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Bishop Castle

The next day, we drove East along Highway 160 through the San Juan Mountains. A quiet green river valley in a bowl of pine trees. We lunched at a cafe in Del Norte, which we learned was pronounced “del nort,” then we headed North. There were a few delays for road construction on the two-lane roads, and one delay due to someone flipping a pickup truck. We made Bishop Castle with twenty minutes to spare before it officially closed at 6pm.

Chess match in Del Norte

Bishop Castle is built on uneven ground. Grandma waited in the car as we crossed the drawbridge and climbed up the spires to the Great Room of what could pass as a rustic cathedral if there were a congregation around to enjoy it. The place was hand-built in the middle of nowhere in defiance of the government and its pesky permitting and construction safety standards. You visit very explicitly At Your Own Risk.

The dragon is capable of spitting fire.

Younger Brother understood a world-class playground structure, and proceeded up and up and up and up the dubious spiral staircase, trailed by Mom, who had selected the destination. Older Brother and Dad carefully picked our way down and tried to spot our loved ones from six stories below. I left a donation at the gift shop. The place is a work of art: art of course is in the eye of the beholder. To my eyes, the place is a monumental tribute to poor judgment.