It’s National Motorcycle Day. It’s a day to celebrate and enjoy everything about motorcycles. No doubt, this is a day for you and your cycle. It’s a day to hop on and savor the freedom of the open road. But, that’s not all. This day is much more. It’s a day to celebrate motorcycles and everyone who rides them, driver or passenger. It is also a time to enjoy being a member of a motorcycle club. And, let’s not forget cycle dealers and manufacturers. They all share in the celebration and enjoyment of this day.
Do you hear the road calling? Sure you do! July is a great time of year to celebrate this holiday. The weather is perfect for riding, and it’s the perfect time for taking vacation. Take a couple days off, or a whole week. Pack your bag. Now get on your motorcycle and ride off, wherever the road takes you. We do encourage you to being a friend of two. It’s always much more enjoyable when you have company.
Motorcycle riders are known for their appreciation of freedom, sense of adventure, and the willingness to connect with—and give back to—their communities. Those sentiments are especially important after the challenges of 2020.
Movie Time : Easy Rider
Easy Rider tells the story of two men- Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper- on a cross-country trip from California to New Orleans, transporting profits from a drug deal. Considered one of America’s formative counterculture films, it is also one of its most honored, winning eight of the 14 Oscar nominations it earned and several international awards. Jack Nicholson received five national and international nominations as a supporting actor. One of the film’s most iconic scenes takes place at Melancon’s Café in Morganza, Louisiana. Although it was later torn down, visitors, including many motorcycle enthusiasts, come to view a plaque in the ground in front of where the café stood.
For a brief couple of days in June of 1968, St. Landry Parish became part of movie history.
The now iconic aerial scene in “Easy Rider” shows the burning wreckage of a chrome motorcycle on a rural highway, as the camera pans up to show the surrounding countryside and, eventually, the Atchafalaya River. Around the corner from me.
It’s a familiar spot for anyone who travels Louisiana Highway 105 north between Krotz Springs and Melville.
“Easy Rider,” released July 14, 1969, eventually gained recognition as a landmark cinematic endeavor that film critics agreed highlighted tension between an emerging counterculture lifestyle and the existing norms of the Nixon era.
In addition to serving as a staging area for the final scene, St. Landry Parish became involved in the movie in other ways.
Those final scenes filmed alongside the Atchafalaya River included a pair of Krotz Springs area residents, who briefly became film stars by driving and shooting their way through that bloody scene in a 12-year-old Chevrolet truck owned by the father of a current St. Landry Parish council member.
St. Landry resident Arnold Wiltz also remembers taking one of the local actors, Johnny David, to a 30th anniversary screening of “Easy Rider” in New Orleans, where they were met by Peter Fonda and some of the other actors in the movie.
This Weekend :
Levee Rats Biker Bash Poker Run | |
| Event Date/Time | Saturday, July 10, 2021 from 8:00 AM to 2:00 AM |
| Host | Rode Hard Riders |
| Event Type | Poker Run |
| Event Description | What: Benefit Poker Run Host: Rode Hard Riders (RC) When: Saturday, July 10th, 2021 Pre-party, Friday, July 9th, 2021 at Red’s Levee Bar 8:00 PM Where: Red’s Levee Bar, 4695 Catahoula Hwy, St Martinville, LA 70582 Time: Registration 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM Cost: Registration Fee $30 per bike, $5.00 per passenger Beneficiary: Local Special Olympics, benefiting 3 parishes in the Acadiana area Add’l Info: There will be three stops and then we will end back up at Red’s. At each stop, you can participate in fun games or just relax. Back at Red’s, your registration will include a plate lunch. There will be an auction, live music, and bike games at Red’s. This is our biggest event of each year! Come out and join the fun while contributing to a great cause! Link to Facebook Event https://fb.me/e/2bVTNsz3T |
Lisa s Everyday Life 