Part 2: Shenandoah National Park

In the mountains, time stood still. There are no work deadlines to be met, no blaring beeping of cars stuck in traffic, and no work politics or corporate mambo jambo to decipher. Up there, the singing crickets, the soft breeze that ruffle the leaves, and the birds reign supreme. All the usual everyday stress of life seems so far and distant and I loved it.

A town below.

That's the road we took to get up here. Lots of winding roads similar to Zig Zag Road.

Fall foliage.

In between fall and winter.

Colors.

Blue Ridge Mountains.

My famous shoes and I, sitting on a rock, waiting for sunset.

Part 1: Shenandoah National Park

The mountains are always calling. They said that you can take the girl from the mountains, but you can never take the mountains from the girl. Does that make sense? Being born and bred in the Cordilleras has instilled in me great respect and utmost love for nature and culture. My heritage of mix Sagada, Bontoc, and Ilocos, Sagada being the dominant one, makes me proud and blessed that I grew up with a strong belief of who I am.

My recent visit to Shenandoah National Park reminded me of the Cordillera mountains. Although geographically speaking the terrain looks different, the mountain feel is unquestionably the same. The air up in the mountains felt cooler, fresher and cleaner, and when you gaze at the neighboring mountains and further, the view is beyond beautiful and breathtaking. As I closed my eyes and breathe in the mountain air, every breath and every beat of my heart  took me back to the places near and dear to my heart - the Mt. Provinces.

To be continued...

Part 2: Virginia's Skyline Caverns

As we went deeper into the caverns, we met more characters inside and went through narrower pathways. If I'm not mistaken, the tour lasted from 45 minutes to an hour. When you do take a cavern tour, make sure to bring a sweater or jacket with you, as it gets cold inside. Also, wear comfortable clothing and shoes with a good grip because it could get slippery inside. Our tour guide said that if water drops on you from the ceiling, it's called the cavern's kiss and it is considered lucky. I'm happy to say that I've been kissed by the cavern and that I feel lucky.

A dried stream.

Three Kings

"The Shrine"

Flowstone formation.

WHAT ARE ANTHODITES?

How about a little geology lesson? One of the reasons why I wanted to visit Skyline Caverns is because it is one of the few caverns in the world that houses the rare Anthodites.  According to http://www.skylinecaverns.com/generalinfo.htm, Anthodites are also "called "Orchids of the Mineral Kingdom" and that they seem to defy gravity. Their delicate white spikes spread in all directions, including upwards, from their position on the cave ceiling. Their growth rate is estimated to be only one inch every seven thousand years. The mystery of how they form only adds to the beauty of the Anthodites.

According to our tour guide, there are only a few caverns where you can find Anthodites, but it is only in the Skyline Caverns that Anthodites are on public display. Anthodites are known to thrive in a vacuum type environment, so since their discovery and the vacuum environment unsealed and disturbed, these Anthodites have stopped growing. 

Protected by a screen, this 18-inch formation is called "The Chandelier" and it is believed to be 126,000 years old.

A peak into the underworld.

The tour was fun and educational. This photo was taken as we climbed back into the outside world.

Interesting Facts:

- Skyline Caverns was discovered in 1973 by Dr. Walter S. Amos, a retired geologist.  
- It  is home of the Valentine beetle which is believed to be only found in these caverns. According to our tour guide, the Valentine Beetle lacks optic nerves so it is completely blind. Seven beetles were found by scientists, but when they were exposed to outside light and temperatures, all seven beetles died; none has been found ever since. The Valentine Beetle is now believed to be extinct. The said beetles are now on exhibit at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. 
- This cave maintains a temperature of 54 degrees all year long.  
- The cave has tall and narrow tunnels also known as water tunnel or canyon with a roof, so imagine Grand Canyon only that it is underground. 
- There's a couple of goldfish that were introduced and now live in one of the cave's streams. It is part of a scientific experiment if fish could survive in underground streams. (Photo below)

Goldfish surviving in one of the five Skyline Caverns' streams.

References: 

- Information and facts that appear on this post are gathered from the Skyline Caverns tour I took on October 23, 2010.
- Skyline Caverns Website: http://www.skylinecaverns.com/generalinfo.htm

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