4 W E S T W O R D S u m m e r G u i d e 2 0 2 5 westword.com High Times Ahead! Colorado may be legendary for its win- ter sports, but we’re high on summer in the Rockies. Although this state has taken a beating on some recent lists — inexplicably, WalletHub ranks it as the 29th best summer travel destination in the United States — anyone who lives here knows that it’s the best place to spend summer, whether you’re enjoying a staycation at home (see the following pages for advice on that) or taking a road trip around Colorado. This state is so full of natural mar- vels that you couldn’t see them all in a lifetime. Still, Coloradans often seem strangely compelled to create man- made wonders to match its mountains. Not just architectural marvels like the Cadet Chapel at the Air Force Acade- my (scheduled to reopen in 2027) or such engineering miracles as the nar- row-gauge railroad bridges that span deep chasms, but weird and wacky roadside attractions that prove there are no limits to imagination...or obses- sion. Here are four of our favorites: Bishop Castle CO-165 near Rye Jim Bishop faced plenty of challenges as he tried to fi nish Bishop Castle, the amazing stone-and-ironwork edifi ce that towers 160 feet high in the trees of the San Isabel National Forest. He started out in 1969, on a two-and-a- half-acre parcel he’d bought ten years earlier for just $450, when he was fi f- teen. Working with his father at Bish- op Ornamental Iron Shop, he acquired the skills needed to create a structure that looks like a cross between a medi- eval castle and the Eiffel Tower. Sadly, he passed away last year before he could fi nish, but his son carries on. Cano’s Castle 10th Avenue and State Street, Antonito Do all of Colorado’s peaks inspire peo- ple to just keep building up...and up... and up? Like Bishop Castle, Cano’s Castle is the work of one man: Donald “Cano” Espinoza, who started building his castle three decades ago as thanks to God for having survived the Viet- nam War. It consists of four towers, dubbed “the king,” “the queen,” “the palace” and “the rook,” all built of wire, recycled aluminum, hubcaps, beer cans and anything else he can get his hands on. Although there are no formal hours, you’ll often fi nd Cano working on the place; he claims Jesus Christ has been living in the building since 1987. The Tank Center for Sonic Arts 233 County Road 46, Rangely The Tank wasn’t designed to become a roadside attraction; it was built as a railroad water-treatment facility back in 1940 and was later moved to Range- ly, where musician Bruce Odland found it standing empty in 1976. Over the years, it had turned into a parabo- la, giving it remarkable acoustics “with these dizzyingly beautiful reverbera- tion effects going all over the place,” Odland remembers. For decades, the Tank survived as a secret recording and performance space, but when the owner threatened to sell it for scrap in 2013, Odland and other fans set up Friends of the TANK, which raised enough money to turn it into an offi cial studio and venue. UFO Watchtower Highway 17, Hooper When Coloradans aren’t building cas- tles, they’re building towers. Author and UFO enthusiast Judy Messoline constructed the UFO Watchtower “in the heart of the mystical San Luis Val- ley” in 2000. Her attraction boasts an observation deck, camping, a gift shop (of course) and, most important, “no light pollution,” which means you’ll be able to spot any alien spacecraft over- head…if the tower happens to be open after 5 p.m., which it is only on special occasions. But this is still an undeni- able roadside attraction, especially if Messoline is around to share out-of- this-world tales. Happy 25th anniversary to the UFO Watchtower! Things are looking up this summer! —PATRICIA CALHOUN Summer Guide is published by Westword, 1278 Lincoln Street, Denver, CO 80203; the contents are copyright 2025 by Voice Media Group. Make a Splash BY A BIG A I L B LIS S PAGE 8 Look Up! BY A BIG A I L B LIS S PAGE 1 2 Petal Pursuit BY A BIG A I L B LIS S PAGE 1 8 In the Heights BY M O L LY M A RT I N PAGE 2 2 Go Fetch! BY K YLE WAG NE R PAGE 26 Summer Sounds BY EMILY FERGUSON PAGE 30 Summer Events PAGE 34 Summer Concerts PAGE 5 6 The Tank Center for Sonic Arts.
