Day 2 Drive to Great Sand Dunes and detour...

Good morning. Well I think I slept from 7pm to 530am and Kay's Forest Manor was the best place for it. Easily one of my favorite Airbnb so far. She made it even better with a yummy breakfast that really has helped keep me going all day long. 

After I was done fueling up I headed out and lo and behold I was on the road an hour earlier than I expected. Score for time. What does that mean? Oh you wait.. its going to be amazing. But first I careened along the Colorado high ways and escaped the city. Seriously, Colorado Springs is like any other city just probably cooler than whatever home town you are reading this in. I think that is how it works.

Once I made it out of the city things opened up and there were just amazing mountains everywhere. Saw lots of Air Force Training jets which was cool. Also a note for the west, lots of old muscle cars.

Then I gassed up and headed on a detour. Yes that extra hour was going to let me go play at the incredible Bishop Castle of Custer County. It is a thing and you need to google it an learn all about it. But I will show you a quick shot of where I was as I headed over there. This is San Isabel Lake in the same named National Forest.

Okay now to the good stuff. This is Bishop Castle. It has all been built by Jim Bishop. He bought the land when he was 15 I think for $450. And started building a cottage. That was 1969. The man has extreme views and is possibly a racist. But the pictures I am about to share are one of the most amazing things I have ever seen ONE MAN build. For the record he ask for donations but lets you wander the whole building. I think he sleeps in a camper off by the side. There was a little gift store but I didn't go in. I did explore as far as I felt safe and maybe a bit further.

I warned you he is a bit extreme.

but....

Okay let me tell you... anyone who knows me knows I am tree hugging liberal. This guy most likely would hate me. But OMG I have mad respect for this insane &$*&*@. I mean at this point I have made it up to the Great Hall underneath the Dragon Head. Yeah. That is what i said. A dragon head. I wouldnt be surprised if it actually shot out fire. For the record I do think it does. I am sure I read that somewhere.

I want to point this picture out specifically. As I moved further up the Castle. There was more and more Iron work. Lots of Iron work that if you look closely here appears to be parts welded over parts. I tried really hard not to think about the signs and the fact that I had no idea if this could hold a 200 plus pound man. I just kept going.

So I made it up to one side of the castle. My heart was beating tons. You can probably hear it in the videos. Which you can see most of them on my instagram at john.m.73 I will gladly accept new friends. Be warned im a dork.

Also If you notice in most of these pictures the team was hiding. They refused to come out till we were back on solid real ground.

So we headed out of Bishop Castle in one piece and on to Great Sand Dunes National Park.  We drove through what the signs said was Spanish Peaks Country. I kept going to myself must find out what they are talking about.... OHHHHH

Those are the Spanish Peaks. I pretty much drove next to them for like well ever and just wow. They dominate the areas skyline.

This picture and the one that follows it are of Rough Mountain. It is opposite of the Peaks and just has a really neat look to it.

Onward I went through a really cute town called Walsenburg and then I had the all important lunch at Sand Dunes Oasis just outside the park. Solid chicken tender wrap on a spinach wrap with some local jalepeno ranch dressing. Yummers.