Exploring Bishop Castle - Rye, Colorado

Pueblo, Colorado
Lake Pueblo State Park

After saying our goodbyes to Greg & Cori we drove south from Golden to Lake Pueblo State Park that Curt and Glenda recommended. Since it was late in the season, only one loop in Arkansas Point was open.  There was only electric for $24.  We had a lake view on site #3.

Our front yard view.

The marina had quite a few boats in it.

The next day we took a drive out to Rye to visit the Bishop Castle.  It was a pretty drive through some rugged mountains and pines.

 

Little farms and some fall color still here.

There were many colors in the rocks.

Some naked Aspen.

 

Loved this old homestead.

We took a final curve up the mountain and there it was, Bishop Castle.  In 1959 at 15 years of age, Young Jim Bishop paid four hundred and fifty dollars for a two and a half acre parcel of land.  In 1972 he began work on the castle. What's most unbelievable is that he has built this stone by stone, by himself!  And it's still being worked on today.

If you want to read more of Jim Bishop's fascinating story of why and how he built this castle by himself, you can read more about it HERE.

 

The iron work with its incredible detail and custom shapes was my favorite.  The stain glass was just as amazing.

The view looking down after climbing up one of the turrets.

Need a hand?

The Dragon's head.

There is a hot air balloon in the head that produces fire from the mouth. 

Some of these wrought iron walkways were so high up and a bit scary to walk on.  Steve went up a little higher than I did.  Funny I can climb up a mountain but this just freaked me out. The castle's highest point is currently 160 feet.

Ya, no, I didn't climb up this one either.

It is free to walk all around the castle.  All the building is done by donations.  We were happy to leave one.  It is so impressive that this can be built without blueprints or anything.  Very talented.

The owners, Jim & Pheobe. 

Mr. Bishop also was interested in body building.  I'm sure carrying all those rocks around helped.

The entrance, complete with drawbridge.

We spent quite a bit of time exploring and climbing up and down and around in the castle.  It was another picturesque drive home.  We came around a curve in the road and were surprised to see some Big Horn sheep grazing next to the road. We stopped and took a few pictures of them from across the road.  They didn't seem to mind us being there at all.

We watched them for a while and then they headed up the embankment into the woods.  What a treat!

The sun was going down quickly and soon the landscape turned to silhouettes.

 Next we continue driving south on  I25 to Rt. 64, cutting across the NE corner of New Mexico to get to our final High Point in the extreme NW corner in the panhandle of Oklahoma.