Captain America and Billy didn’t screw around. (click picture for more Info)I’ve had quite a few questions via email about the route that Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda rode in the 1969 Movie Easy Rider, and for the last couple of years I’ve ridden and researched it. The movie cemented me as a rider for life at a young age. Anyway, here it is. Since it’s a movie, it hops around a bit, but here’s the route:
If you’re gonna do this trip, do it right. A couple of tips: First off, Don’t sell coke to finance your trip. If you do, don’t tell anyone. Definitely don’t put coke money in your gas tank, because It’ll lower your gas mileage. If you want to go to Mexico and pretend to buy coke in an old truck, knock yourself out. Put it in 2 motorcycle batteries and go sell it to Someone who looks like Phil Spector in front of the runway at LAX. Phil would probably still buy it from you, but he’s busy now with his murder trial. Don’t be offended if he fails to calls you back. That’s how Phil rolls.
Technically, you could start at LAX, but the real riding started in Death Valley. They we’re caging it in LAX. If you know the whole story of Billy and Wyatt they were headliners, baby (and for top dollar too). They had a stunt riding side show and decided to bust out, make a run for the big cash and go looking for America.
Start out by going to Death Valley. Ballarat, Specifically. Ballarat is a pretty cool place, with it’s own bit of history like the gravestone of Seldom Seen Slim, and the Barker Ranch where Charles Manson family laid low after the nights they made the history books. Tex Watson’s truck is still there.
Be sure to take your watch and chuck it by the side of the road because if you’re going on this ride, You need to disregard time. It’s Easy Rider man, don’t screw this up. Find the house, and you’ll know what to do.
Ok, Watch this. It’s gonna set the tone for this whole run you’re gonna make:
Fire all of your guns at once and explode into space brother. Lets go.
Ride on out of Ballarat and head down through Boron California (Home of 20 Mule Team Borax and the Movie Erin Brockovich). Be sure and stop at the museum there in Boron, it’s actually pretty cool. Then head to Barstow. From Barstow, head east on 1-40, staying on as much of Route 66 as possible, because that would be the route they took since 1-40 wasn’t officially designated until 1984. In 1969, it was all route 66 baby! It’s pretty well marked and If you need more mappage of what the road was like in the route 66 heyday, there’s quite a bit here. I ride it at least 3 to 5 times a year, and it’s pretty well documented on this site. Kick the tires and look around.
Anyway, head toward Amboy. Stop at Roy’s and get gas, because you know they stopped there with 2 gallon Peanut gas tanks. Roy’s is one of the coolest places on the mother road. Take some pictures of the 50’s retro sign and head on down the road. Roy’s is a route 66 original and is in the process of getting resurrected to it’s former glory. Roy’s is the Shit.
Keep riding through Route 66, stay to your right and get back on Interstate 40. head up through downtown Needles and back onto Interstate 40.
If you want to check out a cool scene from the movie get off past needles at Park Moabi. All the old buildings are gone now, but you’ll recognize this scene: Ride it.
Get back on 1-40 (It mostly lines up as Route 66 from 1966 to 1974) and cross the Mighty Colorado river at the state line. You’ll notice the bridges there, even though they’ve changed a bit since 1969. If you don’t, re-watch the credits of the movie again. You should recognize it immediately if you’re paying attention. This was the part of the movie that I knew I was an Easy Rider fan for life. Bust out your Steppenwolf, and dig where you are going. You’re an Easy Rider.
Keep going on 1-40. At Kingman, get off the freeway and follow the signs to ride the longest uninterrupted stretch of Route 66 that still remains today. It ran from the 1920’s until 1979. It’s well marked, just follow the signs.
The place where Billy and Wyatt fixed their bike tire and had lunch was supposedly in Valentine Arizona. I’ve found no evidence of this, but it makes sense, since Valentine is an Indian Reservation (“my wife’s a catholic, ya know” – Remember that scene?) Granted, this was on Day two of the movie, and you still haven’t gotten through the movie credit part of the ride, but that’s how movies go. Valentine is on the Hualapai Indian Reservation and is on route 66. The terrain also looks the same. I’m a bettin’ man, and I bet it was there. I also have hundreds of behind the scenes pictures that a photographer took while they were filming the movie. It’s in there, somewhere, I just haven’t found it yet.
