Cano’s Castle—Beer Can House

Cano’s Castle—Beer Can House

From Atlas Obscura: Cano’s Castle is a set of four gleaming towers, built single-handedly by Donald “Cano” Espinoza, a Native American Vietnam vet.
Built largely out of beer cans and other metal refuse, for Espinoza the castle serves as a thanks for having his life spared during the Vietnam war.
Cano says his main influences for the Castle are “Vitamin Mary Jane” and Jesus.

On State Street between 10th and 11th Avenues in Antonito, Colorado. You can see it from Main Street-an amazing outsider art castle!

What Is The Theme of This Road Trip?

Well, obviously to get from here to there–from New Mexico to the east coast to visit relatives.

Or, to be on the road, to have fun. But what kind of fun?

And, to eat.

The themes of fun on this trip are several, including

archeological mounds
outsider/visionary/roadside art
Civil War sites

and, serendipity…

These photos are of the MINDFIELD CEMETERY–it’s about the size of an electrical station. It looms high over Brownsville, TN.

It is the work of one man, Billy Tripp, who is still building it.

Next to it, is a very nice restaurant–The Mindfield Cafe. It’s sort of like a museum restaurant in a crazed outsider art setting.

Kind of like Watts Towers. Kind of like…nothing else.

Stoner Patriot Peace Garden of All Faiths

Amarillo, Texas: Stoner Patriot Peace Garden of All Faiths by Richard Daniel Baker
This is completely amazing. One man’s folly—or more. The site just sits out on the plains off of I-40. It reminds me of so may things—Burma Shave signs on Route 66, Cadillac Ranch outside Amarillo, giant crosses on the plains.
It’s a essentially a circle, with a cross bisecting a peace sign—sacred architecture. It’s like outsider land art, sharing with Nancy Holt an obsession with time and dates. Like Charles Ross’s Star Axis, it is a walk through time.
It wouldn’t surprise me to discover artist Baker is a Vietnam Vet, or friend of some.
The dates are of historical events (unnamed but identifiable)—important to the artist. These include Woodstock, John Lennon’s death, and the Moon Walk.It extols the virtues of the military, of marijuana, of the ’60’s counterculture, of religion, peace, and welding.

Seen from the air, the whole site is a peace sign.

http://www.theroute-66.com/conway.html

 

 

 

 

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