Day 1: Luray Caverns and Cave Ridge Vineyards

We left Richmond at 10 this morning, and drove to Luray Caverns to start our trip. I hadn't been there since the early '80s, and Karen had never been in a cavern at all. I was, frankly, a little worried that she would be a bit claustrophobic in the caves, so I gave her a small flashlight to have in her purse.


Luray Caverns is one of the most awesome places I have ever seen in my life. What's really cool is when you feel a drip of water on your head or shoulder as you walk through the caverns, reminding you that everything in there is still under construction.


I took a lot of video inside, but only a few photos. Here are a couple of my favorites.




They had Dippin' Dots, which felt and tasted great in the 97 degree heat. Then we drove north to a small winery called Cave Ridge Vineyards. They got our visit because it was 4:15 when we left Luray and they were the closest place that was open until 5:30. We were the only two people there, so we got a lot of face-to-face time with Karen and Randy, the owners. It turns out that Cave Ridge has only been open for less than a year. They have six wines to offer, of which we bought three. The whites were exceptionally good, especially the Traminette. Somehow we managed to avoid snapping a picture of their lovely building, but this is the view from their deck.


On the way to our hotel in Harrisonburg, we saw a trio of pheasants by the roadside.


Now Karen is enjoying the season finale of So You Think You Can Dance. More tomorrow.