OPTICAL ILLUSION: What looks like stalagmites rising from the floor is really a reflection of the ceiling in a perfectly still pool of water (Karen Chen)
Sometimes revisiting a place results in seeing it in a totally different light than before. I recently went to Luray Caverns in Virginia, and even though I'd been once before while on family vacation as a kid (yes, it was part of the requisite family road trip to Washington D.C.), this time was more fascinating than the first—probably because I actually listened to the tour guide. Located just 90 minutes outside of D.C., Luray makes for a convenient day-trip destination, or a good stopover on the way to Shenandoah National Park, a favorite camping and hiking spot for weekenders from the surrounding area.
Though not by any means the largest, longest, or most beautiful cave in the world, the truth is that caves, no matter which ones, are a wondrous thing. I had evidently forgotten this because as we pulled up to the caverns' Information Center, I half expected a sorry excuse for a natural wonder. Adding to that feeling of doubt was the entryway to the caves, a swinging door just next to the gift shop, looking more like the door to the bathroom than the entry point to a great geological wonder. But as soon as we descended into the cool, damp caverns, my attention was immediately captured by all the awe-inspiring stalactites and stalagmites jutting out from every surface of the underground rooms. The caverns' lights cast a magical golden glow over the millions of spiky cones, giant columns, and bubbly rock formations. We'd been transported to a different world—and the gift shop was still right above us, though completely forgotten.
As we walked through room after cavernous room, I was surprised to learn that what we were admiring was almost the same as when it was discovered in 1878. None of the rooms had been created by man-made methods; the first explorers to enter the caverns 130 years ago saw a similar layout to what we see today (save for only two walkways that were created to allow people to make a loop through the caves). One of the most unique features of Luray Caverns is the Great Stalactite Organ, the largest musical instrument in the world. Invented in the 1950s by Leland Sprinkle, a scientist and engineer who evidently had a lot of time on his hands (and a great last name), the contraption plays musical notes by striking certain stalactites with rubber-tipped mallets.
SHINY TOY CARS? Authentically restored antique cars at the Car and Carriage Caravan Museum (Karen Chen)
Going back as an adult also gave me the freedom to wander about the grounds and happen upon another great attraction at Luray Caverns, one you hear much less about—perhaps because it has nothing to do with caves or geological oddities. Right next to the caverns, in the middle of what looks like a small strip mall, is the Car and Carriage Caravan Museum. Filled with every old-timey mode of transportation you can think of, this two-room museum was definitely worth the visit, especially since it was free to get in with the ticket to Luray Caverns. You'll see a Conestoga wagon; a Portuguese nobility carriage from 1727, the oldest carriage on this continent; a pre-Civil War bike (plus one of those comically lopsided penny farthing bicycles); a 1892 Benz, one of the oldest cars in the country still in operating condition; and rows of shiny cars from around the turn of the century. As a 12-year-old girl I could have cared less about antique cars. (Boys, on the other hand, would probably love this—though they'd also run through it in about five seconds flat. But stumbling upon this tiny museum my second trip back, I actually took the time to read the informative plaques, learned a bit about the history of transportation in this country, and enjoyed my fascinating step back into time.
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