Fall 2011 East Coast Trip
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All photographs Copyright © 2011 Jon R. Vermilye
To see a larger image, click on the photo
I got an early start (well, early for me - out of the campground by 8:30) and headed up I81. Actually, it was an interesting drive to get to I 81. The road(s) between the Blue Ridge Parkway & I81 kept getting narrower & narrower. I was waiting for them to turn to dirt, but they didn't. Still, very narrow, lots of curves, hills, and no guard rail edges with long drops below!
It kept getting warmer & warmer as I drove north. By the time I hit Luray, it was 76F. I looked up a couple of area campgrounds and the Riverside seems to fit my style far better than Jellystone or the Luray Resort. It is right along the Shenandoah River and, as you can see from the campground photo, I'm parked on the edge. Only 20 amps, but I switched the water heater to gas & set the electric heater to low, and everything works.
After setting up the trailer I headed for Luray Caverns. Carol & I were here with the Guidos in 1996, but about all I remembered from that visit was the reflections on the underground lake, and the organ that played stalactites. So, I paid my $21.00 (a $2.00 discount for being over 62) and headed into the cavern. The cave has many beautiful formations, but also has a "worn" look, probably because up until the 70's visitors were allowed to break off & take home stalactites & stalagmites. It doesn't have the "raw" look that Wind & Crystal caves in South Dakota, but is very much worth a visit on its own right.
By the way, if you are handicapped, it is possible to go on the cave tour in a power scooter. They have an elevator somewhere (I never saw it) to get you past the entryway stairs, and the entire tour is paved. We did have to help push the scooter up some of the steeper sections, but all in all, it worked.
Here are a couple of photos - more at a page I put together just for the cave: Luray Caverns, VA
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I got out of the cavern around 4:30, & decided I didn't want to cook. Since it has been awhile since I have had Chinese, I punched food/Chinese into the GPS & picked up my favorite (Orange Chicken) at the China Wok in Luray. It was excellent, better that my favorite Chinese restaurant in Oswego. I'm glad I made that decision since it started to rain just as I got back to the campground. So, I'm putting the page together. I'm not sure it will post - the Verizon data connection is very slow here although I have a good AT&T signal.
Until tomorrow
This page is maintained by: vermilye@oswego.edu
Last Update:
March 25, 2012