Local Subterranean Fun: Dixie Caverns

It had been a long weekend, and not in the best sense, after fierce windstorms took out power to the house.  It was time for a little outing--nothing recharges K quite like getting out and about.  E and K took off to Dixie Caverns, a show cave very near Salem, Virginia.  J and K had been there on a date years ago, but we had not returned.  E initially went grudgingly--but by the end of the tour, he was checking out brochures for Luray Caverns and Shenandoah Caverns, planning future cavern trips.

The caverns, open most every day of the year, offer 45-50 minute guided tours at a reasonable entry cost (free under 5, $6 ages 5-10, $14 for others).  If you can navigate substantial stairs (up, down, and uneven), this makes for a fun, easy outing with very little prep.  Our guide was quite knowledgeable of both the cave's interesting history and of the science involved in the cave, making for an interesting visit that encouraged curiosity and questions. 

Much of the cave tour, visitors are actually "in" the mountain rather than beneath ground level.  Formations include tons of "soda straws" and flowstone as well as a bell-shaped formation known as the Wedding Bell (yes, you can get married there).  The natural entrance is visible from inside the cave, prompting a better understanding of its history.  At the end of your tour, you'll have the option of spending a few moments in total cave darkness. 

If you go, dress for 55-60 degrees, and wear shoes that can take on stairs.  There's a gift shop with some rock souvenirs, an attached antique mall, a campground, and ample free parking.  The site itself is right off the I-81 exit aptly named Dixie Caverns.  You can even leave your mark--while you can't touch cave formations, you can write in a chunk of clay that was harvested from the cave.  E wants you to know he was there.

Lost in an Adventure: Lost World Caverns, Lewisburg, WV

Kim adores a good cave, commercialized ones included.  There's something about living in the mid-Atlantic and seeing all these fascinating underground spaces.  In the Lewisburg, WV, area, there are around 2,500 known caves--what awe that thought can inspire!  E has been to several caverns, as historic readers of this blog know, but he recently reported he had no memory of those visits.  G, well, she hadn't been to any.  So, really, we all know what happened next.

Enter Lost World Caverns, a family-owned tourism treasure just over the state line from Alleghany County, VA, on I-64.  To arrive, you turn off the paved road (almost always a good sign).  Their self-guided cave tour is a perfect adventure for a "first cave" and young visitors to the cavern scene.  The pace was perfect because we could control it, allowing Kim to explain to G that caves were a magical world, not a scary one, and allowing E to shine a flashlight they provided into many interesting crevices.  The visitor paths are winding and full of stairs, also adding to the kid-interest factor.  We particularly enjoyed the Smurf Village formations (yes, they look like Smurf houses) and Goliath, a massive column like the name suggests.  (E wanted to name a nearby smaller formation David.)  We spent a little over an hour in the cave and about thirty minutes in the spacious gift shop.  And the gift shop? There were several reasonably-priced items, including Kim's favorite souvenir Christmas ornaments, as well as a small fossil exhibit with items loaned from the Smithsonian.  The science of this cave is truly in progress, and a prehistoric bear skeleton, significant in dating the location of various animals in the area, was found just a few years ago.  It's also a place of popular culture legend for those interested -- the home of Bat Boy, which you can buy in plush form in the gift shop.

If you go, know that this cave is beautiful with lighting that adds to the splendor (similar to Lost Sea Adventure).  You will descend to (and leave from) the cave via a long, steep tunnel with stairs, and the visitor pathways are a bit narrow, uneven, and often feature stairs.  In short, while there are no steep drop offs or similar heights, this is a cave for the surefooted.  We took a stroller into Shenandoah Caverns--you wouldn't do that here.  Really, though, this is all part of the charm and engagement, especially for young kids.  Kim has been caving in wild caves twice, and the overall effect of Lost World Caverns is that it closer to a cave adventure feel than most commercialized caves can accomplish.  Visitors with kids a bit older than us can enjoy wild cave tours; same-age visitors will probably be equally fascinated with the flashlight they loan you for touring.  On the day of our visit, there were people rappelling into the cave from the natural entrance--very nifty.  We've not seen a lot of ads for this attraction, but their digital brochure is helpful in planning.  Also, check Groupon for discount entry--and also consider adding the frequent Groupon coupon codes on local activities for a steeper discount.  Remember jackets as needed for comfort--the cave is about 50 degrees F.  For your interest, here's another family's take on the cave.  Nearby Lewisburg, WV, is an interesting town on its own and has been proclaimed one of the nation's best small towns--just get away from WalMart and to the small town part.  Visitors are also in reach of Alleghany County, of which there is a LOT on this blog, but one of our favorites for kids there is the C & O Railway Heritage Center.

And E?  Well, he remembered visiting caverns once he arrived in this one.

The Lost Sea

On our drive back from Chattanooga, TN, we visited one of the Southern Highlands Attractions I'd always wanted to see:  The Lost Sea Adventure.  You know:  the caves with the boats!  Growing up, I dreamed of visiting these and would always pick up brochures from travel centers, wondering what it would be like to ride boats on the underground lake in the caves.  It was high time to find out.

Lost Sea Adventure welcomes you with a bright tunnel into the Earth, Elijah's favorite part of the trip.  Then, there's caverns--very open caverns with high ceilings and beautiful lighting.  We learned that the caves were one of the first electrified attractions in the region, and folks once came just to see the lights.  No wonder, as the lighting is some of the most beautiful we've seen in a commercialized cave.  On the tour, you descend slowly towards the famous multi-acre lake, hearing stories along the way (like how civil war soldiers left graffiti on the walls) and taking in various formations (like cave flowers). 

The lake itself is a little treasure, America's largest-known underground lake.  As Justin puts it, it doesn't look exactly like it does on the brochures.  The lighting is more mysterious, and the "glass bottom" boats are boats with strips of glass in the center.  However, you do see trout while riding aboard, and the sensation of looking down 30-50 feet to see the beauty of some lit cavern features is something else.

To fellow roadside attractions fans and families with children, we recommend stopping off in Sweetwater, TN, if you are in the area for the experience; the drive from Chattanooga to Sweetwater is an easy one.  The caverns are humid, limiting the need to "bundle up."  Be prepared for a few heights, and know many pathways are packed clay when picking your shoes.  There is a "village" of other attractions on site, but these were less impressive to us.  We did score vintage souvenirs in one of the gift shops, including old logo tac pins and postcards.  A loss?  No souvenir Christmas ornament. 

Relevant Websites:
The Lost Sea Adventure