Photo by Debra Roinestad, Caesars Head Overlook (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
Thirsty for some adventure? Then take the higher ground! Get your thrills quenched at Caesars Head State Park. Caesars Head is a mountain within Caesars Head State Park in northern Greenville County, South Carolina. The Summit has an elevation of 3,215 feet. The trail is well maintained and about 14 miles from Greenville S.C.
Video: Caesars Head Overlook by Fradella Hikes
Caesars Head got its name because there are a series of steep steps that lead down a narrow passageway between two massive rocks.
Photo by Kurt Roinestad (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022Photo by Kurt Roinestad (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
Many have said that it is called Caesar’s head because the rocks resemble the profile of Julius Caesar. I agree…lol. 😅
Photo by Ilona Frey, Julius Caesar (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
Here are 3 Reasons to Visit Caesars Head at Caesars Head State Park
Photo by Debra Roinestad, Caesars Head Overlook (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
Easy Hiking
Photo by Jon Flobrant (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
This is the perfect place for beginners and families. You can stop by the overlook to get fantastic views. Then if you are up for the challenge, there are moderate to strenuous hikes. The mountain bridge wilderness links to Caesars Head and Jones Gap State Parks.
Bird Watching
Photo by Richard Lee (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
From September through November thousands of migrating raptors soar upwards and hang around the rocky outcrop to conserve their energy as they migrate to their winter ranges.
Gifts, Gifts, Gifts!
Photo by Caley Dimmock (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
Due to the large volume of visitors arriving daily, the Visitors’ Center makes sure they have a very large stock of items for sale. So, before or after your hike, visit their lovely gift shop. They have jewelry, coffee mugs, books, hiking equipment, and T-shirts. They sell fun items for dogs too.
So, consider adding this exciting destination to the top of your list when visiting South Carolina.
Rock, paper, scissors? Of course, I always choose rocks! There is a beauty within every single rock that can be found during a long walk in the woods. And for all the rock hounds in the house… here are the 8 precious rocks that can be found in the woods of SC. Plus, many other gemstones are waiting to be discovered.
Photo: LilArtsy (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
Clear Crystal Quartz
Photo: Benjamin Lehman, (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
Clear Crystal Quartz is known for brining the body back to balance. It is a crystal that amplify energy and is very restorative. Crystal quartz is a chemical compound consisting of one part silicon and two parts oxygen. It is silicon dioxide (SiO2). It is the most abundant crystal found at Earth’s surface, and its unique properties make it one of the most useful natural substances.
Photo: Jene Yeo, (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
Citrine
Photo: Benjamin Lehman, (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
Citrine is associated with positivity and positive optimism. Citrine is a transparent variety of quartz, a member of the silicates family. Citrine comes in variety of colors from yellow, yellowish brown, and smoky gray-brown.
Photo: Debra Roinestad, (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
Smoky Quartz
Photo: Esther Verdu, (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
Smoky quartz are minerals that frequently contain inclusions of gas (carbon dioxide), liquid (often both water and carbon dioxide), or solids (rutile). In the 12th century in China, smoky quartz flat panes were used as sunglasses. Smoky quartz is used as an amplifier of positive energy, and a talisman for energy protection.
Photo: Esther Verdu, (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
Milky Quartz
Photo: Who-Is-Denilo, (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
Milky quartz is any crystal quartz or cluster that is white in color, and translucent to opaque. This crystal is commonly known as the “phantom quartz” because inside the crystal has a ghostly appearance…it is a crystal within a crystal. Milky quartz is a chemical compound consisting of one part silicon and two parts oxygen…it is silicon dioxide (SiO2). Many have considered this stone to be known as a symbol of purity, along with the age of innocence.
Photo: Debra Roinestad, Combination: Milky Quartz & Clear Crystal with Smoky Quartz, (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
Mica
Photo: Debra Roinestad, (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
Mica has industrial uses such as electrical engineering, glass working, lamp shades, and cosmetics like highlighters. Mica is an aluminum mineral called phyllosilicate. Mica has been used as an amulet for protection and bringing positive energy back into your life.
