Day25 10Mar25 - Luray Caverns, then North

Monday we decided we would explore the Luray Caverns here in Virginia.  We like caverns, we did our first caverns, the Nikau Caves, in 2009 in New Zealand.  We have since done Howe Caverns of New York in 2016, Mammoth caves of Arkansas in 2020, and Carlsbad Caverns of New Mexico in 2022. They are all amazing and unique. 

We arrived at Luray Caverns around 0930, it was packed...NOT. We apparently arrived at the right time of year, very few of us were in the caverns.  As we left I asked a worker how crowded it gets in the summer, she replied "don't come in the summer", I think that says it all. 

Luray Caverns were discovered in 1878 and immediately became a tourist attraction, they are the largest caverns in the East.  They are a constant 54F all year, but it felt much warmer due to the high humidity. One thing that I found interesting is that there was no sign of Native American presence, apparently they never found them, it would have been great shelter for them. 

The caverns are spectacular, you can only imagine what it was like for the explorers of 1878 crawling through with just candle light. 

They also do a great job with presentation, each area has a name, this is called the fish market.

The highlight of the area for us was 'Dream Lake', it is just fascinating.  You think you are looking into a deep crevasse with Stalagmites pointing up at you but it is an illusion created by the reflection of the Stalactites from the ceiling in the water below. The water is no more than 20 inches deep. We stared at it for quite some time, it makes you question your lying eyes. 

This is the Titania's Veil, you can see right through the formation and it makes it look like it is made of cloth...mother nature is an artist. 

The Cathedral is home to the Great Stalacpipe Organ, built in 1954 by a mathematician. It electronically taps the stalactites to create the tones, it is the largest organ in the world. The Great Stalactite Organ

This is the organ, it can be played manually or by program.

This is one of the electric solenoids that taps the stalactites, it looks like it is from 1954.

Towards the end of the tour there is a wishing well, every year it is emptied and the money given to various charities, of course we contributed, quarters...we went big!

Yes, we were suckers and bought the photo they took  as we started the tour in front of a green screen. 

The tour took a bit over an hour, it was worth every minute, if you get the chance, do it. 

As you leave the caverns there are other areas to explore, but to my disappointment, the antique car museum was closed.  We did tour the Shenandoah Heritage Village, it takes you back to living in the 1800s, it is a free walking tour of authentic buildings of that era. 

I liked this vice, it is very similar to one my Dad had that we now use often at the marina.

We left the Caverns and drove to the Luray visitor center in town and had lunch.  We then debated our path home, we considered stopping in Gettysburg but since the weather at home is forecast to be good on Tuesday we decided to make it a one night stop, not two. We called up my niece Deanna and her hubby Clayton and reserved a spot in their Driveway, just off of I84 in Marlboro, NY.  We found the drive across I84 better than our usual route up I81 to Binghamton.  There were less trucks and it is better road. 

We arrived around 8PM at Deanna and Clayton's, we chatted and went to bed, they both had to get up to work the next day....poor buggers. 

Tuesday we will finish our trip home......