How to Broaden Lil's Perception? Walk her through the Tunnel

Concert Rehearsal in the Tunnel at Steep Rock

There's an abandoned railroad at Steep Rock. The only remaining signs of it are a cinder path, which is excellent for horseback riding, a tunnel, assorted culverts and some small, crumbled bridge abutments.

The tunnel is relatively short but bends in the middle so you can't see the light at the other end until you've walked a bit in the dark.....the perfect place for Lil to try something new. When we got to the entrance, there were flickers of light inside. That was new to me.

It was not a screening of  "Rocky Horror" or a seance...although tiny yellow LED lights were arranged on one wall like candles. The other lights were attached to music stands. Gifted vocalists were setting up a dress rehearsal for their annual Tunnel Concert. The exact performance info re the autumn event is a well kept secret in order to surprise Steep Rock visitors and prevent a crowd...part of the concept. One of the singers, Laura Evans, is an artist friend of mine so Lil and I visited with them, snapped some photos and walked on. 

When we returned to the tunnel, the group -- now a quartet -- was in full voice. Their music projected down the trail in a megaphone effect. Inside, with nearly perfect acoustics, the sound was sublime!

Literally stumbling upon classically trained musicians in a black railroad tunnel was astounding. It made our weekend and Lil gained some major enlightenment in the dark.