We knew we were in for a rainy end of spring break week back in early April and so on a soggy Friday morning we decided to embark on a trip to White Sulphur Springs, WV to visit the renowned Greenbrier Luxury Resort.
The scenery on the way there was beautiful despite the rainy, dismal weather...
We drove there in a downpour, but luckily once we got to our destination, the rain stopped!
The stately Greenbrier entrance
This opulent resort has a long and colorful history. In the 1770's the area was discovered to have a spring of sulphur water and thus began the tradition of people 'taking the waters' for therapeutic reasons and to relieve chronic aliments.
The original hotel structure was built in 1858 and in the decades following the Civil War, the resort became a center of post-war society, especially with the advent of the railroad.
Years later during World War II, the resort then served as an army hospital.
In the years following the war, the resort reopened and was refurbished by New York socialite and interior designer Dorothy Draper and it became an attraction for many prominent and influential visitors, including twenty-six US Presidents.
A portrait of Dorothy Draper adorns the wall in one of the resort's restaurants
Another item of interest about the resort is that it is the site of a huge underground bunker that was constructed during the Cold War as a relocation center/fall out shelter for Congress in the event of a nuclear attack. Under the code name of Project Greek Island, it was a 112,544 square foot fully operational underground compound that included decontamination chambers, dormitories, a power plant, diesel storage tanks, tv and audio communications area, hospital clinic, pharmacy, cafeteria, and meeting rooms for the House and Senate.
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Bunker construction in 1960.
Photo courtesy of The Greenbrier |
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A 25-ton blast door protecting the west tunnel entrance.
The bunker has three entrances designed to withstand a modest nuclear blast approximately
15-30 miles away and to prevent radioactive fallout from entering the facility when it is sealed off.
Photo courtesy of The Greenbrier |
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Decontamination chamber.
Photo courtesy of The Greenbrier |
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Original bunk beds in one of 18 dormitories of the bunker.
Each dormitory could sleep 60 people.
Photo courtesy of The Greenbrier
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Meeting room for the House and Senate.
Photo courtesy of The Greenbrier |
The bunker location was kept active for over 30 years until an article exposing the facility ran in the Washington Post in 1992. At that time, the government began de-commissioning the The Bunker.
Today, the general public can come for an informative tour and learn about this fascinating time in American history.
Here is the main entrance view…it definitely has that "wow" factor
Notice all the tulip sprigs coming up…soon there will be beautiful vivid bursts of color everywhere.
Inside the lobby the boys quickly made their way over to an elaborate Easter display
made with over 700 pounds of chocolate!
That's ALOT of chocolate!
More artistically designed confectionery delights.
Some of the bright and colorful decor--trademarks
of interior designer Dorothy Draper.
Ornate chandelier in The Cameo Ballroom.
A hurried pace to catch a Bunker tour.
The Bunker was constructed during the Eisenhower Administration-hence the life size cut out of Ike.
Here we are in front of a 25-ton blast door which protected the tunnel entrance.
We like Ike!!
Enjoying afternoon refreshments at Cafe Carlton.
Partaking of an after tour dinner at Draper's.
Paying homage to the splendor.
After a trip to the hotel toy shop for a new soccer ball the lawns
of The Greenbrier provided the perfect opportunity for an impromptu match!
It's not every day that you have this kind of opportunity, so why not?
A great time was had by all and we barely scratched the surface of all
the amenities that The Greenbrier has to offer.
That just means we'll have to go back for another visit!
