"The Oasis of my Soul"... a Lifelong Journey on the road...

[stonemasoncruiser]

Ara & Spirit, Your words, images, and approach to life are both inspiring and memorable. As one who yearns for open space, the absence of civilized noise, and the truthful beauty of nature I've thoroughly enjoyed following your journey.

Thank you deeply for sharing your experience.

Sincerely, Stephen M Molina

 

[beemerchef]

Ara & Spirit, Your words, images, and approach to life are both inspiring and memorable. As one who yearns for open space, the absence of civilized noise, and the truthful beauty of nature I've thoroughly enjoyed following your journey.

Thank you deeply for sharing your experience.

Sincerely, Stephen M Molina

Thank you, very kind of you. There is nothing like it...

“Gold Point”, NV. We have not moved on yet...

It can happen when one finds this space throughout more Deserted acres one can imagine and suddenly it feels as “we belong here”. The days have been lingering on and on with not much desire to leave the area. I already know we will not ride “all the roads” this time around, maybe not even next time around as we will be back if and when we ever leave. There are too many of those roads. They are amazingly well maintained, graded regularly, it makes it for some more than pleasant outgoings. The views are of postcards embedded in the mind forever, mine shafts at every turn, abandoned cabins, some maintained by travelers free for the night with furniture, needed shelter from the weather and a guest book. They have been however windy and cold days, I have to be ready for the windows of opportunity, it is that time of the year between the past harsh winter and the monsoon season which soon will start. Always at the mercy of Mother Nature. The nearest store is far, over 60 miles away, if and when you ever adventure yourself within this gem of an area, do not forget anything and be prepared for everything. More on the Journal...
Be safe and well.
Peace, Love and Courage.

Ara & Spirit

 

[GPER]

Do you have a link or more information on the one pan cooking and traveling without refrigeration classes that you taught????? It sounds like a great way to lighten the load of food. Any information would be a great help and have a safe journey during this nasty weather that has hit the country.

 

[beemerchef]

Do you have a link or more information on the one pan cooking and traveling without refrigeration classes that you taught????? It sounds like a great way to lighten the load of food. Any information would be a great help and have a safe journey during this nasty weather that has hit the country.

You can go to my Archives and scroll the tittles. If there is a recipe it will be next to it. Working on a PDF format downloadable pages... Thanks.

On our way South, for now. NV.

These times have been almost as “where are we now?”. My Journal entries are still stuck in Gold Point and Hard Luck Castle, even though we actually are spending another night in Kingman before heading back to Tucson for Robin's Birthday which will be followed by a Concert of the B52's. I miss Gold Point, the quiet and serene times, the roads barely traveled by anyone but us, the little Ghost Town itself of 7 with Herb and Sandy being at the forefront of it all, including a dinner we had Saturday night. A great dinner! Unfortunately we had to leave. A couple days in Las Vegas at my Friends Christine and Jason needing some front brake repair as “Motorcycle Tire Center” promptly and with a big smile took care of “Old Faithful”. Then on a couple days to re-visit “Valley of Fire” where camping is only allowed in a couple campgrounds and now as mentioned on our way south as we will then turn around and follow the weather for the summer. North that is as the South is starting to heat up.
More photos on the Journal...
Be safe and well.
Peace, Love and Courage.

Ara & Spirit

 

[beemerchef]

Then and Now. Life. Tucson, AZ.

Steve Azar, yes, as we are now entering the “Country Music” charts (a bit of humor here...) has made this great video of us depicting in less than 3 minutes what it has taken us these past years, a video with his song “Hard Road”. As we sit here in Tucson right now for a couple more days for my Friend's Birthday, watching such images and listening to such words brings on, I cannot help it, so many of recent past remembrances of us on this road we have embraced. All is only hard as much as we want to make it even if at times one cannot see it any other way. Hope and Faith in this Life of ours has become a must, a daily “headline”. I have realized not long ago all is about “acceptance” as the choices are not of many. Sitting amongst four walls was never an option, one then while on the road can only be subjected to it's surroundings, the physical ones such as 'Mother Nature's” moods and their own “mental ones” as dealing with cards overturned in recent past. It all turns out to be a package deal sometimes stumbling and at others sailing through as when all the Stars seem so perfectly aligned as they have been these past days. In a few we will again take off, probably within some cooler evening hours and head up toward the higher elevations of Utah... in a few.
Enjoy the video.
Be safe and well.
Peace, Love and Courage.

