Luray Caverns

Before my Mom came to town to visit us for the holiday weekend, we planned to take her on a fun trip to Luray Caverns. This was the first time for our family to go there as well and it was a great experience. (Besides the windy roads there and back!) We passed by Shenandoah National Park - and we will make it a point soon to go back that way and see what it has to offer. From what I hear and see, it's a pretty place!

We got there in an hour and a half, parked the truck and loaded up the younger kids into the double stroller and headed for some grub (and mints for my Mom who was feeling carsick) before our tour through the caverns started. We ate lunch at the cafe: grilled cheese sandwiches, pulled pork sandwiches, hot dogs and chicken burgers. After John got our tickets, he asked if strollers were allowed as there was speculation that they weren't. Thankfully they were - or I don't know how our one hour trip walking through the caverns would have gone with two little ones. It probably wouldn't have. It all worked out but it was really hard work getting that double stroller (and the kids) up and down these long and awkward stairs, and various parts of the cave. :)

Right before our self guided tour began, we were all handed headphone sets to tune into recorded information at each flagged stop. The things they have come up with - it blows my mind sometimes. "Punch in 101, etc. into your device to hear about this area of the cavern..." No official guides needed. Pretty interesting! With it being a warm day out, inside the cavern was relatively comfortable - in the low 70's. But they say on average down there it's about 54 degrees.

I was a little concerned at first how Jocelyn and Andrew would do on the long tour, but they surprisingly did well and didn't get too antsy. I think all of the lights inside the cave kept them interested and curious. Jocelyn kept saying, "Wow...this is sooooo cool!" :) Aubrey generally stayed behind with my mom and took in the views together while John and I stayed occupied pushing the stroller and taking pictures. After the tour came to a close, we exited into the gift shop. How conveniently done, right? We let the kids pick out 1 souvenir each and my mom treated us with some yummy huckleberry & yogurt covered pretzels.

On the way back home, Andrew took his much overdue nap and we all enjoyed a sight seeing of a baby bear crossing the highway outside of the Shenandoah National Park area. I know this may come across as funny to some of you, but at first, I thought it was a wolf or a dog. Okay. So I'm not out in the wild very often! I thought for sure with it being a baby bear though, that the mama bear wouldn't be too far off! But a friend of mine mentioned that in the summer, the mama bears tend to desert their young - something I wasn't aware of.

Going inside the cavern brought back memories of the other times I've gone through caves: Timpanogos Cave in Utah as a teenager and Oregon Caves as a child. All were neat experiences and now I can add this one to the list! (Not that I plan on going through anymore caves!) :) I'm so glad we were able to go to the caverns with my Mom in town. The kids sure had a blast being with Grandma too! And with it being such a long day trip, it actually turned out being really fun and relaxing and not crazy and stressful. I took a ton of photos...so enjoy!

{At the start of the cavern tour, there was a marking where the cave was first discovered in 1878 by a tinsmith and a local photographer.}

Luray Caverns is the most popular caverns in Eastern America and an internationally acclaimed destination.

This U.S. Natural Landmark beneath Virginia's Shenandoah Valley is 400 million years in the making.

{Dream Lake is the largest body of water in the cavern - the deepest point not being more than 18-20 inches. The lake creates a mirror image of the stalactites hanging from the ceiling.}

{Pluto's Chasm was the main horizontal channel in the caverns as water dissolved and eroded layer upon layer of limestone during the formation of these huge chambers over 400,000 years ago. This chasm is over 500 feet long, and is 70 to 90 feet in depth.}

{Titania's Veil - This shimmering white formation is pure calcite, the result of spreading crystalline deposits. These deposits, commonly called flowstone, spread laterally coating walls or ceilings.}

{Located in the Cathedral is the Great Stalacpipe Organ, the world's largest musical instrument. Stalactites covering 3 1/2 acres of the surrounding caverns produce tones of symphonic quality when electronically tapped by rubber-tipped mallets.}

{Totem Poles - chambers sculpted with countless stalactites and stalagmites.}

{My Mom and Aubrey}

{The Wishing Well}

{Granite}