(PUEBLO, Colo.) — Inside of the El Pueblo History Museum on Monday afternoon, July 31, Jim Bishop looked up at the mural capturing the popular sights in Southern Colorado including the Royal Gorge Bridge and Park, the Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway, and Bishop Castle.

Jim Bishop looks up at mural on Monday afternoon.

Jim Bishop set the stones in place to create Bishop Castle. He recalled “Bishop Castle is the biggest one-man project in the world, but it didn’t start out that way.” 

Bishop was able to save up enough money to purchase the two-and-a-half-acre lot and then began building.

“I had $250, as a young teenager mowing lawns and stuff like that,” Bishop stated. “And I made a payment of $250 purchase price.”

Sign at Bishop Castle with the creator’s words of gratitude. Courtesy of Chantelle Shaoee.

Now, the 79-year-old looks back on the wonder he was able to build for all to enjoy.

“I got off an awful lot of time into it,” Bishop said. “I work all day and all night almost. I did sleep good, though… and with all I’ve learned in that length of time, it’s really something.”

For the past seven years, Bishop has been accompanied alongside the support of Chantelle Shoaee, who is the founder of Always Choose Adventures.

“We’ve been in operation, I’d say almost eight years, it’s my baby,” Shoaee said. “I founded it when I started just adventuring. Our mission is to help people of all ages and abilities access the outdoors, and it’s a really awesome thing that we do access.”

Bishop’s old age has made it challenging to get around and see his castle flourish with visitors. Always Choose Adventures turned to social media to be able to fundraise for an adaptive wheelchair.

“We’ve come up with this Extreme Motus,” Shoaee said. “It’s a great, great, great wheelchair. It’ll allow people of all ages, all abilities, whether it be you know, not being able to walk or whatever your condition is, you can get outside with this wheelchair. So, it’s pretty exciting.”

Over the years, Bishop and Shoaee have created a lifelong friendship. Courtesy of Chantelle Shoaee.

Shoaee sees firsthand the positive benefits of exploring the great outdoors and getting a breath of fresh air.

“Getting people outdoors, having that sun in your face, that fresh air definitely helps your mental health,” Shoaee said. “I’m really, really proud that we’ll be able to facilitate these adaptive adventures for anyone that wants to get outdoors.”

On Monday, Shoaee was able to take Bishop on an adventure walking along the Riverwalk in Pueblo.

Bishop and Shoaee looked out at the Pueblo Riverwalk on the work he has left behind.

Bishop left his mark on the Steel City in the heart shape scroll work all along the Riverwalk.

The heart shape scroll work Bishop has left behind on the city.

When asked future goals for the nonprofit, Shoaee shared the dream of an additional vehicle.

“Right now, we’re looking for an additional vehicle,” Shoaee said. “ACA doesn’t own a vehicle. So currently, I’m a full-time volunteer and I volunteer my personal vehicle and my gas driving all around to facilitate this stuff. So, we do need some type of vehicle to put these potential wheelchairs in and get them around.”

To find out information on supporting or volunteering with Always Choose Adventures click here.

It is thanks to Bishop’s story that others all across the state are sharing their dreams of visiting hard-to-reach places.

“We’ve been seeing a lot of people with traumatic brain injuries, strokes that haven’t been outside,” Shoaee said. “So, it’s a really great thing that Jim helped us launch because we’ve seen the need from the community now. We’ve already got like three appointments scheduled where we’ll be picking up each person, taking them out on an adventure, giving them lunch and getting them out to breathe that fresh air.”

It is thanks to the man who built the castle that he is able to build change when it comes to accessibility in Colorful Colorado.