Tuesday, June 17, 2008

look out


Yesterday, we got to see Pete and Libby Slade, and their AMAZING kids, Anna and Jake. Pete and Libby are friends from my first days in Charlottesville and we were so excited to see them -- it was our first time to meet Jake, who was born right around the same time we were married in 2006. Pete caught a picture of Jake getting a little fresh...

Monday, June 16, 2008

Down In Fraggle Rock

Yes, it has been long since our last post, but after long last we have returned!! Yesterday we ventured to Virginia landmark Luray Caverns. What an amazing and weird place! The photo to the left is of a "lake" within the caverns that perfectly reflects the ceiling above it. It's hard to capture using a regular camera, but some of the sights were truly amazing. More interesting however, were the names (and I'm not making these up) of the various points with the caverns, such as "Pluto's Ghost," "Titania's Veil," "Saracen's Tent," "The Fish Market," and my favorite "Workout Hill." Yes, there's a whole world of random allusions and puns down there.

The caverns have been a tourist destination since 1878 when they were discovered by a few locals in the side of a rock. We also learned that Luray Caverns are also a popular place for a destination wedding! (Seriously.) There have been over 500 weddings down in these damp, dark caverns. I cannot imagine what they were like. The caverns have also been featured on numerous TV shows including TLC "The Wedding Show." (Can someone tell me what that is??)

All in all, our time spent in Luray Caverns was fun, although a bit long (the tour took over an hour and was 1.25 miles long). At the end we partook in the "Wishing Well". As you can see, Ashley was very excited to toss a few coins down into the clear pond filled with the loose change of tourists from all over the world. The money collected therein is collected every year and donated to charity. Very nice.

So if you're looking for some underground adventure or just can't find that perfect place to tie the knot, look no further than Virginia's Luray Caverns, you won't be dissappointed.