ON THE ROAD FROM THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY TO THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS, I sought stalagmites, stalactites and soda straws while in search of “Caverns, Cabins and Cuisine.”
Where I stayed: Sometimes it was a cozy cabin. Other nights, I stepped into historic hotels or luxuriated inside modern marvels.
C’mon along. Let’s hit the C-C-C Trail!
NORTH OF SKYLINE DRIVE, I rolled into Skyline Caverns on a rainy day. No problem: It did not rain underground at this longtime landmark of Front Royal, Virginia.
Dr. Walter Amos, a geologist, discovered several caverns before he opened Skyline Caverns. He found this particular one when investigating a sinkhole.
What’s most unique: This is where you’ll find a roomful of rare cave flowers called anthodites. “They’re known as the orchids of the mineral kingdom,” says Skyline Caverns tour guide Kaylin Ketola. “They kind of look like sea urchins.”
It takes an hour to tour this cavern. But, from the cavern entrance, it takes only a few minutes to find a short-order restaurant called Spelunkers (540-631-0300) at 116 South Street in Front Royal, where I stopped for an aptly-named Cavern Burger accompanied by iced tea, fries and a frozen custard.
HEADING WEST, I landed along the legendary north-south corridor of US-11, which serves as a spine of Virginia’s cavern country, paralleling I-81, in the Shenandoah Valley. And here, about a half hour from Skyline Caverns, I checked into the Wayside Inn (540-869-1797, 7783 Main St., of Middletown, Virginia.
This rambling structure has survived a fire and various owners yet still exudes grace and charm while ranking among the oldest continuously operated inns in America. It is also simply a comfy place to stay. My suite, adorned with antiques, stood just a short stroll from the dining room, where I discovered a bountiful breakfast of pancakes, pork and eggs.
And then? I headed south to spend a day exploring Shenandoah Caverns, with its impressive “Cave Bacon” formations on the ceiling, near Quicksburg, Virginia.
TURNING EAST, I cross into Luray and move into the Mimslyn Inn (540-743-5105), not far from the long-loved Luray Caverns.
What people love about Luray: the fried egg formation. These were actually the result of a breakage. But never mind the details. Coming here, I knew there was only one item I could order for breakfast at the Mimslyn: Why, fried eggs, of course!
The Mimslyn (mimslyninn.com) sits on a hill. And it’s grand – from the friendly staff to the architecture at the front steps that make you feel like you are on top of the world.
Only a tiny drive away, Luray Caverns offers a whirlwind tour that challenges you to see it all. “I really didn’t expect this much. Super fantastic,” one man says to me as we move along.
My tour guide, Katie Nauman, says, “We have so many formations, and it’s overgrown. You have pretty much every single type of formations in the cavern.”
MY NEXT STOP: DAYTON, VIRGINIA.
And, this time, I opt for a cabin at the historic Silver Lake Bed and Breakfast (540-879-2717), a site centered by a vintage wooden structure built in 1750.
This farm-style inn (silverlakebandb.com) stands a few miles off US-11 in Rockingham County, less than 10 minutes from Harrisonburg. In the evening, I sipped on a complimentary cold beer for a nightcap. And in the morning? I awoke to a breakfast with bacon and syrup-topped treats.
Dayton makes a great respite to check out Endless Caverns – yet another underground wonder. Here, returning north of Harrisonburg, I learn about the long-ago dance floor that attracted travelers along US-11 to go underground and have a good time.
BACK ON THE HIGHWAY, I venture to see the mighty Grand Caverns. This larger-than-life attraction sports shields, which is a kind of formation that hangs from a cavern’s ceilings.
Grand Caverns lies south of Harrisonburg. And it’s been open for more than 200 years, making it the longest-running show-cave in the United States.
Seeking a stay in nearby Staunton, Virginia, I explore the downtown district and check into the Holiday Inn Conference Center, 152 Fairway Lane (540-248-6020). I also savor succulent seafood at Staunton’s must-see Mill Street Grill (540-886-0656, millstreetgrill.com) while enjoying a visit with the restaurant owner, Terry Holmes.
“Especially in the summer time, when it’s nice and hot, it’s great to go down in the caverns, because they’re, like, 50 degrees,” Holmes says. “It can be 100 degrees outside, and you almost have to have a jacket on to go down. And, you know, it’s just amazing to see how things form. The lighting and everything makes it.”
NOW IT’S TIME FOR THE NATURAL BRIDGE.
Getting here is only about an hour south of Staunton. And while there is yet another cavern to be found, I cannot resist – I mean, who could? – wandering to the Natural Bridge State Park to see the actual Natural Bridge.
I check in for the night at the Natural Bridge Historic Hotel and Conference Center (540-291-2121),a grand structure that overlooks the state park entrance along US-11. Here, too, I feast on the breakfast buffet, gobbling up eggs and fruit – a fine fuel for spending an hour underground when exploring the Caverns at Natural Bridge.
Though this cavern was discovered in 1889, it’s been only a few decades since tours began in 1978, said caverns manager Larry Wheeler.
Inside, you’ll find bats on the walls and scant lighting. “And, in the fall, we do lantern tours,” Wheeler says. “But, obviously, you want lights to shine on really cool formations.”
SOUTH OF NATURAL BRIDGE, I slip into Salem for a dining at Mac and Bob’s (540-389-5999), 316 E. Main St., and a place to stay at the Hampton Inn (540-389-5999), 450 Litchell Rd., just off I-81.
I also take a couple of hours to explore the gift shop and the caverns named for a dog called “Dixie.” I lap up the colorful lights and fragile formations of Dixie Caverns – including what looks like a large wedding bell.
THEN IT’S OFF TO TENNESSEE.
On another venture, this time going almost four hours south of Salem, I make my way to Forbidden Caverns and the nearby Hidden Mountain Resort (hiddenmountain.com / 865-453-9850), both in Sevier County, Tennessee, near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
First, what’s in Forbidden: a moonshine still and a shallow lake full of formations.
What’s in Hidden Mountain: a small covered bridge that’s mostly for photo-ops at a site where water trickles and flowers bloom with a rainbow-worthy cluster of color.
My cabin for the night – and, oh, so lovely – contains cozy beds upstairs and down plus a porch, where I slip into relaxation mode after a morning breakfast at Flapjack’s Pancake Cabin (865-908-6115) in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
And, here, I dream of what could be more discoveries: Tuckaleechee, Lost Sea, Ruby Falls. There are, yes, more underground treasures to be seen following a trail of “Caverns, Cabins and Cuisine.”
CAVERNS TO EXPLORE
NORTH CAROLINA: Linville, 800-419-0540.
TENNESSEE: Appalachian, 423-323-2337; Bristol, 423-878-2011; Forbidden, 865-493-5972; Lost Sea, 423-337-6616; Raccoon Mountain, 423-821-9403; Ruby Falls, 423-821-2544; Tuckaleechee, 865-448-2274.
VIRGINIA: Caverns at Natural Bridge, 540-291-2482; Dixie, 540-380-2085; Endless, 540-896-2283; Gap Cave, 606-248-2817; Grand, 540-249-5705; Luray, 540-743-6551; Shenandoah, 540-477-3115; Skyline, 540-635-4545.
WEST VIRGINIA: Lost World, 304-645-6677; Organ Cave, 304-645-7600; Seneca, 800-239-7647; Smoke Hole, 304-257-4442.
JOE TENNIS is a contributing editor for Blue Ridge Country. His books include a young adult adventure novel, “Swamped!” (Little Creek Books, 2018, $10.95), available at jancarolpublishing.com.
