Blue Widow Chronicles

From loss to living. This is my story.


A Castle in Colorado, Visiting Bishop Castle

First Impressions

First off, I want to say when I decided to visit a castle in Colorado, this was not what I was expecting. I knew nothing about this place beforehand. After driving more than hour, what I encountered was easily something out of fairytales and days gone by.

Parking was on the road and I had to walk up a hill before the whole area came into view. Then I was completely amazed. Bishop Castle is free to visit and it is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Enter at your own risk!

out front of bishop castle
the exterior of bishop castle

A Little History About The Castle in Colorado

From the website Bishop Castle this was the dream of Jim Bishop and he has been working on construction for more than 60 years. There are 3 floors with a grand ball room, lots of staircases, landings, and little secret spots.

Navigating The Castle Interior

No part of the castle is off limits but be warned. The staircases are narrow and lots of landings are high. Although there is railing, one could easily go off or over. The floors are well, sketchy in parts but the views are worth it.

the glass ceiling of the grand hall. castle in colorado. bishop castle.
standing outside the roof of the grand hall. castle in colorado. bishop castle.
ceiling of the grand hall. castle in colorado
This is the ceiling in the grand ball room from inside.

The history page on the website is fascinating and full of information about how the castle came to be. It tells that at the tallest point the castle stands at roughly 160 feet. The Learn and explore page gives more information about the dragon and how it was born.

castle in colorado. bishop castle in rye, colorado.

The website and signs say that from the beginning and subsequently, until the addition of the gift shop, the castle relied solely on donations.

The gift shop can be seen in the distance.

So if you ever find yourself out near Rye, Colorado, the Bishop Castle is a must see. You won’t be disappointed. I’ve heard it’s gorgeous at night also. Remember it NEVER closes! Thanks for reading!

2 responses to “A Castle in Colorado, Visiting Bishop Castle”

  1. Linda Shidler Avatar
    Linda Shidler

    It looks amazing!

  2. WOW!

Tell Me Something Good

About The Blue Widow Chronicles and Me

The Blue Widow Chronicles began after my husband, Eric, died suddenly in 2020. I became a widow overnight, and the writing became the place I went to make sense of a life that no longer made sense.

What began as writing through grief has grown with me.

Over the years, I’ve written my way through widowhood, PTSD and trauma, solo travel, love after loss, losing Greg to suicide, starting over, complicated relationships, and the ongoing work of figuring out who I am when the life I once knew no longer exists.

This isn’t a blog about having grief figured out. I write from wherever I actually am—sometimes healing, sometimes questioning, sometimes rebuilding, and sometimes admitting I have no idea what comes next.

Odin and Freija frequently find their way into these pages too, along with the people, places, memories, and ordinary moments that remind me life continues even when it looks nothing like the one I expected.

What You’ll Find Here

The Chronicles are personal essays about grief, trauma, identity, love, relationships, travel, rebuilding, and life after loss. Some were written from inside the experience. Others look back years later with a perspective I couldn’t have had when everything was happening.

There are more than five years of stories here. You don’t need to read them in order. Start wherever something speaks to you.

Beyond the Pages

Some stories can be told publicly. Others need a smaller room.

Beyond the Pages is the more intimate side of The Blue Widow Chronicles on Patreon—a growing private library of previously unpublished journal entries, deeper reflections on the Chronicles, member-only writing, and guided writing resources.

Membership is $5/month and includes access to the complete growing library.

Come further in —Beyond the Pages

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