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By Root 925 0

For example, southbound travelers are said to be traveling “up the valley.” Conversely, northbound travelers are headed “down the valley.” Don’t fret – when we last checked, magnetic north still registers in this part of Virginia. The rationale is tied to the Shenan­doah River, which flows north. To follow it downstream (north) is to travel “down the valley.” If it gets confusing, remember the “lower Valley” is its northernmost reach. And to get there, you have to head “down.”

Caverns

Starting in the late 19th century and lasting until the Great Crash of 1929, entrepreneurs built the Shenandoah Valley into a major tourist draw for city residents. Few were as successful as those who made commercial enterprises out of massive caverns by charging admission and guiding curious visitors into the depths of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

The many billboards directing visitors to their entrances may be a little cheesy, but there’s no denying the awesome geological events that created the many caverns. They started forming hundreds of millions of years ago as small cracks in limestone rock. Limestone is soft and easily eroded by water that contains naturally occurring acids. The massive rooms that have resulted are, in at least one instance, big enough to hold a 40-story-high building.

Luray Caverns, Luray

Claim to fame: The “stalacpipe” organ covers 3½ acres and has been called the largest natural instrument in the world.

How it got there: Stalactites form when water droplets seeping through the ceiling of a cave leave tiny deposits of calcite (the crystalline form of limestone). Over the years the stalactites (and corresponding stalagmites on the ground, growing up) get impressively huge. Luray Caverns has a 170-ton fallen stalactite the size of a school bus.

In 1954, scientist and mathematician Leland Sprinkle searched the caverns selecting stalactites to match the musical scale, then wired them to electronic rubber mallets. It took three years to construct the organ. Tunes (“Oh, Shenandoah” is a favorite) can be played automatically like a music box, or manually.

Open every day of the year. From mid-June through Labor Day, hours are 9 am-7 pm; earlier closings the rest of the year. $16 adults; $14 seniors; $7 children ages seven-13. (tel. 540-743-6551, www.lu­rayca­v­erns.com)

Endless Caverns, New Market

Claim to fame: Possibly the largest billboard in the eastern US, visible for miles.

Why? The name of the caverns with the “Hollywood-type” signage comes from the fact that no one has ever reached the cavern’s end. This is actually one of the more naturally displayed caverns, lit only by white light.

Open year-round; closed Christmas day. Hours from mid-June to Labor Day are 9 am-7 pm; earlier closing times the rest of the year. $12 adults; $6 children ages six-12. (tel. 540-896-2283, www.end­lessca­verns.com)

Shenandoah Caverns, New Market

Claim to fame: The only caverns with an elevator.

How it got there: The elevator shaft was dug by hand in 1932, through 60 feet of limestone.

Open daily, year-round. From mid-June to Labor Day open 9 am-6:15 pm; closes earlier the rest of the year. $12.50 adults; $11 seniors; $6 children ages five-14. (tel. 540-477-3115 or 888-4-CAVERN, www.shen­an­doahcav­erns.com)

Skyline Caverns, Front Royal

Claim to fame: The only cave in Virginia that has anthodites: delicate, spiny formations on the ceiling that somewhat resemble sea ur­chins.

How they got there: Still a mystery, but it’s believed they grow about an inch every 7,000 years.

Open year-round. From mid-June to Labor Day hours are 9 am-6:30 pm; closes earlier the rest of the year. (tel. 800-296-4545, www.sky­linecaverns.com)

Crystal Caverns at Hupp’s Hill, Strasburg

Claim to fame: One of the oldest documented caves in Virginia.

Why? While Native Americans had probably used the caves for centuries, the first to document them were The Hupps, German emigrants who moved south through the Shenandoah Valley in the 1750s. They stored food in them, taking advantage of the constantly cool (54°) temperature.

Open