Thursday, September 20, 2012

Endless Caverns

The second cavern site we visited in Virginia was Endless Caverns. It was a perfect contrast to the spectacular but super-touristy Luray Caverns. These caverns were off the beaten path, a bit smaller and less developed. We only had two other people on our tour, and our tour guide was fantastic - really knowledgeable and relaxed. It felt more like we were actually exploring a natural site, rather than being herded through a theme park.

Our guide would turn on lights as we went along, and then turn off the lights in the passages we had just come through. At one point he turned off all the lights and let us experience the most complete darkness I have ever felt. We entered the caverns down through a stairway locked with iron gates in a little stone building, and exited up a different stairway into the basement of the main building. The entering and exiting was one of my favourite parts of the experience. It is just so surreal to feel that transition from everyday reality to the strange and magical world underground.


 (I think it's kind of hilarious how much this picture looks like it should be in a brochure)


 






4 comments:

  1. oh wow, that last shot is just stunning. i think i'd probably like to be enveloped in darkness, if i knew there was a working light (and a trustworthy tour guide) close by. :)

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  2. those are really amazing formations... I've gone in lava tubes in Washington and Oregon where there isn't a guide, and you are on your own. One of the caves we went through took about 3 hours, I was never happier to see sunlight.

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