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August 2021 - July 2022
| Virginia Travelogue 5 |
Afterwards we drove over to The Hershey Farm Inn (our favorite hotel in the area) to check in and unpack. Then it was off to Sight & Sound Theater. Sight & Sound is a place I've been hearing about ever since we moved to Virginia. It's a theater that specializes in plays based on various Bible stories. They do a different one every year and this year is Esther. Lots of people have told me that their shows are a must see, but in previous years I didn't think that Zack could sit through the entire thing. This year though, we decided to give it a try. I wasn't sure exactly what to expect, but the theater itself was pretty impressive both outside and inside (and, conveniently, a very short walk from our hotel). And the theater wasn't the only impressive part. I've seen a lot of versions of the Esther story over the years but I can safely say that this was the best. We're talking Broadway (or better) production values with fantastic sets and costumes. As a neat touch, the stage wrapped around more than 180 degrees and they made really good use of the space and always had something to see wherever you looked. The acting was solid as well. But, most importantly, they nailed the script. I'm really picky about adaptations of stories I've read but this one hit all the key points, filled out the parts that needed it (unlike a modern novel, Bible stories do need some expansion when adapted to stage or film), but didn't add any dumb fluff scenes either. Add in some good musical numbers, and you have an absolutely top-notch production. My whole family was really impressed and we already want to go back next year to see their version of David. If you're Christian or Jewish, you'll love it. Even if you're not religious, so long as you don't mind that it's based on a Bible story, you'll probably still enjoy it since it's such a well-done production. If you're in the area, I highly recommend a visit to Sight & Sound Theater.
After the show, it was back to the hotel for our usual buffet dinner, then we let Zack play around outside for a while before calling it a night.
After leaving the park, we got some food and drove home. It was a fun and relaxing trip and it was nice having my parents along this time.
There's a few different caves in the Shenandoah areas. In fact, Connie and I went to Shenandoah Caverns a few years back. But the most famous cave in the area is actually Luray Caverns. It's kind of in the middle of nowhere (pretty drive though), but there are a lot of other attractions surrounding it, some included with your admission ticket, like the old toy museum. There's also an old car museum, a historical town made up of old buildings, a hedge maze, and a climbing course. Unfortunately, it was raining so we had to pass on all the outdoor stuff though. But the weather doesn't really matter once you go into the cave. I've always liked caves, and I've visited a lot of them over the years. But I've got to say that Luray Caverns is easily one of the most ornate I've ever seen. Lost of caves have some nice rooms with lots of formations. But for Luray, the entire cave looks like that. It took us about an hour to make it through the self-guided tour, but you could easily spend the better part of a day there if you add in all the other attractions.
On the way home, we stopped to eat at Headmaster's Pub, about half an hour away. The food was pretty good, but the main reason I want to mention it is its collection of old arcade games and pinball machines. Pinball especially, since you don't see old machines like that around much. I also go the top score on an old punching machine, which was fun.
Anyway, if you don't mind the drive, I highly recommend Luray. Easily one of the better caves out there.
We also went to Hershey Park for a day. I used to go every year when visiting my grandparents, but it's been a while. Though it's about the same distance from Connie and I as Busch Gardens, we've made Busch our go-to theme park for the last few years (mainly since Zack gets free admission). Hershey, however, has grown and changed quite a bit from what I remember. They've added a ton of rides, both big and small, and the water park area has expanded to the point where it alone could easily fill the better part of a day. We had to leave a little early that day and I didn't make it through the entire park, plus there was some rain which closed a lot of the rides for a while, so I didn't really get enough of a feel for the place to give it a full write-up. However, I'm going to make a point of going back sometime (this summer or next) and giving it a more thorough exploration.
