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"The Oasis of my Soul"... a Lifelong Journey...

A ride to Salton Sea and more...

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Heavy winds, deep sand... a couple more days and I will be out of here. Thursday, assuming it is Tuesday today... I will spend the day in Julian, nice black top going up and heard that it is a very cool town...
In the meantime I checked out Ocotillo Wells, Salton Sea, dinner with new friends...
All in the Blog.

Be well...

Ara & Spirit
 
Another dinner and a ride to Julian, CA.

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Even Spirit is getting excited about sunsets, I think!... Or is it because we had company for dinner... This place is starting to feel more and more like home... have to be careful not to get too attached to the land!...

My Blog has been going through some growing pains!... It is called Bandwidth... At first I had to switch, if you remember to texting on SmugMug, then learn a different way to post... and now...
finally my own Website is all ready to go!

For the first time you will be redirected on it... a little cleaner... same everything as they say...
much more Bandwidth!

... and still a Blog! www.theoasisofmysoul.com

Thank you... be well...

Ara & Spirit
 
I like the new look of your Blog.

It's been fun to travel along with you. Thanks for bringing us along.

Voni
sMiling
 
In LanceÔÇÖs Memory, October 13th 1978 - January 26th 2004

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Much thought has gone into writing and publishing what follows.
No ride report today... No pictures of Spirit playing or sunrise or sunset.
I did seek advice, not wanting to be out of context, I hope the moderators will understand. This is a Lifelong Journey on the Road that I have embraced and write about, and as some very good friends of mine wrote to me... ÔÇ£you have been an open book, we all have within ourselves many layers of us, he is part of your Journey, part of your everyday life, there is nothing wrong by dedicating this day's writing to Lance...ÔÇØ.
I also know that he will like it, he will be thrilled for all of you to get to know him a bit... because he also was my friend, my buddy... and would have been yours also.

Sincerely, ÔÇ£Thank YouÔÇØ for reading todayÔÇÖs Blog...

Ara
 
Ara,
I cannot imagine your grief for losing a son at such an early age, but I do send my prayers and sympathy.
Bob
 
Last ride in ABDSP

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I wanted to show you before I left where all this was being written from!... a few ÔÇ£regularsÔÇØ are also around, about one mile apart... We visit each other once in a while! I did not realize till today that I have been here exactly 2 weeks!... A couple more great rides today and we are packing to take off, headed North to Mojave Preserve...
Mostly BLM lands... there will be much to see, ride on hard packed roads... I hope!
You be well... and many ÔÇ£thanksÔÇØ for all your support which I received yesterday...
Your company is most appreciated...

Ara & Spirit
 
Christmas Pass ride... CA.

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A price shocker!... Maybe switch to a bicycle?... How much fun would that be?... with a sidecar...
Leaving Mojave, I donÔÇÖt want to!... even with the knowledge that I will be back in a few days I am perplexed backtracking to Arizona, just a few miles away... I have to get my grey matters in motion as I will learn how to point and set up this Dish of mine... I have had so many thoughts this week about the direction of this Journey... and at the same time I experienced a great ride up... and through... Christmas Pass!

Enjoy... we did!

Ara and Spirit.

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Those gas prices are shocking!

Our prices are a bit high here in south Florida but those prices are over $1.00 more per gallon.
Keep sending those wonderful reports.:)
 
Back to Gila Bend, AZ.

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20th Century technology... Hughes Technology... I guess the man that dreamed of the largest plane ever build has left an imprint which has made its way even into my life...

Today is the first time using my own Dish... set up by my own hands... and grey matter... I know all of you must have one hanging somewhere on your roof... I did not! It is fast!... and used at less busy hours... when the world is asleep around me, as I heard the expression... it is smoking!

A different route took me backtracking to Gila Bend, AZ... Wednesday it is back to again more desolate areas... this time... totally self contained.

Enjoy the comments... and be well...

Ara & Spirit

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In transit to Joshua Tree NP, CA.

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It seems always to be a long day with the early sunsets, specially when we are trying to get to a destination to set up for a few days.
It did not happen today... lunch with a friend that drove all the way from Phoenix... meeting a French couple that wants a sidecar... and what are the chances for both low beams to go out at the same time?... IÔÇÖll take it!!!

We are setting camp tomorrow near by Joshua Tree to explore it for a few days...
There was no sense looking for BLM land in the dark tonight!

Some of our day!

Be well...

Ara & Spirit

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Riding Joshua Tree NP, CA.