Amethyst
Photo: Jen Theodore (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
Amethyst is a semiprecious quartz variant with a distinctive purple color. Both North Carolina and South Carolina are hotspots for amethyst due to the soil’s high content of crystal and iron. When amethysts is heated treated, it becomes yellow like its cousin citrine. In ancient Greece, amethysts was used as drinking vessels. Amethyst is known to be a healing crystal to help alleviate stress.
Photo: Ilze Lucero, (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
Aquamarine
(c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
Aquamarine aids in calming the mind and helps with self-expression. Aquamarine is the mineral Beryl, a Beryllium Aluminum Silicate with the chemical formula Be3Al2(Si16O18). In ancient times, sailors carried aquamarine with them to the sea, believing it would prevent them from drowning. Aquamarine is a popular stone for engagement rings. Overall, aquamarine is associated with tranquility and universal harmony. It’s connected to life in all its vitality and hope.
Henderson Gneiss
Photo: Debra Roinestad, (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
I fondly call this rock, the ‘zebra rock’ because the striation looks like a zebra. 🦓 🙂 Genesis is a metamorphic rock that can easily be identified by its alternating layers of minerals known as gneissic banding. It is formed by high temperature and high-pressure metamorphic processes acting on formations composed of igneous or sedimentary rocks. Some genesis contains larger crystals such as, quartz, feldspar, mica, chlorite, and other clay minerals. Genesis has been used for beautiful floor tiles, facing stone, stair treads, window sills, countertops, and cemetery monuments.
“These gems have life in them: their color speak, say what words fail of.” -George Eliot
Photo: Susan Wilkinson, (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
What makes rocks so mystical?
Throughout history, many have used rocks and crystals for healing purposes.
It has helped restore comfort during stress and calmness during times of grief. I have found much comfort in my rock collection.
Here is an article from Healthline on Healing Crystals 101
Rockhounding for Beginners (Your Comprehensive Guide to Finding and Collecting Precious Minerals, Gems, Geodes, & More) by Lars W Johnson (To purchase click on the image)
Rockhounding in South Carolina: Rock Gathering Log Book for Local Backyard Geology Enthusiasts | An Incredible Journal for Collecting & Cataloguing Rocks and Minerals (To purchase click on the image)
National Geographic Pocket Guide to Rocks and Minerals of North America (Pocket Guides) (To purchase click on the image)
The Crystal Bible by Judy Hall (To purchase click on the image)
Crystals for Beginners: The Guide to Get Started with the Healing Power of Crystals by Karen Frazier (To purchase click on the image)
Looking for a fun place to explore? Family-friendly…check! Easy hiking…check! Fun and relaxing events…check! Then Hagood Mill Historic Site is the place for you.
Hagood Mill is a water-powered gristmill from 1845 built by James Hagood. The mill is still functioning to this day! Just simply watching the beautiful waterwheel rotating gently can be calming, washing the stress away.
(c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
Hagood Water Wheel
At Hagood Mill there are adorable chickens and roosters that walk around freely greeting everyone.
Rooster from the Banjo Extravaganza Last Summer
Antique Gears from the Hagood Mill, (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
On Saturday once a month grits, corn meal, and flour products are made. I purchased the grits and have to admit that it’s extremely delicious. So be sure to purchase a bag of corn grits at the Hagood Mill Mercantile when you stop on by. 😀👍
Corn Grits from the Hagood Mill Mercantile, (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
Last month, I was at the ECSIT first Pow Wow event. It is a lovely celebration of American Indian culture in which people from diverse indigenous nations gather for the purpose of dancing, singing, and honoring their ancestors.
ECSIT first Pow Wow Event, (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
ECSIT first Pow Wow Event, (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
A very kind dancer let me take a picture with him. (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
Hagood Mill Heritage Pavilion, (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
Refrigerator Man
Refrigerator Man magnet from the Hagood Mill Mercantile, (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
And last but not least refrigerator man. Yes, you read that right…refrigerator man. He is one of the many petroglyph images discovered in 2003 at the Hagood Creek by Michael Bramlett. He was named refrigerator man because of his large blocky body. There is a museum within the area where you can enjoy a narrated light show and see the actual large boulder. The museum also has a section of Native American artifacts as well. A must visit!
