Luray Caverns

This long weekend, we decided to head down to Luray Caves. And no, I have not tied the knot or come across kids I never knew I had. The 'We' is Mom, Dad and I. Yeah, parents are visiting, and they have been here for over a month. Dad was rather keen to check out Luray Caverns in Virginia, I had never ever explored them, and so we set out.

The drive was a rather pleasant one, since it heads into the Shenandoah Valley. Lush green fields, horses running around, cows mooing. A clear sky. All in all, a perfect summer.


Now, when I say caves, if you are under the impression that you will be coming across a set of caves as your entry point, think again. The entry point to Luray caves is the building you see below. And after a $19 entry fee, you walk down a stairway, probably 3 levels and come upon your first glimpse of the caves.




The caves are essentially a wonder of Stalagmites and Stalactites. Formed by seeping mineral water, the structures are mighty wonderful.

What you see below is one of the most beautiful sections of the cave. The formations are on the top (stalactites), and what one gets to see below is their reflection in water. And yes, thats my Mom and Dad, and usually, they do smile.




What follows is called Saracens Tent. It appears as a smooth curtain folded by hand, a perfectly formed stone drapery structure. The translucent sheets appear to have been parted, tent-like, for an entranceway.




This was a random snap I took as we walked through the caverns. Yeah, they can get scary. I wonder if there are any snakes or lost civilizations in them?




Observations:

* There were at least 60% Indians. It felt like going to Jersey City, or walking on Oaktree Road in Edison. Minus the food.
* The cavern has a wishing well, which has so many quarters flipped in it, I could do free laundry for a lifetime if I could lay my hands on 'em.
* They have guides at certain points on the tour (the tour is rather like a walk through the caverns). The guides do not walk with you. They will talk about the significance of that particular area in the cave and then you walk on till you come across the next guide.
* If you are not fast enough to get to the next point of interest, you will miss out on what the guide there has to say. Even if you get there on time, but have a noisy kid with an even noisier kids Mom shouting at him to shut up, behind you, you will not be able to figure out what the guide has to say. Both these obstacles can be overcome by asking the Guide to repeat what s/he said :)
* Do not stand behind Indian lady wearing salwar-kameez with dupatta. She will swing the dupatta around her shoulders and it shall land on your head, causing everyone to break into uncontrollable laughter. Exceptions: Lady is a hot chick!
* Ladies, keep your pointy heel shoes back home. The terrain is such that it would take an amateur trekker to task. The temperature is maintained at 54 F, so dress easy. You anyways dont wanna end up looking too good, else some caveman could get desperate! Heh!
* They have a cafe as you enter the ticketing area, or when you get out of the caves, however, nothing in the caves (during the tour). So, if you get hungry, have some mineral formations. They are pretty yummy. Just make sure you are not licking the same one I licked!




And as you can see, my Mom does smile!