Ara & Spirit

 

[geovalue]

Ara and Spirit I loved the video thanks so much for sharing, thanks for reaching out to others and touching our lives.

Safe travels always

 

[Jim K in PA]

Ara - once again you and Spirit bring focus to me, and many others, through your journey. Once again, thank you for sharing it with us. Travel safely.

BTW - I just got my "project" 1979 R100T running last night. I don't have a side car, but I thought of you last night after it started for the first time in many years. I am not sure where it will take me, but I am excited, none-the-less.

Peace.

 

[beemerchef]

Thank you for the kind words...
Take it West "young man" as they say...

“Show Low” with a smile. AZ

Tucson is behind us, hundreds, thousands of miles lay ahead of us, summer and fall do too, what an incredible scenario. Yet, we have not made further than a couple hundred miles as when being in Globe I remembered in “Show Low” my Friends Dean and Pam had taken residence building this compound since 2006. I conjunction with not so good weather passing by, snow this morning (!!!), well, we are still here enjoying the “Barn”, some serious cooking, Friendships and much chatting. It does not get ant better than this. One night turned into two, as we will leave tomorrow morning it will be three. How time passes by! Spirit has a couple new Friends, “Einstein” and “Buddy” and “Einstein” and him have been playing like I had never seen Spirit before. It is going to be sad to pull them apart when we leave as much as I am sure we will be back. How can we not! Discovering new roads from Tucson such as 77 to Globe and 60 bringing us here, “Tonto National Forest” and all it's well maintained service roads, all has been a plus and will see us again.
Enjoy the photos and some recent thoughts...

Be safe and well.
Peace, Love and Courage.

Ara & Spirit

 

[LowTech]

Seems you discovered another one of my faves. Love that road! Sure helps w/ shedding the city's taint.
Haven't been able to do that area for a few years. Will have to on this trip ( I'm bringing one of my rigs back from the SEast in a week)
Keep the wind in your face, and the bugs out of your teeth

 

[beemerchef]

Seems you discovered another one of my faves. Love that road! Sure helps w/ shedding the city's taint.
Haven't been able to do that area for a few years. Will have to on this trip ( I'm bringing one of my rigs back from the SEast in a week)
Keep the wind in your face, and the bugs out of your teeth

Sure helps w/ shedding the city's taint.... I like that!!! Hope to bump into you soon... Need to come and visit... so we can finish talking and do some serious cooking!!! Hi to you two...

I am touched “Thank You”, Show Low. AZ

The ride? Well, it turned out to be a U-Turn about 100 miles into it from Show Low. The skies were falling on us ahead only a few miles, unlike felt gusts of wind and rain did catch up with us, it was a race back to Holbrook, Arizona, taking cover in a depressing Motel room. They truly always are. So we never made it to “Valley of the Gods”, “Boulder”, “Escalante” and on. We live on the road, there is no rush, no hurry, only some common sense to move on with the weather which lately has not cooperated too well. The upside are photos which I enjoy taking while the clouds, cotton balls turning into menacing vessels in the skies pass by, I will always stop regardless. We are back in Show Low sheltered by the incredible hospitality of Dean and Pam, we are getting to know each other well within this “Oasis” of theirs. It is always a matter of regrouping before taking on the awaiting miles again, hopefully this time a smoother ride.
Arizona Highways... then came the rain!
Be safe and well.
Peace, Love and Courage.

