 |
| From Skyline Caverns |
 |
| From Skyline Caverns |
I had picked up a brochure on the Caverns that gave us $2 off the admission tickets, so we paid $16 for each ticket. We only had to wait a few minutes before the next tour of the caverns started.
 |
| From Skyline Caverns |
Brent was our tour guide and he explained how Walter S. Amos, a retired geologist and mineralogist, discovered the caverns in 1937. The caverns were opened to the public in 1939. While the Luray Caverns are illuminated with regular lights, the Skyline Caverns have colored lights for illumination.
The temperature in both the Luray Caverns and Skyline Caverns is 54°. It didn't feel that cool yesterday when we were in the Luray Caverns, but it did feel like 54° in the Skyline Caverns. We didn't bring any jackets, but the cool temperature felt great after the summer heat.
One of our first views in the caverns was the Capital Dome
 |
| From Skyline Caverns |
then the Painted Desert
 |
| From Skyline Caverns |
on to the Grotto of Nativity
 |
| From Skyline Caverns |
followed by the Eagle
 |
| From Skyline Caverns |
and then Fairyland Lake that reflects the ceiling.
 |
| From Skyline Caverns |
We then entered a wooden door to the Anthodite Rooms.
 |
| From Skyline Caverns |
Anthodites are clusters of white calcium carbonate and Brent explained that they only grow about 1 inch every 7,000 years. When Walter Amos was exploring the caverns, he opened up a chamber that had contained a vacumn and he discovered the anthodites in this chamber. They are extremely rare and are protected by the state of Virginia.
 |
| From Skyline Caverns |
 |
| From Skyline Caverns |
The Anthodite Rooms were the last stop on our tour before heading back up to the entrance to the caverns. We had spent about an hour touring the caverns and we could feel the temperature change the closer we got to the entrance.
After leaving the caverns, we decided to drive around Front Royal a bit to take some photos before going back to the RV for lunch.
 |
| From Front Royal |
 |
| From Front Royal |
After lunch we drove 26 miles north to Winchester to do some genealogy research at the Stewart Bell Jr. Archives Room in the Handley Regional Library. On the way we passed by Dinosaur Land at Stephens City.
 |
| From Winchester, VA |
We drove around a little in Winchester taking photos before we went to the Library.
 |
| From Winchester, VA |
 |
| From Winchester, VA |
We arrived at the Handley Regional Library a little after 2:00 and found a parking place just across the street. The only thing I can say about the library building is - WOW!
 |
| From Winchester, VA |
At the information desk we asked directions to the Archives Room which is downstairs. While I went down to the Archives, Mike headed over to the magazine section. Once in the Archives, I filled out a research form and spoke with one of the volunteers. I told her I was researching the Foley family who lived in the area during the 1700's. She showed me where I could find information materials that might help. I set up my laptop on one of the tables and then put the laptop case and my purse in one of the lockers.
I also requested to look through the Foley Family files and the volunteer (I usually get a name, but this time I didn't - my bad) went in to the archives and got the files for me. Well, after about 2 hours of looking, I didn't find any information on the Foleys. I did get REAL excited when I found a letter dated in the 1960's in one of the Foley family files from someone who was researching our Foleys. However, the researcher at the archives wasn't able to find anything that connected to our Foleys. Some of the court records that cover the time frame when our Foleys lived there are either missing or destroyed in a fire.
Before going back to the campground, we stopped at Costco in Winchester to get gas in the Vue ($3.349 a gal).
Tomorrow we're driving over to Washington, D.C. for a day trip to visit Fletcher.
No comments:
Post a Comment