Things to do in Lewisburg

I was a bit wrong about Lewisburg, assuming that there was nothing to do and see. There are actually quite a few things to do. So while Terry was in class, we did our best to find these sightseeing sites to occupy our time. (Med students are intense. It didn't matter if their family were visiting. School and studying ALWAYS comes first)

Lost Worlds Caverns
Like most visitors to Lewisburg, our first visit was to the Lost World Caverns. It's basically a series of underground caverns that feature natural formations of stalagmites and other rock formation things of which I don't know the name. I visited a number of similar caverns this summer in Vietnam, but what I particularly like about this one is that its still left in its natural state (aside from the pathways/light posts constructed for safety). A lot of the ones in Vietnam were eroded by foot traffic, litter, and graffiti. You don't find that problem here, thankfully.

Supposedly, someone stood atop this formation for a total of 15 days, breaking some Guinness World Record. His parents must have been proud.
The basic tour is a half-mile long self-guided tour. For the more adventurous type, there's also a four-hour long (!!) spelunking adventure that takes you off the beaten paths. These folks here were beginning their hike into the dark crevices of the caverns.
After the caverns, we rode around the area to look at the scenery, which is just incredibly gorgeous. I can see the appeal of living in these type of places because the landscape alone can even make the most city-centered people rethink of relocating. Actually acting on those impulses, however, is another story. But, one can imagine what life would be in these neck of the woods, with vast amounts of untouched land to cast eyes across every day...
to take morning runs through all this greenery...
and pet horsies on the side of the road!
Greenbrier Resort
After our little side-trip, we went to the Greenbrier Resort on Terry's recommendation. The Greenbrier is a hotel-resort, dating as far back as the 18th century and remains today a gathering place for the most elite of Southern high society. It is also a place for the influential. Southern Presidents used to take residence here, contemporary Presidents still make visits, and occasionally, Republican conferences are held here (apparently, there's a bunker underground built specifically to house Congressional members in case of attacks). Most recently (in August), the Greenbrier hosted the PGA tour.

The history surrounding the Greenbrier made this visit so interesting. Both the Confederate and Union army once took refuge here, transforming it into a military headquarters and hospital to care for wounded soldiers. We took a tour through the President's Cottage, where Presidents such as Marten Van Buren, Fillmore, and Buchanan once took residence. I especially loved looking at the old pictures of people through the ages enjoying the Greenbrier grounds in their period clothes. The pictures really highlighted the high-class and exclusive nature of this resort that is still intact today.

And the hotel really blew me away. I have never been in a hotel so spectacular. There's a posh casino, a little mall with stores that would probably take me a lifetime to build up a fortune to shop in, and lots and lots of sitting rooms decorated to capture the ambiance of the decadent 1920s. I loved, loved, loved the decor.

Scenes from Greenbrier:

Smooth Amber Spirits
After the Greenbrier, we still had a lot more time to kill. So, my brother John saw a sign pointing toward a liquor distillery and we made a pit stop there. The woman manning the front desk gave us a tour of the small, 3-person run distillery. The place just opened in April and for such a small operation, it was very impressive with its state-of-the-art equipment.

This place specifically makes gin and vodka. I got a whiff and taste of the vodka. It smelled super strong, but it went down really smooth.

And with a teensy bit of alcohol in our system, our sightseeing tour of Lewisburg was over. We were able to hit all the major places around Lewisburg in about a day. There's also a lot of outdoorsy things to do around Lewisburg, such as bicyling around the Greenbrier River Trail--that's supposed to be a popular attraction--and also snow-shooeing (??) during the winter. If I had brought my running shoes, I would have taken a run through town or if we had more time, go hiking.

In all, my trip to Lewisburg was nice, despite realizing that I can never settle in such a place. I wouldn't mind making another trip out here to visit my brother of course, but also get another chance to take in the gorgeous scenery and absorb the calmness of this small town. Washington, DC is also only four hours away from Lewisburg, so if there's nothing else to do, road trip.