Going Caving

I attend a yoga group on Monday mornings. Today, some of us went on a field trip to The Salt Cave and Spa. What an adventure!

This unique spa is located about five miles north of White Sulphur Springs, WV, home of the famous Greenbrier Hotel and more recently, the Greenbrier Classic PGA tournament. The owners are from Romania and they created this man-made cave and spa by the side of the road in rural West Virginia...go figure!

During my father's final few years, I frequently passed this place as I traveled back and forth from my Highland County, Virginia home to where I grew up, in Union, West Virginia. I watched its construction with great curiosity, having no idea what it would finally become. A home? Underground storage? A survival bunker? But no, it's a spa! The lobby is an experience in itself.

They offer massage, yoga, aromatherapy, reflexology, and a host of other services, but we went to experience the salt cave. Apparently, there are many benefits to breathing the air in this environment. The cave is beautiful, but it's also made of tons of Himalayan pink salt.

To enter the salt cave, walk by these soothing lights and turn right at the green tree. There you'll find a bench to sit on while you remove your shoes and put on clean white socks. Then you open this door and enter the cave.

Besides the dim lighting, the first thing you notice is the floor. It's covered with salt "gravels" that are supposed to massage your feet as well as contribute to the salty environment. It's like walking in sand, only more difficult because the gravels are pretty rough (maybe my feet are too tender?) and they're deep. Noticing the floor is only momentary, though, because this is what you see:

Now, these photos taken inside the cave are a little bit deceiving. The lighting is wonderful and soothing, and wraps around you like a soft blanket. But it is not this orange. It's more like a soft pink. I don't know why the photos come out like this, but I noticed the photos on the spa website look just like mine, so I don't think it is due to my photography skills, or lack thereof.

We were encouraged to get comfortable in the lounge chairs, relax, breath, and be quiet. After the initial chatter died away, it was easy to slip into a drowsy place and just soak in the peacefulness.

 The temperature is a comfortable 70 degrees, quiet music fills the air, and when you look up, there's a ceiling full of possibilities to ponder.

All too soon, our 45-minute session was over. Some reported a slight salty taste in their mouths. Others, like me, quickly noticed it was easier to breathe in the cave. Sinuses and lungs felt free and open, making deep, full breathing effortless.

As we emerged into the light of day, all agreed our salt cave experience was well worth the long drive. Thanks, ladies, for a delightful adventure!

Seeing the Forest and the Trees

You've heard the saying, "Can't see the forest for the trees," I'm sure. When you live within spittin' distance of the forest, however, you don't get to use that excuse for not appreciating the beauty around you.

Yesterday was unseasonably warm all across the mid-Atlantic. Here in our neck of the woods, temperatures soared close to 70 degrees. Robin and I took advantage of this mid-winter rarity to go hiking in the woods with some friends. We walked,

and hiked our way through the woods for nearly three hours, relishing the fact that we needed only a light jacket or sweatshirt on a January afternoon.

You might think there wouldn't be much to see in the woods in the middle of winter, but you'd be wrong! We marveled at God's handiwork, both large and small. There were lots of rocks.

There were rocks with water rushing over them, creating that wonderful sound only rocks and swift water can make.

There were towering rocks

and rocks weeping tears of blue.

There were several different kinds of moss underfoot

and a limb of gold glowing in the afternoon light.

There were gnarly tree roots

and stunning views.

Before we turned around and headed back to where we started, there were some snacks and cold drinks and a few minutes to rest.

Although we were surrounded by all the wonders of the woods, we were grateful to have the curiosity of youth

and the wisdom of experience.

As we made our way back to civilization, we were all tired and satisfied. I can think of no sweeter way to end a day.

Beartown Adventure

Today was a rare day. Robin and I went on a trip!  It was only a day trip (well, actually a six-hour trip, start to finish), but a trip nonetheless. And we went together, just the two of us...for fun! No visiting involved, or shopping, or appointments, just an outing together. We haven't done that in a very long time.

We left around 8:00 this morning (to say Robin is a morning person is an understatement!) to make the 70-mile drive to our destination.

 We traveled west to Monterey, then on to Frost and Marlinton, both in Pocahontas County, West Virginia. From Marlinton we headed south, past Pearl Buck's birthplace

and past Droop Mountain Battlefield,

both places we'd like to visit. But today's agenda held room for only one stop: Beartown!

Back in the fall of 2006, I accompanied the fifth grade from our elementary school on a field trip to Beartown. I was captivated by the wonder of it and have been trying to get Robin to go with me ever since. We finally  made it today, and I think he was duly impressed!

If you're not careful, you'll miss the turn-off. It's right in front of this little log church.

The one-lane road winds around for a mile and a half through privately-owned land, past houses and fields, and in and out of the woods.

At the end of the road is Beartown. You won't see much, just a very small parking area, a couple of picnic tables, and some rustic restrooms nestled among the trees. The sign says it's a "natural area." They're not kidding!!

There is a very cool water fountain, though. It's obviously connected to a well. It has a hand pump with some kind of nifty mechanism that keeps the water flowing through the drinking spout for a minute or two.

If it weren't for a sign or two, you would never know Beartown is there, and you would miss one of the wonders of God's creation. It's tucked away in a secluded spot, where most of the world will leave it alone. The folks who make their way here are always glad they did.

So, just what is Beartown, you might ask? It's a place where the earth has opened up it's soul, so we can see the struggles that went on there and how they've healed with the passage of time. In fact, the struggles are still going on, but so slowly we wouldn't notice much in our short lifetimes. Beartown is colossal rocks, trees both ancient and young, moss and ferns and silence, deep crevasses and hidey-holes of all sizes. It's primeval and serene and, well, almost holy.

To make this amazing place accessible for the average human, a sturdy and remarkable boardwalk has been constructed. Visitors simply follow the walk to take in all that Beartown has to offer. My photos don't do it justice, and I can't put all of them here, but maybe these will show you some of the wonders of this special place.

These are just a few of the couple hundred photos I took. I'd like to show you more, but there are just too many for this space. So...you'll have to go and see Beartown for yourself. It's a sweet natural wonder you don't want to miss!

After our adventure, we stopped for lunch on the way home. We tried to eat here...

but they were closed on Sundays. A nice lady walking down the street told us about a place called Dorrie's in Marlinton, so we headed there.

It turned out to be a nice, clean hometown restaurant, filled with diners on a lovely Sunday. The food and service were good, but the best part, for me at least, was this photo of Dorrie's mother on the wall.

Isn't she lovely? After finishing our lunch, we headed "back east" to Highland County, where the dogs were happy to see us. We hate to go off and leave them penned up, but we needed today, and it was very good indeed.