Head through Valentine, stop at the Grand Canyon Caverns (its cool), then go into Seligman. Stop at the Snow Cap at the edge of town and eat the best hamburger with the best service you’ve ever had. The Snow Cap has been there since the 50’s. It’s another route 66 icon. Don’t get on the freeway yet at Seligman, ask any local where Crookton road is and head down that instead to stay on what was route 66 until 1979. You’ll squeeze out another 16 miles of route 66 on a great road if you do it my way, when the signs told you to get back on the interstate. It’s what Captain America and Billy would have done.
Get off the freeway and ride through Williams Arizona when you see the signs. Williams is the last town to be officially bypassed in 1984 by interstate 40, so you gotta see it. It’s still got the flavor of how it was in 1969. You’ll dig it. Get back on Interstate 40 East when you’re done, and head on down the highway…
By the time you hit Bellemont, pull off. Get some free coffee at the Harley dealership, stop at the bar and grille next door and hear the pitch about it being the original No Vacancy Sign hanging as you walk into the bar. Since I’m giving you this information completely free of charge, I think it would be a nice touch for you to order a Guinness in the name of Mr Zip, flirt with the bartender and head a quarter mile up the road to the Pine Breeze Motel to see where billy and Wyatt we’re denied a room their first night. The bartender gal there is a sweetheart, and I’m fairly short and reasonably ugly. You’ll do better than I did.
Ask the bartender if you can pull out a sleeping bag at the Pine Breeze, or ask the current proprietor at the Pine Breeze if he’s there. If you want to be hardcore you’ll sleep a few miles up the road by a campfire; If you want to stay where Dennis and Peter stayed, get back on the freeway and head the 10 miles into flagstaff and stay at the Americana Inn. You have a choice: Stay where Billy and Wyatt camped in the movie, or stay where actors and crew in real life slept. Either way, I don’t care. If you’ve come this far, you’re obviously a biker I’d love to ride with. It’s ALL good. You’re goin’ down to Mardi Gras to get you a Mardi Gras Queen. Start yourself a fire and kick back.
500 biker points if you sleep by the side of the road. If you’re a rich urban biker in your new Harley leathers, playing easy rider for the weekend, stay at the Americana Inn. This is an easy Rider Journey, man up and sleep under the stars. When you get to New Orleans you can get a real room and bust out some of that cash and get a groovy dinner. Right now, you gotta start this out right.
Funny story. Peter Fonda told the story of staying the night at the Americana Inn and his arms we’re so stiff from ape hanging on a hard tail all day, that he couldn’t pull his beer up to his mouth. He’d also put his leathers in the bathtub and soaked them down to give them a more weathered look, so at the end of the day his legs we’re black from the dye.
Route 66 ends where Interstate 40 cuts it off not far past the Pine Breeze inn, so double back and head East on 1-40 towards Flagstaff. Get off at Deer Farm exit and road and ride up through Parks Arizona to get back on old 66 and ride down the main street in Flagstaff a few miles later if you really want to stay true to route. Turn south on highway 89 at Flag. When you see the sign for Sunset Crater, head east there and Ride up through Waputki National Monument, Pick up a hippie (there may be one, I don’t know for sure). Queue “I wasn’t born to follow” on your ipod for the full effect.
That part, may be the best ride of your trip.
You’ll need to ride clear through Waputki, double back and get back on 89 and head south to stop at the Sacred Mountain Gas Station. It used to be a gas station, but now it’s the home of someone. He’s a pretty cool guy. He will more than likely tell you some good stories. He may not. Not many people notice his house nowadays, and you may get shot. I don’t know. Either way, you’re on an adventure. Tell the hippie on your bitch saddle he owes you a tank of gas.
From Sacred Mountain, head north. Hit “the weight” by the band and listen to it as you ride. It’s a great song. Turn at hwy 16o and ride through Monument valley at dusk if you time it right. In the movie, that road ends up at Wupatki, but in real life it’s doesn’t. You’re probably not riding a hard tail chopper, so keep going until you hit Farmington New Mexico and crash for the night. Drink beer, laugh, do whatever. At this point you’re well into your easy rider trip.
