French Hens certainly aren’t native to the Peach State. However, Georgia residents who are inclined to go hunting — and there are many of them — may want to try hunting marsh hens.
You can find marsh hens on St. Simons and Jekyll Islands and Georgia Charter Fishing can take you out on such a hunt.
If marsh hens don’t sound familiar to you, they are also known as rail birds.
Calling Birds
One of the mysteries of “The Twelve Days of Christmas” is the meaning of the four calling birds. No one is quite sure what kind of birds are intended here. In Georgia, we like to name sports teams after such calling birds and there’s no shortage of those in the Peach State.
If Football is your sport, you can of course watch the Atlanta Falcons. If you’re not a Falcons fan or just can’t bear to watch the last half of Falcons games, you may prefer to watch the Atlanta Hawks play basketball.
If college sports are more your style, Kennesaw State University has the Owls and Georgia Southern’s mascot is the Eagle.
Together those are four types of calling birds in four different sports teams you can find in Georgia.
Golden Rings
For the five golden rings, we could send you to any jewelry store at any mall in the state — but what fun would that be. Georgia has its own golden rings that are the stuff of legend.
Those golden rings come to you in the form of onion rings at The Varsity in downtown Atlanta.
In addition to the onion rings, you can get chili dogs and the restaurant’s popular Frosted Orange Shake.
Geese-A-Laying
Georgia has plenty of actual geese, so there’s no need for any sort of substitution here, but we can’t promise the birds will be actively laying eggs.
One of the best places to spot Geese in Georgia is at the Bradley Unit of the Eufaula National Wildlife Reserve. Here you can find several kinds of water fowl including Greater White-fronted geese.
Swans-A-Swimming
You could try to find real swans swimming around a lake, but you could also visit one of Buckhead’s most well-known landmarks, The Swan Coach House.
Part of the Atlanta History Center campus, the coach house has a gift shop, restaurant and art gallery, as well as spaces for events you may want to host.
While you’re there, you can eat a Georgia Peach Chicken Sandwich. For those who are unfamiliar, it is a chicken sandwich served with peach butter, and if you’re going on a tour of all things Georgia, you won’t want to miss it.
Maids-A-Milking
You’re probably not going to find any maids milking in the modern world, but you can see the fruits of their labors at one of Georgia’s many dairy farms.
Three such farms you can visit are Mayfield Dairy Farms in Marietta,Mountain Fresh Creamery in Clermont and Godfrey Dairy Farm in Madison.
These farms usually offer tours, milking demonstrations and product samples and make a great educational experienced for children.
Ladies Dancing
What better place to find nine ladies dancing than at The Georgia Ballet?
Headquartered in Marietta, the ballet has been in operation since the 1960s and is made up of national and internationally-renowned dancers.
Lords-A-Leaping
While you can also find Lords-A-Leaping at the Georgia Ballet, there are other places where these talented Lords can practice their leaping.
The Georgia Academy of Dance and the Performing Arts in Peachtree City and Newnan bills itself as one of the southeast’s premier schools for performing arts education. It was established in 1990 by Founder and Artistic Director, Sherri Davis.
Pipers Piping
If you head down to Talbotton in middle Georgia, you can find the oldest functioning Pilcher pipe organ in the United States.
The organ sits in the gallery of Zion Episcopal Church in Talbotton.
While the church no longer has a congregation, it is maintained by St. Nicholas Episcopal Church. The organ is still there, still functions and is occasionally played.
Drummers Drumming
For the sounds of drummer drumming, you can find the Atlanta Ol Skool Drummers in Atlanta.
The drummers are an adult drumline established in 2005 to preserve the traditional marching percussion art and rudimental techniques.
The drumline’s members consist of CEOs, presidents, Vice-presidents, educators, insurance agents, policemen, medical professionals, musicians, real estate agents, retirees, truck drivers, IT Geeks, and philanthropists, according to the group’s website.
This completes our tour of the Peach State’s 12 Days of Christmas offerings. We hope you were entertained.
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