This field trip has been Cancelled!
When: Saturday, March 14, 2020 from 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Where: Luray Caverns
101 Cave Hill Rd, Luray, VA 22835
(https://luraycaverns.com/)
Lunch: West Main Market
123 W Main St, Luray, VA 22835
1-540-743-1125
Field Trip Leader: Jim Sinsheimer
Field Trip Coordinators: Judy Graham and Tana Ebbole
Join NVPS for an unearthly experience to the Luray Caverns March 14, 2020! We will experience cathedral-sized rooms with ceilings 10-stories high, towering stone formations, and natural wonders at every turn.
Arrangements have been made for a special photography tour, which allows us two hours in the caverns and the use of tripods. (The standard tour is one hour and no tripods). The cost of the photography tour is $80 per person. Tickets must be purchased on the morning of the tour at the ticket office, which will be our designated meeting spot. They are expecting us so make certain to say you are with the NVPS group. Please arrive no later than 8:15 a.m.
We are also planning to meet for an early lunch following the field trip at West Main Market in nearby Luray, VA (approximately a 10-minute drive from the caverns). While the restaurant does not have a website, you can check out the menu on TripAdvisor at https://www.tripadvisor.
(Please note, if you do not wish to participate in the photography tour, but still wish to join us for the field trip, you can take a regular one-hour tour starting at 9:00 a.m. for $30.)
Field Trip Tips:
- Carpooling is encouraged since from the Firehouse to the caverns it’s at least a 2-hour drive.
- In March it is hard to know what the weather will be, but it won’t matter to us. The caverns are a constant 54 degrees with very high humidity which makes it feel more like 65 degrees. Some people prefer a light jacket while touring the caverns. Comfortable walking shoes are a must.
- Due to the high humidity, do not change lenses in the caverns to avoid damaging your gear. If possible, bring two camera bodies with the lenses already attached – one wide-angle and one telephoto.
- To prevent your lens from fogging due to the high humidity in the caverns, keep your camera warm prior to starting the tour, even walking from your car to the ticket office.
- The dark caverns and the bright lights cause an extreme dynamic range. If possible, bracket your exposures and combine in HDR. A small ISO value will also increase the dynamic range.
- If you have questions about camera settings during the field trip, etc., Jim Sinsheimer will be available to assist you.
- If you are thinking of getting a hotel room the night before, there are several options available. https://www.
tripadvisor.com/HotelsNear- g60964-d104021-Luray_Caverns- Luray_Virginia.html
In the event of emergencies or other matters regarding the field trip, please contact Judy at 703-969-0099 or fieldtrips-2019@nvps.org. There is no cell phone service inside the caverns.
We hope you will join us!
Judy Graham and Tana Ebbole
Field Trip Coordinators 2019-2020