Since our entry fee to Shenandoah National Park was good for a full week, it seemed a shame not to return. Sara, Laura and Sue set out after breakfast for another hike. Knowing that we didn’t have a lot of time, we chose a short and easy hike to Stony Man peak. It was really more of a nature walk, complete with an educational booklet you could purchase that explained some of the history, vegetation and other features along the way. There were lots of families hiking along with us. After our hike, instead of backtracking to the park exit closest to us, we drove south along Skyline Drive for another 25 miles or so and took in more of the spectacular scenery.
Evan and Steve spent the morning at the cabin. Evan had another Sunday night deadline approaching for his program and needed to devote several hours to his coursework.
Our main destination of the day was Luray Caverns. These immense, underground limestone caverns were discovered in 1873 and must have become a significant commercial attraction shortly thereafter. We were stunned to find an enormous, packed parking lot and a large complex of buildings near the entrance to the caverns. It was raining Sunday afternoon, which probably contributed to the crowds. When we learned that the wait to get in was over an hour, we left the girls to stand in line and drove Evan back to the cabin, where he put in time on his course work instead of touring the caverns. Steve and I joined the girls when we returned, who by then had progressed to near the front of the line. Although the caverns were crowded, they were incredible and well worth seeing. It is amazing to think of the first people who stumbled across them descending into the earth and exploring cave after cave by candlelight. We walked over a mile underground! There are so many spectacular formations that you almost get numb to them after a while. My favorites included the mirror-like pool in which the stalactites and stalagmites are perfectly reflected, and some of the drapery-like formations that are translucent. Although highly commercialized, the proprietors have done a good job lighting the caverns so that tourists can appreciate the formations. Another highlight near the end of the tour is an organ that produces tones by tapping stalactites with rubber mallets. The organ's creator had to tap thousands of stalactites to find the ones with the best tones!
For the last dinner of our trip, we ate at the Hawksbill Diner in Stanley. It was a time-travel experience. I don’t think any item on the extensive menu was more than $9. Laura enjoyed the Southern Fried Chicken for which she had been hankering (sorry, slipped into dialect there!). While we wouldn’t want a steady diet of deep-fried everything, it was tasty and a nice way to experience the local cuisine.
Our evening entertainment consisted of a jigsaw puzzle back at the cabin (we didn’t get past completing the frame) and more jacuzzi and fireflies.
Hike to Stony Man
Luray Caverns
Luray Caverns - reflecting pool
More Luray Caverns
Luray Caverns - the organ
Luray Caverns - "fried eggs"
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