Ara & Spirit

 

[beemerchef]

Motorcyclist Cafe Barn & Bunkhouse, Show Low, AZ

How about that! We are still under the hospitable wings of Dean and Pam at their “Motorcycle Cafe Barn & Bunkhouse” in Show Low, Arizona. Turning my back on a few blood tests lately has only left me with the decision to have a biopsy. This past Friday Dean drove the 440 mile round trip to Tucson and now it is for a couple weeks just a matter of keeping my fingers crossed and awaiting for the results. I have to keep the Faith of Life going as a few different scenarios are awaiting, obscure and unknown at the present. We are longing for the road and yet, being here has been relaxing, enriching as the company at times chatting, at other times cooking and sharing a meal has been a highlight of our Journey. How can one “thank” enough for such gesture? The World sure is filled with such good people as we have always crossed path with them these past years. They seem to be not advertised! Seemingly only the bad news escape and make up the headlines so often read. One does need to believe that the “goodness” of many roams freely amongst us. They are here and there, they are indeed everywhere. I took some photos of what here we call “the barn”... it will give everyone an idea what one can do for other. Enjoy.

Be safe and well.
Peace, Love and Courage.

Ara & Spirit

 

[Jim K in PA]

Take care of yourself, Ara. Spirit can do only so much! We hope you pass the "tests" with flying colors . . . :chef:

 

[beemerchef]

Take care of yourself, Ara. Spirit can do only so much! We hope you pass the "tests" with flying colors . . . :chef:

Thank you for the support... you make a difference.

Mind Games “The Incertitude of Life”. Bluff, Utah

Rollercoaster it has been as yet we are comfortably camping in Bluff, Utah. Just mind games one goes through when outcomes of personal Health is yet to be announced. The scenarios? If the Nurse calls all is well... if the Dr calls, well, more scenarios on the forefront. I woke up this morning after the best night sleep ever as I always do in our tent, I woke up from a dream that sounded so real. I was on the phone with the Nurse and all was well. Message? I can only believe in it, there is no harm, there is much to gain. I am avoiding “primitive camping” for now only to have the ability to be reached when needed and this “Cadillac Park” is truly one of the most beautiful one we have been in. It feels as “home” to us, shaded site till late afternoon, quiet as only listening to the birds, the frogs and bullfrogs sounding like a heard of cows calling each other. The rides are of many, we have only been to the Gooseneck and Mexican Hat, we are taking it easy, Valley of the Gods will be next and an area filled with Hoodoos only locals know about. We have been here before, this is landscape and a space I never get tired of.
Till next time...


Be safe and well.
Peace, Love and Courage.

Ara & Spirit

 

[beemerchef]

The Silhouettes... “Valley of the Gods”, Utah

Again, so fitting. “Valley of the Gods”. So near by when the sweet nurse's voice announced as I almost dropped the phone “no cancer”. Life came back rushing in with the strength of a hurricane force, my heart missed a couple beats, “are you sure....” I kept asking. With such high PSA numbers I can only see this as a miracle or as otherwise the Medical Field trying to continuously scare us “men” of a certain age. The ride, the always magical loop on this 17 mile dirt road was then of the best I have ever experienced. Priorities suddenly changed, “living” again and again came at the forefront of my soul, just living, nothing else truly now matters. We are still near by, we now have a mechanical problem with “Old Faithful” which I guess decided “well, if you are OK it is now my turn...”. I have no clue yet, could be throughout the transmission or the final drive, we might have to backtrack into the heat of Tucson for some repair. Seems this summer all has been delayed for our northern arrival... but then again, who cares! I am alive, Spirit will have to put up with me a bit longer, that is all that matters. Thank you for all that have send me your prayers and your incredible well wishes. Enjoy the Video and more photos on the Journal.Be safe and well.
Peace, Love and Courage.

Ara & Spirit

 

[Jim K in PA]

Fantastic! Great news! I thought of you today as I was driving to my mother's house to do some plumbing for her. I had an image of you, and the nurse was talking to you on the phone. These things happen to me from time to time. I never know whether they are real or not.

I am now entering that "certain age" when those same numbers are monitored. I resent it, only because it is an explicit representation of aging. But, the alternative to aging is less desirable.

Congratulations to you (and Spirit!). Fix the bike, then ride, live, love, enjoy.