If you want to be hardcore and drop off the hippie, you’ll have to swing a bit wide and head into the Malibu hills in California and look for a commune. Mulholland to be exact. Good luck finding one. Dennis Hopper wanted to film at the New Buffalo Commune, but Wavy Gravy and his people weren’t into it, so the re-created the commune in the hills of Malibu. Look for Dan Haggerty. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, then you haven’t watched the movie Easy rider and you’re a pussy. Put your Mike’s Hard lemonade down, Turn your bike around, and head back to LA. Go eat sushi and buy yourself a Vespa.
Head into Taos. There’s several scenes in Taos: Check out the Taos Pueblo and you’ll see some stuff there. They also shot the inside Jail scenes in Taos, even though I’ve never found the location. The opening scene where they bought the drugs was shot here as well (not in Mexico).
From Taos, head into Las Vegas New Mexico. You’ll see the jail if you’re looking. Parade without a license here, because thats where that scene was shot. The outside of the jail, and the spot where Jack Nicholson (George) took his first drink of the day was here as well.
Take some Jim Beam With you, for obvious reasons. Toast to ol’ D.H. Lawrence (the crew supposedly slept on his grave the night before in Taos) NIC NIC NIC FUT FUT FUT!…… INDIANS! That’s right, you know what I’m talking about. Dream of the finest whorehouse in the south at Madam Tinkertoys House of Blue Lights. These are no porkchops, these are Grade A Prime…
The “If you wanna be a bird” sequence by the Holy Modal Rounders was filmed through Coyote New Mexico.
Remember, stop somewhere while listening to “don’t bogart that Joint” and pee on the side of the road. Anyplace will work when you’re riding. Also: You better not be wearing fingerless gloves and assless chaps man, not on this trip.
The rest of the route is a bit Hazy until you hit Morganza Louisiana. In 1969, the film crew was advised against being a long hair in the South, but Dennis Hopper was determined to do whatever he wanted film wise, so they went anyway. Not much is filmed in Texas as far as I can see, so head toward Morganza. If you can find the Cafe in Morganza where the young girls and the sheriff and rednecks we’re, you’re a better man than me, because the locals who knew the place said it got torn down a couple of years ago. In October 2010 they put up a plaque at the site of Melanchon’s Cafe to commemorate the making of the movie and the locals that were involved. Keep riding, it’s pretty easy to get a feel of 1969 Morganza.
The rednecks in Morganza were real locals. Dennis told the crew to tell them that he, Jack and Peter had raped a girl outside of town before they started filming to get a real reaction of hate from them. One thing to remember, is other that a loose premise, Easy Rider wasn’t scripted. They made it up as they went, and most of the cast would tell you that Dennis Hopper was generally insane in those days. Dennis later said when they rode off from the Cafe scene that was the one time they were scared and wondered if they pushed it too far. They’d heard stories of long hairs getting whacked in Texas and Louisiana. You shouldn’t have the same problem, unless you get way out of line. Head south.
Dig:
Head south out of Morganza, Hit the 190 and then west till you hit Opelousas, then south. If you’re ready, you’ll have Jimi Hendrix Queued as you hit Franklin Louisiana. Remember the song? Thats right old-schoolers, if a six became a nine. Find the bridge, stop, and queue that puppy for proper listening.
I want to thank my Cajun Friend Johnny for the modern day pictures of Franklin. You sir, are the man. I owe you a round of beers Man.
One more Shot.
Then head on into New Orleans. Go to where Mardi Gras is. Now its time for Madam Tinkertoy and Groovy Dinners. Its Mecca man! You’ve reached the Glory Hole. Party like a rockstar, do whatever you do, because tomorrow you’re going to get shot by a short redneck with a Goiter on his neck. I’m not trying to be a downer, I’m just sayin’. It could happen. You’re almost there.
The scenes in Mardis Gras we’re filmed a month after Mardis Gras had ended. The parade scenes they shot with friends and some stock footage. Watch the movie again and you’ll notice. They also shot these scenes first. You may have better luck with Mardi Gras then they did if you time it right.
