A-way You Rollin' River
Trip Start
Feb 15, 2010
1
37
77
Trip End
Feb 14, 2011
Waynesboro, Virginia
Saturday, March 27, 2010
About halfway through the day, I left the national park and drove to Luray, VA. Luray is home to the caverns of the same name. I enjoyed the caves quite a bit (as I always do), and this particular show cave has done something unique. Instead of having guided tours offered at set intervals, they provide each person with an audio tour on an mp3 player and headphones. This allows each person to wander the cave at their leisure without being pushed on or held back by the necessitated pace of a tour. There were still multiple staff guides located throughout the cave to answer any questions and the whole concept worked marvelously, in my opinion. Not only did I get just as much information, but I was able to take the time I needed with my photography. Luray Caverns is also home to the "Stalacpipe Organ," which they claim is the largest musical instrument in the world. The instrument was made by Leland Sprinkle, who observed a guide playing tunes for guests by striking a rubber hammer against chosen stalactites. It occured to him that this same entertainment could be provided on a large scale. Over the next three years he set about finding stalactites with tones that matched the keys of the organ throughout 3 1/2 acres of the caves. Each stalactite was rigged with an electrical plunger with a rubber tip that was subsequently connected to the organ's keys. Whenever a key is pressed, the corresponding plunger strikes its stalactite. The organ is said to be audible throughout the entire cave without the use of any amplification, but during tours the tones are amplified as a pre-set melody is played. The organ is still played manually during special events and wedding ceremonies. The sounds rebounding through the caves when the instrument is played have attributes of a xylophone, but certainly have their own unique characteristics and sound hauntingly beautiful as they echo through the stone chambers. Pretty cool, huh?
After leaving the caverns, I drove back up to Skyline Drive. I realized that by leaving Skyline Drive too early on my way to Luray Caverns, I had cut out a large middle section of the road. It was getting too late in the day to worry about going back and catching what I had missed (including possibly hiking to a waterfall). Instead, I pushed onward to the northern end of the park as the earth spun me away from the sun. I made my way to a Flying J Travel Center near the Virginia border in Winchester and spent a few hours doing laundry and working on the internet.
