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The new interior at Derry Presbyterian in Hershey - the organ pipes are all screened at the front of the nave
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We've now RV'd in 47 of the lower 48 . . .
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On our way to Harpers Ferry, traffic stopped for a mishap . . .
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We're guessing this was the other party . . .
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To get to the historical areas, you take the free shuttle. There's almost no parking downtown
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Several of the old buildings downtown have been restored and house exhibits or park facilities
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Seems like every historical town has a restored general store . . .
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And they're all interesting
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Harpers Ferry's heyday began when George Washington established a federal arsenal and arms factory in 1793
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By 1859 when John Brown came to town, it was a thriving factory town
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Today, it's almost all gone. The arsenal fundations (foreground) face the old hotel, now a museum
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The 1859 firehouse, where Brown holed up and was captured, has been rebuilt and relocated several times
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Today, river rafts are common on the Potomac River going past town
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The Appalachian Trail from Maine to Georgia crosses the river on that still-active railroad bridge
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Harpers Ferry was one of a handful of places where firearms were manufactured before the Civil War
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An archeological dig to bedrock reveals this building was first a stable, then a store and boarding house and finally a private residence
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Today the train station primarily serves commuters who work in the Washington DC area
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The picturesque Nineveh Presbyterian Church north of Front Royal - we didn't go there
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We did go to Front Royal Presbyterian . . .
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The park was one of FDRs make-work creations during the depression
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Skyline Drive runs along the crest of the mountains, providing wonderful views
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The park buildings are all now over 75 years old . . .
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No matter what, we'll always stop for pretty flowers
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The vistas are especially spectacular - and popular - when the leaves change in the fall
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Luray Caverns is a major tourist attraction
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We walked about 1.5 miles through formations like these
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Over the years, the cave has been civilized - but we still go down (and up) about 180 feet
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This is a wet cave - the formations are still growing, albeit v-e-r-y slowly.
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Lots of columns - the green is algae, because of the artificial light
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Lots of grottoes
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Lots of draperies
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The water line is about 1/4 down from the top - below that it's a marvelous reflection
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It's hard to tell what's real and what's reflected
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If the water wasn't slightly discolored, you'd never see the difference
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No reflections here - that's all right side up
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There's no known animal life in this cave - no bats, no crickets, no creepy-crawlies
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But plenty of tourists like us
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We passed this column several times during our descent into the depths . .
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Lots of stalactites and stalagmites
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They call it Bridal Veil Falls
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We're glad they stuck to natural lighting - no garish colors
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Probably a few million years in the making
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You can't help but be awed
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This column fell many thousands of years ago
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Most rooms are quite large
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The Great "Stalacpipe Organ" is pretty neat
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37 stalacties are wired to solenoids that "ring" them
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If you're picky, it's actually a "Lithophone" - rocks with sound
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The tuned stalactites are spread over about 3.5 acres
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Since 1956, the Wishing Pond had raised over a million dollars for various charities.
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A geologist could explain how that pattern was formed. Our guide couldn't
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Fried eggs? Raw oysters? You decide . . .
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We could show you so many more, but not many people like even this many pictures
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There's a car museum next door to the caverns
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Pre-automotive British road coach - carried 20 people somehow
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Not a car, but we want one of those horse tricycles
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There are cars in this museum we don't recall seeing anywhere else
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Want one of those, too
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Classy . . .
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Built for Rudoph Valentino, painted to look like alligator skin
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That's very nice - Cords and Deusenbergs were made in Auburn, IN
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The louvers on the radiator are thermostatically controlled . .
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Luray has a carillon - The Singing Tower - but we didn't hear it play
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Our first encounter with sub-$2 gasoline
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As you approach the James Monroe home, you assume this is it. It's not
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This is . . .much more modest
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Monroe's home is the white part on the left. A later owner added the bigger yellow part
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The yard is well landscaped. Old restored slave quarters are behind
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We'll always stop for a butterfly
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These were quarters for the house slaves. Field workers didn't live nearly as well
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Because of fire danger, most colonial kitchens were separated from the main house
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But Monroe's was in the basement
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Monroe's plantation adjoined that of Thomas Jefferson - the two were good friends
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Another neighbor - but 20 miles away - was James Monroe
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Madison's home is undergoing a major restoration thanks to a recent major gift
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Archeological digs are underway
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Interesting things are being found
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Outbuildings are being reconstructed
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Judy joins Dolley in reading over Madison's shoulders
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Madison is generally considered the father of the US Constituton
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And we happened to be there on the 228th anniversay of its adoption on Sept 17, 1787
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Preparations were underway for Constutution Weekend, a big event at the estate
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Until the leaves change, this is our sign of an impending autumn
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And we'll be back on the road momentarily . . .