Day 7 (National Shenandoah Park & Luray Cavern) Wednesday, October 10, 2012
With my sincere invitation, my
neighbor, Susan, Peter’s (NCKU ’70 Mechanical Engineering Dept) better half
decided to join with us for today’s outing.
Ben, my husband, drove us to this world-known “fairyland in Stone” in Luray,
Virginia, 100 miles away from Maryland.
Since its discovery in 1878 by a tinsmith and a local photographer, we
became one of the hundreds of thousands of yearly visitors to
Luray Caverns. The inspiring chambers
are magnificently sculpted with countless stalactites and stalagmites. This mystery cave
runs wild with the sight of waterfalls, underground city, Titanic shipwreck,
and sheet of curtains before your eyes. Depending on your imagination, this interesting stalagmite behind us is a look-alike seashell in the spring, an ice cream in the summer, a pine cone in the fall and a Christmas tree in the winter.
. The most unusual experience was to hear rocks
sing in this wonderland as the mallets strike stalactites. The Great Stalacpipe Organ, behind Shinyee, plays music of
almost symphonic quality from ancient stone formations.
Off we went to The
National Shenandoah Park via the Skyline Drive
for its beautifully colored fall foliage.
As we drove on a winding road on top of the Appalachian
Mountains, the breathtaking view of colorful fall leaves,
crimson, red, orange and yellow from different plant species, displayed its
panorama view before us. There were
plenty of overlooks where we pulled off and/or parked to appreciate the views. We happened to meet Mr. Clifford Fisher, a nonagenarian
from N. Carolina, who had visited the park the 15th
time to celebrate his 94th birthday.
On the way coming down from the
mountain, we looked out at the most spectacular sun rays that we
had ever seen from the mountain. The rays, which streamed through gaps in
clouds, created such a blessed sign in front of us. Ben stopped the car and we all jumped
out. It was cold and windy. I whispered to myself that “God wants us all
to be together” and “Life is too short not to enjoy every single day.”
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