Friday, June 7, 2013

Grand Caverns, Grottoes Virginia

  I am linking up with Gemma's  Scenic Weekend 

A few weekends ago hubby and I took a tour of the Grand Caverns in Grottoes, Virginia. The Grand Caverns were discovered in 1804 by trapper Bernard Weyer. The Caverns were declared a National Natural landmark in 1973. It is the oldest opened show cave in North America.

These photos are much nicer to see on a larger image, so please click on the photo to see the scene enlarged.  I have to say I am sorry for posting so many photos, but I took so many and it was hard choosing which ones to use.


The colored light were pretty, I was not able to capture the reflection in the little pond in front.



I believe some of the shapes like above are called draperies.




The various shapes and colors are kind of neat. My hubby is the spleunker in the family, he is a member of the Baltimore Grotto Club. I do not mind going into the commercial caves but I have some awful experiences going into the private caves with my hubby.  

It is hard to believe but these caverns were opened to the public in the 1800's and one room in the cavern is called the Grand Ballroom. They actually held dances with bands and refreshments by candlelight back in the early 1800's . Electric lighting was not added until 1889.



The tour is approximately 1 mile of walking and around 70 minutes long.



This round disc shape was really cool. This cavern has over 200 rare shield formations.


The shapes were amazing, it was a shame to see some pieces were broken off.


It is hard to photograph some of these shapes...but they are thin and disc like in shape. These were the shield formations.


This shot shows just how big some of the shapes were compared to the people on the tour. I would highly recommend visiting the Grand Caverns if you are in the area. It is not too far off from the Skyline Drive and Shenandoah National Park.

Some of the other posts I did from our cave visits in other areas: this was in Curacao More scenes from Curacao and another cave visit in Bermuda here Bermuda's Crystal cave


I hope you enjoyed my scenic weekend.  I wish everyone a safe and happy weekend.  

 Thanks for stopping by and I appreciate your comments. Thanks for stopping by to see my post and thanks to Gemma for hosting Scenic Weekends.

29 comments:

  1. we went there as a kid ... so great. always looks like bacon. love picking out different forms that i see too. so neat! glad you had fun. ( :

    have a good weekend.

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  2. Magnificent, earthy colours and designs in these caves! Delightful series of photos!

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  3. Beautiful caverns---and you got some fabulous photos. The last cave I went in was Mammoth Cave in KY--and that was about 12 yrs. ago...

    Thanks for sharing..
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  4. We were just at Great Basin in Nevada and visited the Lehman Caves...which seem smaller, but similarly decorated. Your photos turned out much better than mine!

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  5. Great job on the cave photos, they are hard to get. I love caving, the tinier the hole the better. But I also like walking tours as well. Haven't been here, yet.

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  6. Love seeing your photos but doubt I could go on this tour. Now you know two things about me . . .

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  7. It is a long time since I've visited any caves but the things you find are so amazing.

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  8. Wow there are so many different shapes and the lighting makes it look beautiful.

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  9. I've done a lot of the Caverns up and down I81 but haven't done this one. I LOVE these places. Great post!

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  10. I'm amazed how beautifully your cave shots turned out and Im glad you posted all of them. I've never gotten good cave pictures (we haven't been to this cavern, but many others). This looks like a wonderful tour.

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  11. What a great cavern. I'm with you about the non public caves. Not for me.

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  12. The caves in Borneo, claims to be world biggest. I couldn't believe it. Surely this one in USA is bigger.

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  13. Hallo Eileen!!Beautiful caves!I like visiting caves!!Many different shapes and colours!!!Have a lovely week!!
    Dimi..

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  14. Amazing Pics! I have never visited a cave.

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  15. How did you get such clear shot? love them

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  16. I have never been inside a cave and have been wanting to visit one for a the longest time..this one is really amazing!!

    http://www.myunfinishedlife.com

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  17. Magnificent...and scary....
    well done, dear!

    Xoxo bshell
    blueshell.azurara.net

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  18. Olá Eileen, especataculares fotos dessas grutas fenomenais! Eu adoro grutas! Uma maravilhosa oferta do Criador! E o mundo é tão belo e o homem quer destruí-lo! Muito obrigada por me mostar esse fantástico pedaço da Terra. Um beijinho Ailime

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  19. What a stunning place. Loved your pictures too.

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  20. hi eillen,

    i did enjoy your scenic weekend.
    awesome cave. and photos.
    great series. loved every single one of them.

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  21. wow, this is amazing. Love everything about it. I have been in grottos but it was long ago. Thanks for sharing this. :)

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  22. These photos look like paintings - lovely!

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  23. What beautiful photos, I could almost hear the waterfall and feel the moist air! Thanks for stopping by a couple of weeks ago and leaving a comment. I'm slow getting back to everyone, but wanted to say thanks and come back any time. Sandi

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  24. Hello Eileen!

    These caves were amazing and quite large. It's incredibly exciting to visit the caves. We have one on the neighboring island where I live and it said to go completely under the sea. Possible just a story but it is uneasy deep and long.

    Sometimes choir concerts there and it's incredible special.

    It's exciting to think about what has happened in those caves over the years.
    And not least who made ​​them.

    Take care U:)))

    I soon home from holiday, miss Nansen like crazy:))))

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  25. See you havent posted anything in a while, hope everything is ok:)))

    Have a nice weekend Eileen:))

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Hello, Thanks for stopping by my blog. I appreciate all your visits.

BTW, I will not publish anonymous comments, unless I recognize the name. Sorry!

Have a great day, Eileen

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