6 *** Sunday 24 November 2019 The Sunday Telegraph USA ‘Along the Loop Road, I felt the pure joy of biking’

EASY RIDER stars and stripes teardrop tank, Fifty years after the ‘Pullquote, gleaming in the Californian sun, I was Austin on my imaginary “chopper” with him. release of the classic Technically, the movie starts in Los deck light Angeles, as our banditos head for Mardi Gras in New Orleans, 2,000 film,Chris Coplans 16pt on miles (3,200km) away. However, the 16pt. movie kick-starts 300 miles (480km) jumps on to a Harley further east in Needles, California Pullquote, where the credits roll to the driving and hits Route 66 beat of Steppenwolf ’s classic Born To Austin Be Wild. I headed to Needles on my didn’t do no drug deal, modern Harley Davidson Sportster smoke weed or drop deck light from Las Vegas, a much shorter and acid. Nor did I visit a 16pt on easier ride than from LA. Those brothel. But I did ride a pulsating opening credits were filmed Harley Davidson from 16pt’ along Route 66 between Needles and the Californian desert to Flagstaff, a rip-roaring 200-mile the bayous of southern (320km) ride to the east. I gunned my I Louisiana. When Easy Harley into action and with a twist of

Rider burst onto our screens 50 years the throttle and a rumble of the 1200cc ALLSTAR/COLUMBIA ago, the super cool “Captain V-twin engine, followed in their America” Peter Fonda (Wyatt) and counterculture tyre tracks. the crazed Denis Hopper (Billy) did Route 66 climbs, winds and snakes THE BIKES all of the above and, according to its way through canyons and valleys, legend, much more. The low budget past abandoned mines, as it rises over The bikes caused the final camp counterculture hit follows two hippie 3,000 feet (914m) to the Sitgreaves nearly as much fire scene where bikers who hit the road “looking for Pass, 26 miles (41km) to the north. The controversy as Wyatt tells Billy, the real America”. From the moment ROmaNTIc air became crisper, the gradients the film itself. “We blew it.”). north from Kingman towards the BORN TO I set eyes upon Fonda’s heavily LIaIsON steeper and the drops more Fonda purchased The fourth bike Grand Canyon, where the road BE WILD customised chrome and steel Harley, A mural at the precipitous as I zig-zagged my way to four police was restored by becomes wilder and more spectacular. A scene from the with its iconic “Captain America” Aztec Hotel the summit. With its endless array of Harleys at Grizzly Adams The landscape opens up and I rode cult 1969 movie curves and corkscrews, the Sitgreaves auction in 1967 actor, Dan across high-altitude desert prairies, Easy Rider Pass is a pulse-racing ride and you are and had two Haggerty, who dwarfed by huge mountain ridges. I Sunset Crater Volcano amply rewarded with spectacular Captain America was in charge of reached Seligman, more of a street National Monument panoramic views of the Black and two Billy the bikes during than a town, where I stayed at the US Mountains and a blissful silence. bikes built to his the shoot. quirky Aztec Motel (001 928 422 3055). Kingman, 20 miles (32km) on, has designs by some Allegedly he sold The exterior walls are decorated with Las Vegas Oljato-Monument Valley crowned itself as the capital of the African-American two “originals” to some racy images, including a Route 66 “Mother Road”, as Steinbeck coined bike-builders different buyers flamboyantEasy Rider mural. Los Angeles Route 66 in The Grapes of Wrath. The from Watts. One and to this day There are some easily identifiable Flagsta Kingman Arizona Route 66 museum, located in was blown up in not everyone is locations as Fonda and Hopper ride New Orleans the Powerhouse Visitors Center (www. the final convinced that through Flagstaff. The red brick hotel gokingman.com), is the best of a host sequence and the the Captain still stands at the corner of N Leroux St MEXICO 200 miles of Route 66 museums stung out along other three were America bike that and Historic Route 66. And the its length. It chronicles the history of stolen before the sold at auction red-shirted Lumberjack Muffler Man, “America’s Main Street”. Willy Nelson’s movie was for $1.35m who they ride past, still stands in the DuBeau (001 928 774 6731; modubeau. knock-off Rolls-Royce golf cart, completed (that (£840,000) in same location on South Milton Rd com) on the original Route 66. It’s a complete with its own cocktail bar, is is why you don’t 2014 is the (Historic R66), albeit a smaller version charming example of early Route 66 one of the museum’s more eclectic see the bikes in original. and now sporting a yellow shirt. motel architecture and design (I was oddities. Route 66 continues to climb I stayed in the historic 1929 Motel delighted to learn that John Ford and The Sunday Telegraph Sunday 24 November 2019 *** 7

ESSENTIALS

GettinG Harley- there Davidson Chris Coplans was touring a guest of Virgin motorcycle, Atlantic (0344 209 insurance, 7777; virgin taxes, and atlantic.com). one-way fees, on a room-only ridinG there basis and costs Orange & Black from £2,900 per (01256 771770; person. With a orange-and-black. car, the cost is co.uk) offers £2,500. Tours 13-day self-guided can be tours including customised. return economy flights from the More UK to Las Vegas inforMation and returning VisittheUSA. from Phoenix. The co.uk; tour includes a visitarizona. com; louisianatravel. com; visitutah. com/uk. Visit themovie district.com/ easy-rider/ for Easy Rider sites on Google Street View.

