Write 28 Day Challenge—#13 Fact

Beautiful caverns can be visited all throughout the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Endless Caverns, Shenandoah, Luray, Skyline Caverns are close to us here in the North end of the Valley.

I worked as a tour guide at Endless Caverns in New Market, VA. Took my first group of tourists through at sixteen years old. Every summer local high school kids were hired as guides. It was fun. In fact, many kids would come back summer after summer for work.

Rock formations are beautiful and unique with different colors and forms found in each cavern. They are all worth a visit. One fact is true of them all. They have stalactites and stalagmite formations.

I was always asked the difference between the two. ‘Which one came from the top? Which one formed on the floor?’ Few tourists could remember. Here is an easy fact that will always help one remember:

Stalactites form from the ceiling. Remember this fact: “T” for top—stalacTites. You will never have to ask again!

Cavern rocks

Five-Minute Friday prompt—Summer

I grew up working in the tourist industry. Endless Caverns in New Market, VA was my childhood home and our family business.

Summer was the busiest time of year, full of traveling folks from all across America. We had campgrounds, a livery, a 5.5 acre lake for campers and local folks, walking nature trails all over our 1,300 acre farm, and of course the caverns. I took my first tour, as a tour guide, through the caverns at 16 years old.

Summer, to this day, is a special season for me. I always hate to see it go, even though I throughly enjoy all the seasons here in Virginia. We never vacationed—we were the vacation! We met many wonderful people from all parts of America. From sea to shining sea!

I wonder just how many tours I took over all those summers!