Classic Cars, Cool Caverns, and a Climbing Course

[Part TWO of the trip I took with the twins back east over Spring Break]

On Day 3 of our trip (Day 1 was mostly car & air travel, and Day 2 was mostly in Baltimore), we headed to the Luray Caverns in the Shenandoah Valley. This was on my itinerary from the trip 4 years ago when I went with Ammon, but due to freezing rain on the day we'd intended to go there, it never happened. I thought it would be nice to break up our days in the city with a day in the country. Quinn had to work that day, so it was just Lisa who joined us (she'd taken the week off of work). She drove us there in her car. We had decided to sleep in, since we got in so late the night before, so while we waited for Lisa to finish getting ready, I walked around their yard and enjoyed the beauty of spring! They were several weeks ahead of our season in Idaho, and it was nice to see blooming flowers already!

Their side yard

Front yard and house

Back yard and shed

The drive took about an hour and 15 minutes from her house. It was a pretty day, and we enjoyed the drive and looking all the country landscapes. We were going to stop at Foam Henge on the way, in Centreville Virginia, but they were closed for the months of January-March, so we were unable to stop and see it (I got this image from the internet).

When we arrived in Luray, we got tickets for the next tour time of the caverns, and we wandered around the car and carriage museum and the gift shop while we waited. The museum was pretty amazing, and the pristine cars were organized by their date of production. It went from the carriage age (pre-motor era) to classic Model cars in the early and mid 1900's. 

We were in a large group that was in between groups of kids on a field trip. There was one particular person in our group that we had to keep waiting for because they kept stopping and setting up their tripod to take photos, and the tour guide had to keep going back to get them to bring them up to the rest of the group, which was annoying. The tour lasted about an hour and a half, and the views inside were absolutely spectacular! Luray Caverns is the largest cave system in Eastern America. The caverns are privately owned, so there were things in this cave you wouldn't see in a cave owned by the National Park Service. There was a stalactite organ, with cords attached to different stalactites to make different natural pitched sounds when tapped, and it played a song. There was a pond where people throw pennies in (they collect the money every year and donate it to children's hospitals), and the copper has turned the water a beautiful aquarium color. There was walking paths where the stalagmites protruded through, and we walked right past. There was some stalactites that people used to break off and keep when the caverns were first discovered, and you can see their broken bits at the end of the tour. There was a also a unique formation called "fried eggs" from when two stalactites got broken during construction of the paths, and people touched them over time creating a rounded, shiny appearance. The entire pathway throughout is paved, which is wonderful, and the rooms were SO open and spacious. It was a wonderful experience and I recommend it to anyone who visits the area!  

one of many columns

The stillness of Dream Lake creates a mirror image

Another view of Dream Lake

flowstone with color variations

A giant pillar

"Saracen's Tent" I have never seen a formation like this!

[They are thin and translucent, and appear smooth and flowing. 

These are one of the most perfectly formed curtain-like structures in the world. 

They give an appearance as if see-through sheets were parted 

like an entrance to a tent, hence its name.

Jonah passed his hand through the gap as we walked.

This giant stalactite fell many thousands of years ago. 

The largest pilar in the cave, and it's still growing--

hence the constant water dripping and the pool

around its base that is contained.

The stalactite organ

There are over 5 miles' worth of wiring in the cathedral room attaching the organ

to different-sized stalactites.

The wires are attached to clamps with rubber mallets that

tap the stalactites and vibrate the sound. 

"Pluto's Ghost" pillar, named for its bright whiteness.

The wishing well--the water color is beautiful!

"Fried Eggs" formation

The cave tour ends at the entrance to the caverns gift shop, so we wandered around there for a few minutes looking at all their souvenir items before heading to the restaurant next door. We were all starving by this point! We ordered sandwiches and burgers, and the boys got some drinks that aren't available in Salmon, Idaho!

There was also a ropes course and a hedge maze in the same area as the caverns, so I asked the boys if they were interested in doing either one before we left Luray. Micah was interested in doing the ropes course, but there was still some students on a field trip there and a bunch of them were on the ropes course, so Jonah opted to sit out since there was a lot of people on it. So, after lunch, we watched as Micah climbed all over it! He had a great time!

We had originally planned to end the day by going hiking in the Shenandoah National Park, which was about 20 miles east of Luray. I'd looked up a hiking trail that morning to a waterfall that was on the southern end of the park, but once I realized how much time we'd spent in Luray, I knew it would take too long, so then I decided we could just take Skyline Drive and head north on our way back to Manassas, but when we arrived at the Park Entrance, we learned that the north-bound part of Skyline Drive was totally closed because it was the "off" season. I was so tired of hearing that!! That was the 5th time in two days we'd heard that, and had to change our plans! So we continued to travel east and north, winding our way back to Manassas using a different route than the morning, which was nice to see new scenery. When we got back to Manassas, we picked up Quinn and took him to town to have dinner at a Greek restaurant. It was the first time my boys had eaten Greek food; they liked it!

We got the appetizer with flaming cheese!

The end of another great day on vacation!