>Look closely – behind the gravel walkway, beyond the tent on the left, is a hill. It’s Wisconsin, so we can’t call it a mountain. But in winter, people ski here.
Imagine – at the bottom of the hill, a big tent made of canvas, striped blue and white, sturdy and secure, with a stage inside. This place seats 900+ people in its theater for shows that run three and a half months a year, when the ground is thawed and the snow is gone.
Also on the grounds is a tent for concessions and souvenirs. We had a fish boil – Amigo’s first. While he befriended the others at the table, I visited the souvenir stand and picked up a DVD and a t-shirt. Do you see the wires above the food tents? I wasn’t kidding about the ski hill. The lift wires are up all year.
This, my friends, is the home of Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua. Amigo and I have fallen in love with the home troupe, the Blue Canvas Orchestra, and their guest on this lovely night, author and humorist Michael Perry. We traveled to the Big Top for the first time this year, and we’ll definitely go back.