While you’re in Nawlins, pull out your 80’s CD of Tony Basil singing “mickey”. C’mon, you know you have one. In 1969 she played a prostitute in Easy Rider. In the 80’s, she was a one hit wonder with fat cheerleaders. Hey Mickey!
Once you had your fill of New Orleans, Double back and head towards Krotz Springs Louisiana. You’ll notice the Levees on LA 105. Hit your odometer, and the final spot is almost exactly 3 miles up the road. That’s where this great movie ends, only you’ll survive. Now’s the time to bust out a cigar if you have one, because you made it to the end of the movie. Call a loved one and tell em you’re coming home. Queue the ballad of easy rider and head on out of town. You’re gonna retire in Florida Mister! If a man with a goiter shows, get the hell out of there.
This thread is over. Im going to end it all of a sudden, just like my favorite Movie, Easy Rider. Don’t blow it.
What a blog! What a great bit of research!!!! You are in a seriously good groove, man!
I’m sure just about everyone who rides, regardless of brand, wants to ride the route taken in that movie. I like the riding scenes. But, I think the story line was kind of simplistic. Two hippies riding across the country, and getting shot to death at the end.
But, I’m a tea-totaler. It’ll be hard for me to REALLY recreate the movie that way. Oh well.
Wow Trevor Hilton! You really missed the whole point of the film didn't you, lol. Is that all you got from it, really? It never occured to you that is it exposing "The Land of the Free" as completely the opposite, exposing all of it's rigid morals and prejudices of the time? My my, you really have got a lot to learn haven't you, lol.
Just like easy rider, Trevor does his own thing in his own time. Maybe its you who has some shit to learn.
……..and maybe it's you :O)
good comeback. Be silent.
I Love this. Living in AZ and riding across the us many times, I can recognize lots of the places. We live for two lane road. Thanks, for the time and effort you put into this.
Wow!!!! Great work on this man.I’ve always wondered what thier actual route was and now I can see it laid out on the map you put up.Excellent!! One day my brother and i will take this trip on our bikes,we’ve been wanting to since we were kids.Take care and always feel the wind in your face….Thanx.Ian
Thank you for the research time you put into this! What a great ride that would be. Now I have to watch the movie again!
The redneck diner scene was actually shot in Houma, La and I've been in that "restaurant." That was 40 yrs ago and I'm ashamed I forgot the name of it. We traveled south to the shrimping village of Dulac, which is nearly identical to Forrest Gump's trawler's "harbor." Great story here! You've done a fantastic job and you've a great sense of humor. Have you seen Hopper in Blue Velvet? Enjoy!
YOU are wrong I was there in Morganza when the film was made. The scene was shot in Morganza not Houma. Get your shit right before commenting.Thanks The Bear
nope, its in Morganza.
Yeah, it was definitely Morganza. It is the town's claim to fame. I live a couple miles away. All the girls in that scene were in my mom's class. I have a few friends on Facebook who recently put up a bunch of pictures with their family members who were able to meet the cast back then. Arnold Hess is the sheriff in that scene and worked for a very long time after that. It might have given the area a bad name, but it is still something people talk very proudly about to this day.
Thanks Roadhog. Both Hopper and Fonda said in interviews it was in Morganza, so thats where I got the info. If that restaurant is still there, I'd love to get a picture of it. You may be right.
It is in Morganza . I have a friend that is old enough that she was friends with the people that own it . It is no longer open but the building is still there …….
Next time I ride that area I will get you a pic of it ……..
Route 66 goes through Amarillo TX!!
Excellent job. Made me wanna go ride, so i did! I hope you don’t mind, but i linked this over to the XLForum. They loved it!
Excellent! Wish I lived closer, I’d ride those roads often.
I’m leaving today see you at tinkertoys!
Very Kool
This is a really great site and your research is appreciated. As for the Easy Rider bikes, the Captain America especially the history is that it was actually a black guy that designed and built it but was never given credit for it except on American Thunder. They movie had two one was stolen and never was found again, probably parts scattered to the wind??? The other one was crashed and latter given to Dan Haggerty to restore, he began to reassemble it but never finished. Later it was restored by Dave Ohrt, and has been authenticated by both Haggerty and Fonda, and now lives at the National Motorcycle museum, in Iowa. Thanks to John Parham, Mr. J&P Cycles.
