Well, the race is on again! I am feeling truly dazed at our pace and schedule. I know for sure I would never be a good candidate for either Amazing Race or Survivor! As we load the bus for our almost 2 hour drive, we are all feeling a little better due to the free day when we were on a more leisurely schedule! NEVER again will I tease a history teacher about taking a “history” vacation – everyone will probably need a vacation when they get home!
*Camera battery is dead, charger lost, so taking pictures with phone - please forgive!!
*Camera battery is dead, charger lost, so taking pictures with phone - please forgive!!
Absolutely beautiful limestone rock caverns! Of course we loved it because it was COOL down there in regards to temperature! Our cavern guide was Ben, and he was relieved we were a History group and not a Science group (we did not know the hard questions to ask him)! He is actually a history major and was glad to share the history of the caverns with us.
It is really hard to describe the rock formations, but I will tell you about two places in the cavern that seemed to be everyone’s two favorites.
1) Dream Lake - There was a place where a shallow lake was located. The water was so clear and many of the stalactite formations hung close to the water. The reflection of the water made you think the water was really deep, not to mention beautiful!
 |
| Small pond and reflection on pond - beautiful!! |
2) Stalacpipe Organ - The next most fascinating information about the cavern was a working organ. The pipes were actually stalactites that were tapped by a rubber mallet to produce the different sounds. For our entertainment pleasure, we heard “A Mighty Fortress is Our God”. It was absolutely beautiful. Throughout this area of the cavern, 36 stalactites were found that produced sound. The sound is actually created by crystals within the stalactite bouncing around when the rubber mallet makes contact. This organ has been featured on Ripley's Believe It or Not and they have had many weddings down there also!
We left Laray, VA to lunch at Clementines in Harrisonburg, VA. Here we had some great sandwiches and iced tea. The building was actually decorated with artsy flair, displaying local sculptures and artist’s paintings.
After lunch it is on to Lexington, VA to tour Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson’s home. No pictures were allowed inside, so I was only able to get exterior shots. Amazing that he became the gentleman he did. Father died when he was two, and mother when he was seven. Thomas was sent to live with his uncle. His education was sporadic, getting it where he could, and mostly self taught. He applied at West Point and was accepted at the bottom of the class. His time there was spent diligently studying and he successfully graduated. This home was where he lived when he was a Professor of Natural and Experimental Philosophy at the Virginia Military Institute down the road. He later gains his nickname "Stonewall" at the Battle of Manassas and then dies of wounds and pneumonia from the battle at Chancellorsville. He was brought back and buried here in Lexington.
 |
| General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's home |
We then headed over to Natural Bridge, VA to the Natural Bridge Caverns. We arrived at 5’ish and were being served dinner at 6 pm with evening entertainment available at 9 pm. After dinner we took a trolley to the Natural Bridge, a beautiful specimen of nature’s art! It's actual formation occurred when a cavern collapsed. As a young boy, George Washington surveyed the land and climbed up under the bridge about 17 ft. to carve his initials into the rock, where they remain today. We walked down the path past the bridge to a replica Monacan Indian Villiage. It always amazes me at the ingenuity and thought that they had in creating their housing. Many in the group walked even further than I and went to the waterfall. Though small, I heard it was really a sight to see. The evening entertainment turned out to be a light and musical show of The Creation based on Genesis 1. It was a great time to reflect on the beauty of God’s creation!
No comments:
Post a Comment