The real CAVE

Shawn and I recently visited the Luray Caverns in Shenandoah Valley in Luray VA. It's only about 1:45 from the city and well worth the trip. It's hard to imagine that something so cool and amazing is so close. Luray Caverns is something I have wanted to do for a long time now, and we finally took the trip over Labor Day weekend. It is one of the best trips we have taken and I think the caverns are something everyone should see in their lifetime. 

According to National Geographic, the caverns are some of the most decorated in the world. To get to the caverns, you enter a small welcome center, get your tickets and grab a self guided audio tour device, and walk down the handful of stairs and all of the sudden you are surrounded by the most beautiful place you have ever been. 

It was nice to see real caves after having been trapped in a work cave for the past couple of months. It was very therapeutic. 

Reasons the Luray Caverns are awesome (the real cave): 

1. They are beautiful

2. They are old

3. The audio tour is interesting

4. They contain the world's largest organ, made by using the rock formations

5. The air is always cool and clean

6. They are just kind of there, unexpectedly under a small building. No grand entrance, just stairs like you are going into a basement

7. Fried Eggs,  Pluto's Ghost & Totem poles  

8. They donate to different charities every year

Reasons the NAVSEA CAVE is awesome:  

1. Awesome dudes to work with

     a. Phil's theories on life, relationships, and the girls that are meant to be his girlfriends

     b. Matthew's intended puns

     c. Ben can get you anything by 3 pm

     d. Kelly's threats to puke on you

     e. Tony's anti-climatic but always interesting stories

     f.  Eric can give a presentation like a pro and his imitations of Gibbs & Cox with Ben

     g. Neal throws fun sausage parties

2. Ben's growing paper mustache

3. Nicknames (Vintage Neal, New Neal, Holmes 2 Cool, Philipoloupolus, Minister of Torque, Fat Daddy Ron, etc..)  

4. Vuvuzelas blown for any occasion

5. Coloring time with the PCO's picture and all of the creepy drawings

6. Powerpoint competitions. Phil has interesting weekends and Ben can animate like you've never seen.

 

Two lovers in a cave

Shawn's favorite feature.

Wishing well. The color of the water is greenish, which is due to a chemical reaction from all of the money thrown into the well over the years that tourists have been visiting. According to the audio tour, once the public was able to tour the caves, tourists started throwing in pennies. The caverns got so much money they started donating it to a different charity each year. Once the people found out they were donating the money, the amount thrown in the well increased each year. 

Wishing Well.

Money people have thrown in the wishing well.

The Wishing Well.

The Wishing Well.

Charities that the Luray caverns have donated the money in the wishing well to.

Fried Eggs!! These used to be taller features, but people used to rub it on their way out for luck. Over the years, the structures were rubbed so much that they were worn down and now are referred to as Fried Eggs. The public is not allowed to touch them anymore. 

The short stairwell down into the caverns. 

There is a reflection of the ceiling in the still water below. 

Reflection

Reflection in the pool

Reflection.

Reflection

Reflection.

Reflection. 

Pluto's ghost. This figure is seen from different angles throught the tour from different sections of the cave. They call it the ghost because it follows you around. The paths go in a figure 8 pattern as you work your way down deeper and deeper into the cave, and you see Pluto's ghost several times. 

The ghost.

Totem poles. 

Paper thin.

One that fell over a long time ago and has been incorporated into another feature.