Day 19 of our 2025 RVing Adventure with Historical & Musical Interludes

On day 19 of our 2025 summer adventure we left DC and had an overnight in Salem VA at Dixie Caverns.

To say the drive out of DC was slow would be an understatement. It was at a snails pace! Sheryl kept track. It took us 45 minutes to go less than 9 miles! 

I could not imagine doing this commute to get to work everyday. Gary chimed in, "he could not see doing this drive for pleasure either!"

We finally made it off of I-495 and onto I-66 and eventually got onto I-81. Along I-495 there were unique patriotic signs. I tried to capture a few of them, but this is the only one that was clear.

On the horizon, we saw this beautiful church. We learned from Gaby that it is the The Washington DC Temple of the Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This was the first temple built in the Eastern United States (and in the state of Maryland). This Temple was the first temple to feature six spires since the construction of the Salt Lake Temple, which inspired the design. Soaring to a height of 288 feet, the Washington DC Temple is the tallest temple in the Church. 

The Washington DC Temple is one of only four temples with six instruction rooms and the only one outside of Utah. (The other three temples are the Ogden Utah Temple, the Provo Utah Temple, and the Jordan River Utah Temple.) The Washington D.C. Temple had originally been named the Washington Temple until it was renamed in 1999 following the announcement of a uniform naming guideline. The Washington DC Temple is one of only five temples featuring an angel Moroni statue holding the gold plates.

It must have been the day for crosses. If you look in the sky as we passed over this bridge you will see a cross. Gaby would say it's a plane, but we know she has an obsession! LOL

Here is another set of crosses. We saw many of these along I-81 as we headed south. 

The three crosses on a hill, a prominent symbol in Christian art and tradition, represent the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and the two thieves crucified with him on Calvary. 

The crosses symbolize Jesus' sacrifice, the sins of humanity, and the promise of redemption. The hill itself, often depicted in art, evokes the site of the crucifixion and is a powerful visual metaphor.

We found the "Apple Basket Water Tower." It is located in Mount Jackson, Virginia. 

It is a unique attraction along I-81. It's easily visible from the interstate and is painted to resemble a large basket full of apples. 

Once we got out of the traffic, it was an uneventful day of driving. We arrived at Dixie Caverns, our overnight stop. 

We called ahead and made a "reservation." Although, they did not take any money, which is nice, but it is also nerve wracking because you wonder if you have a reservation.

When we arrived, Pam had our paperwork ready and she had us next to each other in pull-thru sites. So, we did not have to unhook. Which is what we wanted for this overnight.

Sheryl and I would have explored the caverns, but we stayed overnight on a Tuesday and the caverns are closed on Tuesdays!

We had a relaxing overnight sitting outside, visiting, and enjoying dinner together. We have had some pretty awesome meals together. Even something as simple as pizza is enjoyable with this group!

We even had a visitor that was hoping for a bite or two! He tried every angle to get us to invite him in and share our meal with him!

Tomorrow we arrive in Pigeon Forge, TN.

Stay tuned for more Two Lane Adventures!