Petroglyphs, (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
Petroglyph at Hagood Mill Historical Site
Hope you stop on by and visit this wonderful historical site.
The raccoons are back in town. Kurt and I set the trail cameras further in the back of our cabin. See the previous post. The trail for the raccoons is very narrow and we had to crawl under a large fallen tree. Glad we did that! The raccoons here are very shy and difficult to capture on video. Also, see the previous post from February of raccoon on the trail camera here. Enjoy!
We have some neighbors…wild turkeys! These cuties have been stopping by our cabin for about two years. Did you know that turkeys fly up to 55 mph? Here are fun facts about turkeys, click here
Kind Regards, Debra Roinestad 🌿
Wild Turkeys, Trail Camera, (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
Wild Turkeys, Trail Camera, (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
Wild Turkeys, Trail Camera, (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
The back of our woods belongs to bears that hibernate and start poking around for food and adventure during the Spring. I wanted to set up some new trail cameras to catch some of the action. I gathered up my hiking equipment and had a fun yet, grueling two-hour hike through the woods behind our cabin. The trail was once a logging road…I’m guessing back in the 1800s. Now it is overgrown with trees and mountain laurel. It winds through steep rolling hills. I wore my sturdiest boots since snake season had just arrived. The woods are mature, but you can still see signs of an old farm including rusty strands of barbed wire and the remnants of a shed.
We researched and decided on the Visionner 4.0 WiFi 830 Trail Camera, though there are many other excellent trail cameras out there. The camera has a function that captures high-quality images and videos with night vision. The images can download directly to an app on your cellphone if you are within 60 feet of the camera.
App. for the Visionner 4.0 WiFi 830 Trail Camera. (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
Black Bear and Cubs. (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022Hiking Trail, (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022Hiking Trail, The Comfy Cabin, 2022Hiking Trail, The Comfy Cabin, 2022Debra (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022Kurt (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
The trees in this area are covered in a blanket of moss. It was challenging to find the right tree with the correct thickness to hold the cameras steady. Trail cameras need to wrap securely around the tree trunk with velcro straps. We encountered a small brown snake and an adorable ‘spiny lizard.’
Spiny Lizard (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022Moss (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
There were bear tracks along the area during our hike. So, I’m hopeful we will get some footage! I’m excited to share the trail camera images with you.
Hi Friends, Here is a family of raccoons that come and visit at night. My trail camera captured these cuties sneaking around the back of the woods. It was a rainy day in February, but the late-night munchies did not stop these from raccoons searching around for a snack. Now, given this situation…I can relate! 😆 Warm Regards, Debra
Raccoons (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
Raccoons (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
According to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR), raccoons are monogamous and breed primarily in late winter (January and February) after their first or second year. Following a gestation period of approximately 2 months, females give birth in April or May to a litter of two to four pups in a hollow den tree. Female raccoons wean their young at 16 weeks and continue to care for them for approximately 9 months. Raccoons inhabit most of the United States, including all of South Carolina, with population densities being higher along coastal areas than inland.
One of the many reasons I like to visit Table Rock State Park is that I can visit the funky mallard duck that swims by each day. But seriously, it’s one of the best places to go and chill during the week or weekend. The visitors center has an adorable shop and lovely sales on hoodies, blankets, hats, and home decor.
Mallard Duck, (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022Dock, Table Rock State Park, (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
Then there’s a dock where you can admire a closer view of Table Rock Mountain. That’s where I met my funky duck friend. Watch him on youtube here. Also, you can rent paddle boats or canoes during the summer months.
Table Rock State Park, (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022Table Rock State Park, (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
This place is magical. If you are visiting South Carolina, stop by to refresh and renew.
I just love these twinkle lights at night. It gets very dark here in the woods so these lights add a little comfort and enjoyment. You can brighten your home with these lights too. I listed them below this page or click on the link here. Plus, other lovely garden lights that I have used to decorate around the cabin.
Solar Garden Lights (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022Solar Garden Lights (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
My Favorite Amazon Finds
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