Since we are leaving the DC area relatively soon, Katie and I have a list of things we want to do before we leave. As we get the opportunity, we try to cross some of these off the list. A few weeks ago we enjoyed the National Gallery of Art. This last Saturday, we decided to do something that would include the kids. We decided to go Spelunking! Well, not in the traditional sense, just in the sense that we were in a cave - but hey, that's close enough. The Luray Caverns, in Luray, VA have some of the most impressive caverns on the eastern seaboard and we have wanted to visit them for some time. We decided to surprise the kids and just told them we were going somewhere special. They were giddy with excitement when we arrived. Both of them loved the cave - although Mason was dying for a bathroom about halfway in. Katie's favorite part was this stalactite that was wave or curtain-like. My favorite was the underground pool with a perfect reflection of the cave ceiling above it. Another favorite was the Organ that has been built so that instead of striking keys, or pushing air through a pipe - it strikes the stalactites! It took decades to build and required sanding the stalactites so that they reached the perfect pitches. They played it for us and it really sounds great!
After the caves, we spent the afternoon at a Heritage festival. We were too late for the tractor pull but there was still plenty left to see. Sadie and Mason had their caricatures drawn by a resident cartoonist and enjoyed kettle corn, and tractor rides. Derek was a great trooper throughout the day and slept throughout most of it.