Spiritual Maintenance...

[DDT (12)]

What to do? All holed-up, no place to go, nothing interesting to do… we are so pampered and spoiled! Yeah, I’m probably as bad as anyone in terms of having painted myself into this dismal, tight little corner, too! I’ve grown so used to taking off on a whim… of riding off in the middle of the day or even late afternoon on a road trip with no prior planning or even thought about what I might be up to or where I might be heading…

I’ve become so comfortable with always having my bags partly to mostly packed… Heck, for years my motto was: “To always be ready to leave in 20 minutes or less!” No matter where I might be or what time of day, month or year it might be, I could finish packing a couple of essentials and strike out in any direction… ALI, too, was kept in the same condition… She and I made countless treks, some of many months in duration, with nothing more than a spur of the moment impulse to propel us forward…

The destination, the ‘conventional’ purpose really, is never a specific location anymore; it is simply to be out yonder… letting life unfold and allowing adventure to find us! Naturally, I didn’t start out as some ‘knowing, wise’ veteran of the art of the meander…

Like many of us, I was bound-up back in the early days in all the usual thinking about visiting this National Park, or riding that particular road, or cruising through some heard-about scenic area… the ‘reason’ for the venture… Doing such things on a motorcycle was a mere detail in a broader undertaking… That was before I knew better…

It didn’t come to me all at once, and it didn’t appear as some brilliant revelation… some trite cliché or insightful ‘ah-ha’, that suddenly struck me as profound… It was more of a conclusion I drew from reflecting upon all that had happened over the years… Of considering all that had occurred that was so totally unplanned, unexpected, and unlikely…

The blindly stumbling into wonderful experiences, the chance encounters, those inexplicably inspiring sites viewed at just the right moment that never had been anticipated… It was as though it dawned upon me in time that the best parts of any journey weren’t the goals set and achieved or the bragging rights gained: They were the surprise discoveries and the happenstance happenings, and resultant memories, that made such traveling so absolutely worthwhile! And, doing all of that on a motorcycle was not a detail or component in some larger scheme, but that along with all of the innumerable wonders were at the very core of the matter!

Thousands of words could be employed to attempt to describe the incredible feelings associated with being astride a two-wheeled conveyance, but… you already know about all of that. This magic carpet ride to a spiritual dimension unreachable any other way is… well, magical for sure!

It is that which I miss most now in these dark days of self-imposed sheltering-in-place, of isolation, and, more than anything, of inactivity. Perhaps it is made worse by knowing of all the wonderful unknowns out there waiting to be discovered… I have no idea what all they may be, of course, but I do know absolutely they are there… and that I am missing out of them…

Today is said to be the coolest day temperature-wise we’ve had in a couple of weeks, at least as far as our forecast goes… There is no rain anywhere near our area and none is called for, traffic will be at a low level, and…

I have no idea if any of my favorite BBQ places will be open today, or if any restaurants anywhere will be offering sustenance in even carryout or other fashion… It doesn’t really matter, though… the sustenance I so desperately need will come in another form…

DDT

[hubcapsc]

The blindly stumbling into wonderful experiences

There's a place, going west in North Georgia... I've come to it a couple of times
on my way to meet up with Smokin' Joe and them in Resaca... it might be on
76, ida know now... you start coming out of the mountains... all of a sudden it's
kind of (but not exactly) like that place where you come out of the woods and
head into the valley where Lady Draco used to sell hot dogs on 16 in Virginia...
a great panorama where everything opens up and you can see way off and
the curvy road leading down... I want to go back to that place, wherever it is 

-Mike

[f6john]

Every man must die but not every man really lives. Some live better than others. Enjoy some wind for us all, at least those not riding for one reason or another.

[Robert]

An eloquently and well worded post on what many feel including myself. What I have found in my wanderings is, restaurants are open in fairly good measure although only doing take out. Every Sunday we order food out from one of our favorite restaurants and sit at home and eat.

The adventure comes in many forms and even in bringing the food home it was good and the experiences were different. I guess that is what is needed, getting out touring and experienceing new and differenet things. The planning is different, the execution is different the sights are different but all and all, a new experience in getting out and seeing things and discovering, but isnt that what its all about.

I must say that living in a conjested area it has been a real treat to have less people on the road. It has made the difference in the rides lately. It has made me think that maybe moving would be a good idea as this area has gotten to be a small city with all that means.

