Bishop's Castle
(Most photos have a large version if you click.)
This sign (click to get a larger version that is more readable) is at the entrance of Bishop's Castle.
The message gives you a hint as to what Jim Bishop is all about. He's not one for following the masses, but he respects the American way and wants to keep it.
His statements provides some pretty interesting food for thought.
It takes a little guts to go up those first steep, stone stairs. Later, I realized you could enter Bishop's Castle less dramatically from the back, but I recommend these stairs in the corner.
The main floor feels a lot like a church. In fact, hundreds of weddings have happened here, though it is quite far away from any facilities, so such arrangements require a lot of planning. The ironwork is amazing here, and all over Bishop's Castle.
Those see-through paths around the outside are a little nerve-wracking. "Will they hold me?" you wonder at first, then you have to remind yourself that thousands of people have been walking on these paths for decades safely. Seeing the little kids running around also shames you to not be so scared. (Don't let these pictures fool you, there were quite a few people around, including lots of children.) Walking around on the paths soon becomes comfortable, though, and prepares you for the much more interesting climbs ahead...
Talk about a spiral staircase. This one was the first tower we climbed (of the three we could go up at the time.) Once you pass the top of the stone tower, the stairs continue to spiral right up into open air and into an ironwork sphere (that, apparently, used to spin, but it didn't spin when we were there.)
It felt quite solid for how much you could see through it. But don't get me wrong, my heart was beating fast. Gotta keep reminding yourself how many people have done this before you (and will after you.)
There was quite a view from the top and a Bridge to Nowhere as you'll see below.
Even better, this was not even the tallest tower there!
Like I mention, there is a good chance that by now, the bridge is finished and leads to a tower that was not finished yet when we visited. That is the beauty of Bishop's Castle. There are always new elements being added. Parts that were blocked off before may now be open. And it just keeps getting bigger.
And so you're asking, just where is this bridge in the big scheme of things exactly? See below:
The stairs are toward the back, many of the towers lead all the way down to the basement. Gorgeous stained glass windows and low arches makes this a quiet, peaceful place. If you go even further, you may find the First Stone Set by Jim Bishop in 1969.
