Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Part 1: Virginia's Skyline Caverns

If you happen to be in the Virginia area, don't fail to visit their caverns. I highly recommend Luray, Endless and Skyline Caverns just because I have visited all three. To my experience, each cavern has a specialty. Luray is known for its impressive, almost gigantic formations. Endless for it's name alone "endless" passageways and a fossilized mammoth's tooth. Skyline for its Anthodites (a.k.a. Orchids of the Mineral Kingdom) - that radiate spike formations resembling flowers, which I will be featuring on my next entry (Source: http://www.virginia.org/site/features.asp?featureid=30).  I like visiting caverns because it reminds me of the caves I've visited in Sagada. I guess it's a process I do to ease my yearning for my mom's hometown.

Upon turning into Skyline Caverns' entrance, my eyes were easily diverted to the colorful trees surrounding the entrance. Fall is so prominent in the Blue Ridge Mountain area.
This house serves both as lobby and entry way into the caverns. Most caverns I've visited in this area have houses built on the caverns' entrances. At Skyline Caverns, there's a gift shop near the lobby that you can peruse while you wait for your tour to begin.
Entrance to the caverns.
I was greeted with winding paths and colorful ceilings.
Excellent lighting really helps to enhance the cave experience.
Once inside, it felt like walking into a different world. The air inside is much cooler, and I couldn't help expressing my oohs and aahs.
Looking up the ceiling. I found taking photos inside the cave very challenging. Also, when I started editing my photos, I had a hard time identifying what part (ceiling or pathway) of the cave did I take a photo of.
At some point, I was trying to catch my breath. Caverns do have uphills and downhills too.
One of the five streams inside the cave. If you have an active imagination, you can see the Nativity Scene on this photo.

To be continued...

INFORMATION

Entrance Fees:
Adults: $16.00
Children (7-13): $8.00
Children (Under 6): Free

Skyline Caverns
10344 Stonewall Jackson Hwy,
Front Royal, VA 22630

9 comments:

  1. It does help that they're already lighted inside! Not for the claustrophobic, though!

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  2. My dad's from Sagada but "shame" on me, hehe, I only entered Sagada Cave once when I was already about 22.

    Could you still recall most of the formations inside Sagada cave? Nakakamiss nga.

    Siguro if I'm there, I might forget about entering the caverns because the sight of the trees will keep me stranded beneath =)

    (PS Kayni, I hope the beauty of those places you frequent radiate to you energy to always make and keep you well...)

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  3. @ faery, I agree. The lighting really helps.

    @ Gremliness, I visited Crystal Cave in 1996 just after the earthquake. It was a tough climb down and up and also lots of crawling. I was covered in mud after the visit :) Unfortunately, I didn't take photos, we only used "saleng" for light because flashlights were useless. This was the time when guides weren't mandatory.

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  4. I like visiting caves. There is a sense of peaceful tranquility that seem to envelop you within its folds.

    I've actually never been to Sagada but D told me it would be too steep for tiny lil me to enjoy it. He is just being too protective, malay niya? Kaya ko rin yun! hehe

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  5. ang ganda kayni. i love caves, and i would love to got there.

    alam mo, not many people have described a trip to virginia. i look forward to your posts!

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  6. that's a beautiful cave. i have only visited one cave and that was in halong bay. it was cold inside which prompted the guide to joke that it had AC =)

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  7. @ Daphne, Oh, I'm sure you'll manage through the steep climbs of the Sagada caves :)

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  8. I'm fascinated with caves and muster 'wow' everytime I see one in pictures just like now while looking at yours. But I don't know if I can make it inside as I am kinda claustrophobic.

    Your pics are beautiful Kayni. You capture them in perfect angles.

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  9. again Kayni, WOW!!!

    one of our regrets is not really going to sagada. i even had the whole week off for our honeymoon then... from ilocos, we deliberated between boracay and sagada but my mom strongly disagreed to it coz there was a typhoon coming..

    i definitely can see the Nativity scene in the last photo...

    thanks for sharing this to us again..

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