End of Summer Road Trip 2014 (part 3)

Read End of Summer Road Trip 2014 (part 1) HERE

Read End of Summer Road Trip 2014 (part 2) HERE

When I left you last, my friend "A" and I were leaving San Luis, CO on a mission to get to the next place on my Road Trip Bucket List. (this post may be a bit scarce on pics as my phone was trying to die and my car charger was charging slower that... something really slow)

So, from San Luis, we headed over La Veta Pass, unbeknownst to me, he had a 'short cut' in mind... so we turned off on Old La Veta Pass, a dirt road that was supposed to be faster... note I said 'supposed to be'... It was supposed to be shorter (and still may have been a bit shorter) but as it turned out one of the dirt road short cuts had since been closed, I guess it had been a while since he'd been that way. 

Eventually, after having to backtrack a bit we ended up in Westcliffe, CO. In Westcliffe I finally had enough phone service to access my map app and get a sense of where I was, made my life complete! 

Finally though, we made it to the destination I had been wanting to go to for years!

Bishop Castle, I had wanted to visit here for so long, and then just a few weeks before, my dad and a bunch of his friends had gone on a motorcycle trip here. so obviously when 'A' suggested that we head this way I was definitely gonna say yes (even if it did take me out of my 'I know what I'm doing' comfort zone) and just looking up gave me vertigo.

Honestly, I just wanted to see Bishop Castle, I never cared if I got much closer than this! I am TERRIFIED of heights, I got vertigo just looking at it from here. 'A' was determined to get me to climb it, and despite the sheer terror, I decided to think of maybe getting a little closer.....

I made it up to the first level, YAY ME! And made it to the cathedral area; making it to this level wasn't that bad, the stairs were concrete and as long as I didn't look side to side much it was OK (also I pretty much ran up the stairs and didn't have time to look). From there, 'A' pretty much had to force me to the next level, the stairs were in one of the enclosed turret (even though there were gaps between the steps), but honestly after that I WAS DONE!!! 

Yep, that is officially as far as I could get, no matter how many times 'A' tried to encourage me, I was almost petrified at this point. And then I looked up... that bridge moves when people walk on it! Nope. DOWN! 'A' tried to assure me that it was safe, he tried to assure me that I was only afraid of falling, and that I wouldn't; not helpful. Which led to my famous quote... "No, I'm not afraid of falling, I AM afraid of landing." to which a big, bad-ass biker guy told me 'fuck yeah!'

 

Despite 'A's' offer to go to the top and take pictures for me, so I could say I went that far. I am 100% OK admitting that I wussed out, but I did the best I could! No matter how scared I was (and I will honestly admit that that is probably the most scared I have ever been!!!), that is me being honest and me being me!

Jim Bishop has been known for his legal battles with the government about illegal signs he had, which have since been resolved... 

However his anti-government signs can still be found throughout the location.