The thought of going down in a cave for most folks will send a chill down their back. But if you’re ever up in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, do yourself a favor. Go to Luray. More to the point, Luray Caverns. The drive there will amaze you and the tour of the caverns will knock your socks off.

Now I’m no cave expert, and I haven’t been to Carlsbad Caverns, but Luray is awesome. I’m told it’s the best caverns on the east side of the country and I don’t doubt it. Every turn has another great view and never do you ever feel “closed in.” Access is good too. One couple on our tour even brought a baby stroller, but I don’t suggest it as there are some stairs and it slows everyone else down. Cave photos are hard to judge perspective, unless a person is in the shot, but the stalactites in the photo below are ten to fifteen feet long and well above your head. If you look closely at the center bottom, you can see a handrail at a lower level.

There are other tourists attractions in the immediate area, but we only had time for the tour of the caverns. Next time, I hope to spend more time in that beautiful part of the state. Hmmm. I wonder what a retirement home there might cost?