Thanks for posting this for all of us who the movie inspired to ride so many years ago. Hopefully some one out there will be able to fill in the empty spots.
I was only 9 when Easy Rider came out, but I bet I ‘ve watched it a hundred times. One of my all time favorites. It’s the reason I started riding Harleys. Thanks for all the work on this blog.
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A lot of time, effort, and teamwork. My bro and me are ridin out in 1 week, (May 15th), over 40 and lookin forward to some recovery after 16 days on the road. Learnin to be an Easy Rider.
Great description and pictures of route. A friend and I are going to take the route with are panhead and knuckle when completed. Need a shot in the ass! Thx!!
Your behinds are going to hurt real bad.. Have fun though..
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Great stuff, man. I don’t ride, but respect what it must take. Good luck to all of the folks out there who take the trip.
The article is ver good. Write please more
Great blog, thank you for posting it. I am a historian working on an article about Easy Rider that compares how the film shows people reacting to Billy and Wyatt as opposed to how the locals actually treated the cast and crew. For example in Las Vegas New Mexico Billy and Wyatt were arrested. How did the locals actually respond to the actors? Can anyone provide any insight?
I have watched the making of documentary “Shake the Cage” and while it was great I am looking for more information. Anything anyone can provide is greatly appreciated.
Thanks in Advance,
I finally made it to Morganza yesterday, Sunday, June 14th, and ran into some old timers who remember the cafe well. One of them told me his mother was working there when they filmed. Sorry to say, but it was torn down 2 years ago. I wish I could have seen it. I also rode LA 105 from Simmsport all the way back to Krotzsprings. There were too many turns along the old highway to distinguish which area the last scene was shot at. Between Krotzsprings and Opelousas, I picked up a nail in the rear tire and had to call my wife to pick me up with the trailer. Sure am glad it didn’t happen on 105. There are some places that go for miles without civilization and my cell didn’t have service.
Take a look at youtube…. easy rider revisited born to be wild … we are filming the locations then and now ,thought it might be of some interest.
Also …easy rider revisited outtakes….I also have photos folks may be interested in if you would like them .
Thank You for your time.
Jim
I live in france and I just have to see the last part of "On the Trail of Easy Rider " this night
you'r realy great and your bike is a dream
I had see easy rider in 1969 in the city of sete (on mediterrannee side)
This fuking movie breack my mind for ever like you
I'm 62 now and I still dreaming
really thank you and still wasn't born to follow
andre viala
sete
france
well done…… well done!!!
this is bitchen!!!!
I was 19 when I saw Easy Rider…and for the time and place that movie
spoke to me and everytime I ride these days I wear a US flag handkerchief
in memory of that movie, sounds corny, but Billy, and Captain American rule.
What a Great Blog…WOW…thanks man!
This is the spot where Easy Rider ended in a shocking flaming murderous crash in Krotz Springs, LA
Paste the link into your web browser
http://maps.google.com/maps?source=earth&layer=c&cbll=30.503283,-91.761075&cbp=13,20.99,,0,4.87&ie=UTF8&ll=30.503358,-91.761031&spn=0,359.985141&t=h&z=17&panoid=eDZiELKUJKl7ccR0xZJD5A
What road his this then. ..
Terry
If you are looking for that “stranger” on the highway, there’s a chance these days that you will see him shopping at his neighborhood food cooperative in the northwest neighborhood of Portland, Or.
Luke Askew is still alive and well and still has an active acting career. You can see him in the HBO series Big Love playing a mormon godfather type character.
He’s one of my favorite coop “celebrity” members. The other is science fiction writer Ursula Le Guin.
The paul Bunyan was actually in flagstaff. It was vandalized and cut down in 2004.
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/attract/images/az/…
Love this blog, keep coming back, reading the comments. But hey, wait… Checked out the image here, and the lumberjack figure is now outside the Skydome, the NAU stadium. I called in there passing through, as it was apparently the very first of the Muffler Men to come off the production line so I wanted to see it. Or have I got my wires crossed somewhere? Pretty confident of the facts though.
Wow, didn\’t know that. I\’ve seen it up in flagstaff but didn\’t know they said it first. There\’s a lot of em out there! Something good to go check out. Thanks for the post.
