Monday, November 20, 2017

Field Trip: Bishop Castle

In September I finally got the chance to take the kids to Bishop Castle, a castle in Colorado built by a single man, Jim Bishop. He's eccentric, as evidenced by signs all around the property ranting against the government, as well as this one-man mission to build a castle from the ground up, which started in 1969.

The castle has been pieced together with stones, metalwork, and stained glass, and features a giant metal dragon head that breathes fire (courtesy of a hot air balloon burner) and multiple towers. One of his children died during the building process in an unfortunate accident, and there were legal issues in the papers last year, but they seem to have been resolved.

Bishop Castle is located in the San Isobel National Forest, with gorgeous tree-filled vistas surrounding the castle. You'll see from the pictures that we were above the trees upon climbing the towers. The drive there was beautiful and peaceful, and we found a hole in the wall that served delicious BBQ and ice cream on the way home.

Read more about Bishop Castle HERE.




















I actually heard about the castle back in high school, when I was invited to a rave being held (illegally, of course) at the castle in the grand ballroom (the room with the big stained glass windows and arched ceiling). I didn't go, but signs in the grand ballroom indicate this rave wasn't a rare occurrence. The floor has been damaged by fires, and garbage was left behind after the raves.

By the way, look closely at the green-clad "angel" above. Recognize her face?

Link time! Bear in mind I'm not endorsing these, merely passing them along. Always do your own due diligence before submitting.

Accepting Submissions:

JMS Books is seeking erotic LGBTQ+ romance novelettes to be released individually as e-books with the theme Music of the Heart. 12,000 words or more. Pays royalties. Deadline November 30.

Down & Out Books and Michael Bracken are seeking private eye mysteries set in Texas for the anthology The Eyes of Texas. Ideal submission is around 5000 words. Pays in royalties. Deadline November 30.

Fantasia Divinity Magazine is seeking short stories about forgotten Norse goddesses for their anthology Forgotten Goddesses of Norse Mythology. 500 to 10,500 words. Pays a half-cent per word. Deadline November 30.

The Golden Key is seeking poetry and stories with the theme Revolutionary Things. Up to 3000 words. Pays $10. Deadline November 30.

Polychrome Ink is seeking stories of most genres from diverse writers. Pays $15-$40. Deadline December 1 for Volume V.

Goblin Fruit is seeking fantastical poetry. Pays $15. Deadline December 1.

Crystal Lake Publishing is seeking quiet horror and dark fiction for Tales From the Lake Volume 5 (does NOT have to be lake themed.) Up to 6000 words. Pays $.03/word. Deadline December 1.

Slice Magazine is seeking short fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Current theme is Flight. Pays $75 to $250. Up to 5000 words. Deadline December 1.

What is the oddest tourist destination you've visited? Does your state have a castle? Ever been to it? What do you think of Bishop Castle? Any of these links of interest? Anything to share? 

May you find your Muse.

9 comments:

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

My favorite pic is the fifth one down, the one where you see the towers from the ground up, with the sky behind them. Feels both spooky and Game of Thrones-ish. :)

Andrew Leon said...

That's pretty impressive. Who owns it now? Is it just open to tourists?
The stained glass looks like Betty Boop.

Jeff Hargett said...

Love the photos!

L. Diane Wolfe said...

What a unique place. Puts me in mind of the House on the Rock in Wisconsin.

Ann Bennett said...

This is certainly interesting. Thanks for sharing.

H.R. Bennett said...

WE HAVE A CASTLE IN COLORADO?!?!?!

I guess I know where I'm visiting next trip.

Catherine Dilts said...

I saw this twenty years ago. Wow, there has been a lot of progress!

John Wiswell said...

I really thought the sign meant no drunks or tax payers there for a second.

The Cynical Sailor said...

Wow, that looks amazing! I'd love to see that in person one day. The sign about no drunk taxpayers cracked me up :-)