My Rain-Drenched Trip To Virginia -- Part Four -- Luray Caverns

Luray Caverns is the largest cavern in the eastern United States.
Walking through it feels like a journey to the center of the earth.

Now we finally arrive at the high water mark of my rainy trip to Virginia: Luray Caverns. 

Luray Caverns was discovered on Tuesday, August 13, 1878 by five local men. In 1974, the National Park Service and the Department of the Interior designated Luray Caverns as a National Natural Landmark. The caverns are situated in the Shenandoah Valley, just to the west of the Blue Ridge of the Appalachian Mountains in Luray, Virginia. 

The caverns themselves are beautifully lit by electrical lighting, and the paved walkway makes touring the natural wonder easy for all ages. I was also pleased by the fact that I did not suffer a claustrophobia attack (although there are a couple of tight places along the trail). 

The caverns are also home to several outstanding stalactite and stalagmite formations, a beautiful wishing well, a reflecting pool, and a war memorial honoring local US military veterans.  

The following are the photos I took from my visit.

The plaque outside the entrance of Luray Caverns
declaring it a Natural Landmark.

A reflecting lake in Luray Caverns known as Dream Lake.

The ghostly white Pluto's Ghost pillar is one of Luray Caverns
most popular features.

The caverns are perhaps best known for the Great Stalacpipe Organ,
a lithophone made from solenoid-fired strikers that tap stalactites
of various sizes to produce tones similar to those of xylophones,
tuning forks, or bells. Here is a shot of the console for the organ.

The beautiful Luray Caverns Wishing Well.

The "Fried Eggs" rock formation at Luray Caverns.

  A war memorial honoring US military veterans
from Page County, Virginia.

Well I hope y'all enjoyed these photos. I certainly enjoyed the trip and considered the drive well worth it, despite the rainy conditions. 

Although this was my main destination, it was not the final point in my trip. My return trip included a few more points of interest, one of which, the Car and Carriage Caravan Museum, I will talk about in my next blog post.