Anyone else notice the upside down American flag in front of the Ben Franklin? A little bit of anti-war message during the Vietnam War era. Great Website….really enjoyed it. This movie also inspired me to ride….it took over 30 years before I got around to it, but this is where it started.
What about the Paul Bunyun In Tucson Az? That statue is still there on Stone and Glenn http://www.roadsideamerica.com/muffler/images/easyrider.jpg
that was neat,I have the movie,one of my all time favorite biker shows.
probably never get down there to actually ride the route, so watching this was great.
Have you read the book “Don’t Tell Dad” by Peter Fonda. He gives a lot of insights about this film and his dealings with Dennis Hopper.
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Where is the steel bridge that Fonda & Hopper are riding across? It is in a lot of the posters that come out in ’69. I halfheartedly tried to find the bridge in ’03,when I come to U.S from Oz, but my bike broke down! Was it the Colorado river? Be cool to find out.
From Mr Zip: It was at the colorado River by Topock at the UT/CA border.
That was the best read I have had for a while and you have done well. Often I have a Saturday where I watch a double Bill Movie, Easy Rider and the Wild One, with some booze and lay back. That movie changed my life at the age of 16 and a lot of others , back here in England most people rode bikes with clip-ons (small low bars) and the bikers were called Rockers , then this film came along and changed it all. How many times in your life have you said NIC NIC NIC FUT FUT FUT!…… INDIANS! Or Swamp!
Bob Preston
the cafe scene was in morganza if you zoom on the patch on the MAN’S shirt it says morganza (I have one of those patches)it was given to me by a friend who lives there,and yes the cafe has been torn down.
thanks for the info I am planning to do the trip east to west starting on my birthday may 15 2010.
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Only one word…… this web site is beautifull
I write from Turin,Italy,i’ve a hd panhead of’56 chopper
,like Captain America,my best movie is Easy Raider…….
Next year I RIDE to the route of the movie with my Bike……Soure…
Congratulation for this site and…..sorry for my bad English language
Fantastic research and detailed info about the movie and locations. Very entertaining. Just as a note, the mesas and pinnacles of Monument Valley as shown in the movie are only visible from Hwy 163 heading north off of Hwy 160 at Kayenta, AZ. The mesas visible in the movie just as the it was getting dark is right at the border of AZ and UT. Thanks for putting this together. kudos!
nice work been a long sence i watched the movie guess i need to go back and watch but you say they put the coke in the gas tank i thought they put the money form sell the coke in the gas tank
Very nice job “Dude”. I’m thinking about going and smoking a J and then head out across America. LOL
Far fuckin out !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
live by easy rider man! kim
Well wow I’m from long island ny if any body out ther would like to meet at the starting point and do this journey call me and we will do it females or males don’t matter as long as you can stay on your slead for 12 hrs at a time lol lol 516 428-5315. Its SPANKY from ny
I've studied the film for years and this is the best reconstruction of the locations I have seen by far.
One question: the LAX then & now photos. The film was shot on an airport access road just east of runway 25L, not on Aviation blvd., correct?? This is a private road but in 1969 it was public. You gotta know somebody to get to the exact spot….Great Job…outstanding!!!
I grew up in Franklin, Louisiana.. it was interesting when the movie came out how they seemed to be riding away from New Orleans when in the state.. I don't suppose Hopper did that on purpose? Probably because he wanted a different view..
Wonderful job on this site!!
I was at the site of the Old Melancon’s Cafe last week as I live in the area. I can verify that it was torn down with just a few brick steps left at its base. We are having a commemorative event in New Roads, LA (just outside Morganza) if anyone’s in the area. We are raising funds for a state historical marker honoring the movie in Morganza. Email me if you want more info – the event is Nov 14th & 15th – dustingardner@gmail.com
This weekend (November 14-15 2009) my cousin is filming a 40 year tribute to Easy Rider in Morganza, La. at the site of old cafe. Anyone around should show up!
I don't know if it was mentioned earlier, but they drove through Albuquerque, NM as well.
I've studied the film for years, and love to see some pictoral evidence or otherwise of how they went through Albuqurque. If you have some, lay it on me brother.