In this feature (which will consist of five posts), I’ll count down my top happy hour spots of 2011 – not necessarily a bar, but absolutely a place to put your feet up over conversation and a beverage. These are places I’ve been, where I’ve laughed. Writing these pieces has been tough in terms of heavy nostalgia – they are some of my top memories from the past year – and I want more.

Coming in at #5 is the dock at Eagle Island (a private island off the coast of Georgia), where I spent a week hanging out in early November. We downed bourbon from conch shells, drank coffee on the screened-in porch as the sun came up, and swam naked on the beaches of Sapelo Island.

The lodge wasn’t the only comfort – the entire property was designed by owner Andy Hill with relaxation and nature on the brain – and I took to the dock with a few beers, the wind coming off the Darien River keeping the bugs off my legs. I sat and overlooked the water, watching the currents flow and the tall grass sway, feeling and hearing the sounds of nature that come along with the remoteness of Eagle Island.

The real treat comes as happy hour winds down: When you’re ready, pull up one of the crab traps and head back to the house for a seafood boil.

Enjoy these photos and look into planning a trip – spot #4 coming next week.