light faded. My ride was every bit as second cemetery located along the exhilarating as when the easy riders Bayou Lafourche in Raceland, an rode through this ancient landscape. hour to the east. Unlike the movie, where they The Mardi Gras scenes in New camped at the Wupatki ruins, I stayed Orleans were shot around Canal at Goulding’s Lodge (001 435 727 3231; Street and the French Quarter, and gouldings.com), established as a the notorious cemetery scene that trading post by Harry Goulding in the caused so much indignation was 1920s. It is one of only two hotels shot, without permission, at St Louis located in Monument Valley and still #1 Cemetery. You can only enter the operates as a trading post today. It was cemetery now with a licensed tour Harry Goulding who introduced guide (twochickswalkingtours.com). director John Ford to Monument It’s a creepy, but fascinating place. Valley (he promptly shot Stagecoach The scene with Fonda clutching the and many other westerns there). statue was shot at the Italian John Wayne had once stayed there). Monument, an Ancestral Puebloan shoot was apparently “seeing the bikes have bike Hopper, in his state of paranoia, was Benevolent Society Tomb. Two of the most impressive bike ‘With a ruin, just a short walk off Loop Road, loaded back onto the truck”. will ride scared of setting foot in Texas, telling The movie reaches its climax on sequences are shot after leaving is where the Monument Valley They ride through an intoxicating Chris on his Harley Fonda “they’re cutting dudes’ hair nondescript North Levee Rd/Rt 105 Flagstaff and Route 66. The first is just rumble of camping scene was shot. landscape, including the Blue Mesa Davidson at a local with rusty razors”. The movie skips (part of the Zydeco Cajun Prairie 18 miles (29km) north of Flagstaff, off the 1200cc After gassing up at the now defunct rock formations on the edge of the gas station, above; Texas and cuts to the Louisiana Scenic Byway) just outside Krotz Highway 89. At an elevation of over Sacred Mountain gas station on H89 Painted Desert, before gliding into a disused bridge bayous, swamps and plantations. It Springs. A roadside marker now 8,000ft (2,438m), Sunset Crater V-twin (junction of Road 150), Fonda and Monument Valley for the most near Fairfax, top picks up with a burst of Jimi Hendrix’s identifies the spot where Hopper Volcano National Monument has Hopper saddle up for what many magnificent of sunset rides. My ride If 6 was 9 as they cross the Long–Allen gives the redneck truckers that pine-clad climbs and bends opening engine, I consider to be the most stunning ride was not as carefree. In minutes, thick, Bridge over the Atchafalaya River from fateful “finger” and they respond up to reveal huge desert vistas below. sequence of the movie. As they hit the ominous clouds cascaded through the Berwick to Morgan City in the heart of with both barrels. As we stood next It is here that they pick up a followed in road, the first chords of The Band’sThe mountain ridges as the temperature Cajun Country. to the marker taking photographs, hitchhiker to the sweet sounds of The their Weight starts playing and the three- dived, revving my anxiety level up to By this point I had spent 10 days on two study locals alighted with Byrds’ Wasn’t Born to Follow. They minute sequence takes them all the the red line. After what seemed like an my own in the desert. I was now bulging holsters on their hips. Were shot several short sequences along the counter- way to Monument Valley, 150 miles eternity I rode into Kayenta, a Navajo joined by a local Lafayette rider, we trespassing on their land? Was 33-mile (53km) scenic Loop Road and (240km) away. reservation town. Johnny Williams, who would guide me life about to imitate art? it was there I felt the joy of biking. culture tyre At one point, Hopper does a Then it all came together. through the Louisiana back roads. Our It turned out they were concerned There was a whisper of a breeze as tracks’ majestic sweep round Fonda’s bike As I entered the valley, the cloud first port of call was nearby Franklin. there had been an accident. “No the road opened up, a hint of lavender allowing the cinematographer, Laszlo thinned and evaporated and in a Franklin typifies small-town wonder y’all lost the Revolutionary as I rode through the purple sage, and Kovacs to open the shot up into the heartbeat, the sun broke through. The Louisiana and is little changed since War,” said one, with a grin the size of then the smell of pine as the road most magnificent panoramic shot of foreboding grey sandstone mesas, Easy Rider. Fonda and Hopper ride the Mississippi River, when I twisted through a steep alpine accent. the high desert. Hopper actually hated buttes and spires, turned pink, then a down Main Street, lined with majestic attempted to explain our presence. I rode through the impressive Bonito bikes. “I was terrified of that bike,” he deep ochre. With every glance up, the live oaks, past the old Post Office, and Thanks for the ride, boys, and rest in Lava Flow. The Wupatki National said. His favourite time of day on the sky changed colour and hue as the Arlington and Alice plantations and a peace, Captain America.