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NOTE: The descriptions of the places in this guide were accurate at the time the articles were posted. Please be advised that you should call ahead before traveling to any of them. |
Experience the Energy of Crystal Caverns at Hupps MillBy: Michelle
The cavern has actually been known long before this discovery. The cave is millions of years old. Evidence indicates that it may have served as everything from a den for ice-age predators such as sabre-toothed cats, ceremonial grounds for early Native Americans, shelter for war-wary Civil War soldiers, and possibly even as a road to freedom for slaves escaping through the Underground Rail Road. The Hupps used the cavern as a natural refrigerator due to its constant 54-degree temperature, as well as the ultimate party room for many of their guests. In the 1920's the cavern was part of a grand amusement park drawing visitors from near and far.
The cavern entrance is inside an old house that was built right on top of the opening. Upon entering, we were greeted by bright yellow stairs descending into one heck of a basement! We were immediately struck by the notion that we were in the presence of something very old that had seen a lot of life. According to our guide there have been claims of many unusual supernatural sightings. Considering all the activity that has occurred over time in the caverns it seems highly probable that there may be one or two folks who decided to never leave. For anyone wishing to further explore that aspect of the cave, the do offer haunted tours around Halloween and special candlelight tours with guides dressed in period costumes.
In addition to the supernatural beings that may or may not dwell there, there is one bona fide resident of Crystal Caverns - "Andy" the Amphipod (an eyeless, colorless, crustacean). He can be found no where else on earth but here. Though only recently discovered (1992), he and his ancestors have been home to the cave for probably millions of years, outlasting all the many creatures that have wandered in and out over time. Much about "Andy" is still being investigated and researched. However, many worry about the survival of this rare species as local development threatens to damage its fragile home.
Location: I-81 at Exit 298, one-mile south on U.S. Hwy 11 For more information visit: http://www.waysideofva.com/crystalcaverns/ Thanks for visiting VirginiaWind. Travel | Back Seat | Byways | Specials | Letters | Tips | About Us | Privacy | Disclaimer | Search © Copyright 2008 VirginiaWind
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Strasburg,
VA is probably best known for its beautiful scenery and Civil War history.
However, visitors of the Stonewall Jackson Museum and Civil War walking
trail located on Rt. 11 can discover a magnificent shimmering treasure
right beneath their very feet - Crystal Caverns. Though it is lesser known
that the other caverns in the area, it does hold the distinction of being
the oldest documented cavern in Virginia, when it was "discovered"
by the Hupps family around 1755.
From
the very beginning of the tour, I realized that we were in for a very
personal intimate glimpse of the caverns when we were handed our very
own flashlight. Our tour group only consisted of 3 people and one of them
was the guide. Actually, the guides prefer small groups and given some
of the narrow passageways and low ceilings we encountered, I could easily
see why. Our guide explained that the cavern was basically pretzel shaped
and that at no time would we be more than a few minutes from the exit.
He reminded us several times that it was impossible to get lost, which
made me wonder if there was something about our group that made him feel
it necessary to repeat himself.
Once
we descended the staircase, the first thing that struck us was the beautiful
white calcite crystals shimmering back in the flashlight beams. It was
now easy to understand why it is named Crystal Caverns. In addition to
the usual fare one expects to find in a cavern - stalactites, stalagmites,
soda straw formations, flowstone and a crystal pool, the cavern is also
famous for its rimstone formations, which occur when tiny pools of water
force the minerals to make many tiny ridges. The end result is a pattern
resembling lace (or some say it looks more like tripe). Like most caverns,
there are attempts made to give some formations gimmicky names like "the
giant's tomb" or the "alligator" but for the most part
these took quite a bit of imagination to even begin to see them. 
The
star of crystal caverns is, of course, the crystals themselves. In the
past, they were possibly mined and there is quite visible evidence of
looting some of the stones. Today, the crystals attract psychics, such
as Jeanne Dixon, and others seeking to draw from their energy. Other visitors
have reported supernatural experiences when visiting the cave such as
experiencing strange fluctuations in temperature and sensing the presence
of other beings. It has been reported that strange unexplained images
have even shown up in digital photography.
Throughout
the entire tour, the only thing that gave me goosebumps was the thought
of Andy or one of his dear friends dropping on me as I passed through
his home. Much to my relief, I was told not to worry that the little guy
really is quite shy and fairly inactive. The closest thing we got to a
supernatural experience was the fact that my tape recorder mysteriously
stopped recording the moment we started down the stairs on the tour. Despite
my best efforts the tape wouldn't budge. I merely thought the batteries
were dead and waited to get out into the sunlight. Once outside, the tape
recorder functioned perfectly without ever changing the batteries but
nothing at all had been recorded from inside the cave. Technical failure
or spiritual intervention??? You decide