Welcome to JOYFUL REFLECTIONS. Also welcome to MARCH!!!! My header picture this month is a photo I took of the pretty Crocus blooms in our yard... The Crocuses and Daffodils are the first signs of spring here in Tennessee. I am definitely ready for SPRING...

Monday, April 17, 2017

Caesars Head State Park,SC and Raven Cliff Falls 3/22/17

View from Caesars Head State Park, SC  
This is part of Day 2 of our little trip to North and South Carolina in March... IF you missed Day 1,  click HERE to see that post..   On Day 2,  we left our beautiful inn in Cashiers (Laurelwood Inn) and headed to Caesars Head State Park  (over the border into South Carolina) not too far from Brevard, NC.   We enjoyed the views from Caesars Head and the hike down to see the 'head'.  At 3,266 feet above sea level along the Blue Ridge Escarpment, Caesars Head provides a panoramic view of the mountain country.  The views extend into North Carolina and Georgia...  They are AMAZING.

After leaving there,  we drove to the nearby trailhead where we took a LONG hike to the first overlook where we could see Raven Cliff Falls...  This was my FIRST long hike since being sick ---so even though I did it,  I didn't find this hike nearly as enjoyable as many others we take... BUT--since we had not seen this 420 feet waterfall,  we really did want to see it and were glad we went.

Maybe in the future,  we can continue on the trail and get closer to that huge waterfall...  We would both enjoy it much better if we were closer so that we could get better pictures...  ALSO---there wasn't too much water coming over the falls...  SO---sometime,  we may go back!!!!!

Here are some pictures from that day...  IF you ever get to this area,  be sure and check out Caesars Head State Park.


George took my picture at Caesars Head State Park at one of the spectacular overlooks.



A little different view from Caesars Head State Park,  SC;   That is Table Rock in the distance.



We hiked down along the edge of the mountain to check out the 'head'..  See George on our trail?



We hiked down through the rocks on that little trail.... (Someone did a great job 'building' this trail!)



Here's Caesars HEAD....  See it?????
There are many stories about how Caesars Head got its name... That surely is NOT the head of Julius Caesar---but you might ask,  which Caesar?????   Some say that the name came from an early mountaineer's dog....  Who knows?  BUT--it was neat to see.  If you want to read more about Caesars Head,  click HERE.


Raven Cliff Falls 3/22/17  (with my long lens)



UPPER part of Raven Cliff Falls with my long lens;  (You can see the little bridge across this huge waterfall.)



Lower part or Raven Cliff Falls  (with my long lens)



Us at the overlook for Raven Cliff Falls 3/22/17
It was QUITE cool and VERY WINDY at that overlook... I needed my handsome man to warm me up a bit!!!!   I'll admit that "I" was a bit unhappy with this waterfall after such a long hike, with lots of elevation changes...   I was proud of myself for making the hike --but was hoping that we could see it better and that there would have been more water coming over the falls...    AND--the additional hike to the bridge across the waterfall would have added a few more miles to an already long hike...   Maybe SOMEDAY we will go back...  I did finish the day with 6.7 miles on my FITBIT (over 16,000 steps)...  SO--I was happy that I could do what I did!!!

Well---I don't want to discourage anyone from hiking to Raven Cliff Falls..  It was mostly me --just getting over a month's respiratory illness.    BUT--I will say that I really loved Caesars Head..  There are picnic tables on top of that escarpment ---so if you are in the area,  stop by and check it out and take a picnic lunch.

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Hope you had an awesome EASTER..  We certainly did.   For us Christians,  this (along with Christmas),  is one of the highlights of the year.  Christ has RISEN.  Alleluia!!!!!!!

Have a great week.

Hugs,