 

[Ice]

Bruce, as always, another well written chronicle of what I think most of us are feeling, even though most of us do not have your "possibilities" to ride the way you do.  
Here in ID we are having to satisfy our craving for wind therapy with shorter than usual rides. Took a short 170 mile ride out to lunch on Saturday just to get a good burger and a little therapy.
I do however have the pleasure of doing a lot of parking lot training whenever the opportunity arises as our youngest has been bitten by the bug and has passed her course to become a member of the bug slaying society. Seeing as she cannot get her license as DMV here is closed we spend multiple hours on the weekends and some weekdays playing in the HS parking lot, as the schools are closed and its wide open.
I guess what I am trying to say is we are coping with it the best we can and I think we all feel your pain and yearning to those far distant places of the unknown adventure.
We look forward to seeing you in the NEAR future.
Stay strong my dear friend.

[3fan4life]

Like many of us, I was bound-up back in the early days in all the usual thinking about visiting this National Park, or riding that particular road, or cruising through some heard-about scenic area… the ‘reason’ for the venture… Doing such things on a motorcycle was a mere detail in a broader undertaking… That was before I knew better…

DDT

Is it possible that the reason you have the Pleasure and the Luxury of simply meandering around, is because you have been fortunate enough to have already seen those parks and ridden those destination roads?

I find it very easy to meander around here in my backyard (VA, WV, NC and TN) but much beyond that there seems to be a need for a destination.

Maybe someday I will find myself as blessed as you to just meander around this beautiful country of ours.

I've told you many times that, "I want to be like you when I grow up".

Like many others here, I too enjoy reading about your adventures.

I must admit that I sometimes do so with a combination of admiration, envy and jealousy.



A few months ago I informed the spousal unit that I was planning another motorcycle trip out west.

She wasn't exactly elated with the news even though that I clearly told her that she was more than welcome to occupy the passenger seat.

It softened the blow some when I told her that this trip wouldn't take place for about 3 years as I would need enough vacation time on the books to easily take a month off from work.

This weekend I alerted her to the possibility that I might purchase a new Goldwing for the trip.

That actually went over better than I thought it would.


I hope to do a fair amount of meandering on this trip.

But, since it will have a time limit there will need to be destinations.

Major national parks will be on the list of course as well as some must ride roads.

I just can't justify travelling so far without doing or seeing certain things.

Maybe someday when I grow up, I can be more like you my friend.

[The emperor has no clothes]

Maybe someday when I grow up, I can be more like you my friend.

We could all stand to be more like Bruce in many ways. (At least I know I could)


Another good post Bruce. I was just wondering the other day how you were holding up in all of this.

[Valkorado]

Your getting me all itchy again, Bruce!   

[Robert]

You know you are in a unique position and many here dream through your adventures. So now you are getting a taste of our lives, in that because of one reason or another are grounded to smaller adventures.  LOL

[scooperhsd]

Bruce - I think I'm speaking for lots of when I say "we can't wait for you to be able to hit the road in your inimatable style and writing up about your adventures from that". I'm certainly looking forwards to that day

[DDT (12)]

I sincerely appreciate the kind comments! Yep, mine has been a most amazing journey for sure, and I have been most fortunate, indeed!!! I wrote the above as I was killing some time before... you know... our girl and I did a little scoot.

Backroads, no set route, but a vague idea of where we would wind-up. I'd decided it was time to return to BBQ Bill's in Chiefland, FL... can't take quality 'Q' for granted, ya know... gotta go check it out now and then... It is still great!

Naturally I wasn't totally committed to that eatery. I did have a couple of fallback options in mind should whim take us in a different direction or incline us to take a different turn at some intersection. It did turn out to be Bill's after all... Although, I did find it hard to pass within a short block of Rocky's place when we made the turn in Newberry... still my favorite, but we do need variety, right?

The ride over and back was not a straight-line! It was, though, a grand experience, and it did provide... well, sort of like applying a band-aid to a severed artery... but still, it did help immensely and offer much needed relief... I do feel much better, and ALI seemed to be beaming, as well... May have to do this again... soon... The relief from those little forays does tend to wear-off fast!

DDT

[Wizzard]

Lol Bruce, your subject title ranks right up there with "Sexual healing" Keep posting as I always look forward to them.

[Bigwolf]

Thanks for that Bruce, that is a good thing to read.

Bigwolf

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

When we followed The Myth The Man The Legend ( that's you Bruce     ) out west I was amazed at you would turn here turn there never looking at a map and I know you don't have GPS on our girl and we was always ending at some cool sh!t a awesome road or one that sticks out the highest elevation paved road in America.

Hope you can  make Hillbilly Highway in Marion , Va in a few weeks. Stay safe my friend.