J ULY 2 0 19 MOTORCYCLE MOJO 29art museum, the villa is owned and run
by a group of artists and can only be
described as a hippie art commune.
We were greeted by two beautiful
angels of the desert and I wasn’t sure
if I was being led to salvation from the
heat or into the Hotel California. But
all the amazing patrons at the villa and
the incredible vibe and food quickly
put us at ease. We ate and drank and
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is covered completely in paintings and
sculptures and creativity. We sat by
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friends as we looked at the stars. We
were now as deep as we would be in
the desert’s desolation and we could
feel the magic seeping into every part of
our bodies – and sand into every crack
and crevice.
On the last day of our journey now,
we bid our new friends and the desert
oasis farewell and rode out into another
windless day of dry heat. The tempera-
ture was a beautiful 25 C and I could
only imagine rolling through here in
the dead of summer with temperatures
reaching 40 C. The air seemed to suck
every ounce of moisture from our
bodies and I was so grateful for every
water stop along the way.
Back in the Sand
We were sidetracked once again by an
open expanse of Sahara-like sand dunes
with bikes and quads and buggys rolling
all over them. We couldn’t resist one last
opportunity to put the T-120 to task, so
we pulled off and tore into the desert
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every part of our bodies and the clutch
was slipping from the heat. We cooled
the bikes as the roads wound back south
and we could almost feel the shift in the
air pressure as we approached the coast
and the call of the ocean.
Santa Monica, California, was our
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water and beaches called our names,
we rolled on the gas hard the whole
way. We were dry and we were dirty;
but most of all, we were transformed.
The ocean would make us clean and
replenish us, but the desert was deeper
than that now. It was under our skin;
in our bones. Our eyes could see
farther, our spirits could reach higher,
our throttle hands were stronger and,
just like the young Mojave warriors,
we had achieved a higher state of
consciousness.
We had found our mojo.
Clayton Bellamy is a singer/songwriter
who has won multiple awards while playing
with the Road Hammers and is a lifelong
motorcycle enthusiast. Follow him on
instagram @claytonbellamy or listen to
Clayton Bellamy & The Congregation’s
music online.
For additional photos ofCalifornia and Nevada visit:motorcyclemojo.comVilla Anita is an art museum in Death Valley with sculpturesDQGDUWLQVWDOODWLRQVWKURXJKRXWLWV¿YHDFUHSURSHUW\