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I have been feeling like in another Planet (with capital ÔÇ£PÔÇØ) since we have arrived here yesterday.
With my good luck this is an awesome campground, the most remote one as I found out today.
Isolation... total silence... Joshua Trees and many rocks... as you will see in the Blog.

Be well... enjoy...

Ara and Spirit (UralGrowl)

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More gorgeous photography! It would be hard to pick 10 best! They all are.

I do love the one of Spirit taken through the rock formation February 9.

And, all of Big Bend ; )

Voni
sMiling
 
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A Homeless gathering...

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A Homeless gathering...

It has been a great time having JKam over, we are small numbers but... we did call it a Homeless Riders Get Together!... Wondering how many more are out there with no ties to any walls and their liveÔÇÖs possessionÔÇÖs at hand! JKam is on a Journey as I am, with a deeper Soul than most, the contrast of being unattached to material possessions makes us dig in deeper into the true essence of life.
We have been lounging around for a couple days now!... Spirit has a new friend, we have shared some great food and many conversations...
Sunrises and Sunsets have been our clock, some great Fireworks seen happening in town... as I have written and pasted the pictures of these couple days in the Blog!

You be well...

Ara & Spirit

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Historic Rt 66 to Oatman... AZ.

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Historic Rt66 to Oatman, AZ.

Our last day here, south of Lake Havasu City... it has been a fine and quiet time, a great place to set up camp, besides a few disrespectful dirt riders not slowing down creating waves of dust!
The town has been convenient to get supplies... I did not want to miss the chance to ride Historic 66 to Oatman... First however we rode south on spur 95 making a long loop... thousands of trailers and RVÔÇÖs that way... sand dunes... and some pictures on the Blog.

Be well...

Ara & Spirit
 
New Friends in Kingman, AZ.

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We are finally settled by Red Rock Canyon, Nevada. Why plan any routes since I donÔÇÖt follow them anyhow!... Left Kingman this morning, actually passed through Las Vegas... I will give you my impressions on the next go around. Yesterday was a smooth ride from Lake Havasu to the Hospitality of Mark, Angie and his wonderful family... including a personal tour in his hangar and some late cooking for everyone... Definitely no dinner for me tonight... but last night was a good one!

Be well...

Ara & Spirit

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To Red Rock Canyon, NV.

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To Red Rock Canyon, NV.

We have arrived at Red Rock Canyon and it is cold and windy. A shock to the system for the both of us, we were getting used to running around all day in a T Shirt! For the first time I had to put some rocks at the base of the Dish, even though anchored, 30mph winds with gusts of 50 just did not make me trust that anchor.
It was a fine road from Kingman... going through Las Vegas... hummm, what happened to that town?
We are settled and even saw a bit of Mt Hamilton... enjoy the pictures.

Be well...

Ara & Spirit
 
A bit of Red Rock Canyon, NV.

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A bit of Red Rock Canyon, NV.

I could not stand it anymore... cold and snowing a bit, Spirit has his coat, I have my Gerbings... dark skies or not I wanted to at least ride the loop at Red Canyon. And we did just that...
Today, the sun is out again, the temps are still down, and a renewed energy seemed to have surfaced. Sunshine is definitely the meaning of life and the soul. An incredible energizer for me...
This was the loop yesterday... we have much hiking and rides planned here... we?... right!

Be well...

Ara & Spirit

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About "Storms" and "Scooters"...

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About ÔÇ£StormsÔÇØ and ÔÇ£ScootersÔÇØ...

Lots always seems to happen when close to a City... rule of thumb, right?
The idea was to head out for a ride, but seeing scooters after scooters... well, it just did not happen... we stopped, talked and end up following them to their 7th Annual Rally spot!
They were from all over the World, England... Japan... just about all the cities in the USA.
And I was in the middle of it, 4 times their size... thatÔÇÖs the rig mind you.
It took up most of the day... so no sunsets or no sunrise pictures today!
What a break! IÔÇÖll make up for it soon... promise!
This was before the storm that caused evacuating Red Rock Canyon... what a night!
Enjoy the Blog...

Ara & Spirit
 
Valley of Fire... cooking with heat?

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Valley of Fire... cooking with heat?

Good move... the winds are practically non existent here and I (we... I heard him!) slept like logs last night. There was some clouds and rain in the horizons threatening and NOAA showed just scattered rain, (smart... finally!), the temps dropping to the low thirties tonight and we took off on this, I call it, Foreign Planet!
There is ÔÇ£green plantsÔÇØ actually... had not seen any for a while and none of the colors here are what they are suppose to be!... The roads?... awesome and so are the people here. A must to visit...
Oh! I also cooked some...

Be well...

Ara & Spirit
 
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