Not equal! Not even the same substance. Real coal is a mineral that forms underground over millions of years. Charcoal is the chunks of carbon that are left over when you burn something organic. We can analyze these remains to find information about the original substance, but you won't see something like a poisonous tree making poisonous charcoal - what comes out of the fire isn't the original wood anymore.

Even coal-coal isn't all the same. The hardness and percentage of impurities means it burns differently, so certain grades of coal are better for power plants vs industrial use. Go to any coal mining town in Pennsylvania if you're prepared to learn a lot about the superior qualities of anthracite coal.

What makes West Hartford miserable to drive in for me is the combination of through-traffic with people pulling in and out of the roadside parking spaces, and then pedestrians coming out from between the cars. There is too much going on.

Connecticut really doesn't have good geodes. Our crystals are mostly in pegamites - which basically means they grow mixed up with hard rock, not in pockets that can be split open.

There are a couple rock shops near the coast that have break-your-own geodes, though. That might be a good place to start.