People along the length of the Mother Road soon will be treated to a unique sight — a convoy of up to 80 vintage military vehicles making that Chicago-to-Santa Monica trip.
The Military Vehicle Preservation Association will begin its 29-day, 2,400-mile journey from the Windy City on Sept. 16 along all the 1926 alignments of Route 66 it can manage.
The organization has embarked on other cross-country trips before, but this is the first on much of Route 66.
Vehicles will range from the World War I era to recently released ones from the U.S. military.
This is the itinerary. Listed are lunch and overnight stops.
- Sept. 16 — Chicago to Pontiac, Illinois.
- Sept. 17 — Atlanta, Illinois, to Springfield, Illinois.
- Sept. 18 — Rest day in Springfield.
- Sept. 19 — Hamel, Illinois to St. Louis.
- Sept. 20 — Rolla, Missouri, to St. Robert, Missouri.
- Sept. 21 — Ozark, Missouri, to Branson, Missouri.
- Sept. 22 — Rest day in Branson.
- Sept. 23 — Rest day in Branson.
- Sept. 24 — Carthage, Missouri, to Miami, Oklahoma.
- Sept. 25 — Claremore, Oklahoma, to Sapulpa, Oklahoma.
- Sept. 26 — Chandler, Oklahoma, to El Reno, Oklahoma.
- Sept. 27 — Rest day in El Reno.
- Sept. 28 — Elk City, Oklahoma, to Shamrock, Texas.
- Sept. 29 — Amarillo, Texas.
- Sept. 30 — Glenrio, New Mexico, to Tucumcari, New Mexico.
- Oct. 1 — Somewhere along the route to Santa Fe, New Mexico.
- Oct. 2 — Rest day in Santa Fe.
- Oct. 3 — early stop in Los Lunas, New Mexico.
- Oct. 4 — Grants, New Mexico, to Gallup, New Mexico.
- Oct. 5 — Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona, to Winslow, Arizona.
- Oct. 6 — Flagstaff, Arizona, to Williams, Arizona.
- Oct. 7 — Rest day in Williams.
- Oct. 8 — Rest day in Williams.
- Oct. 9 — Peach Springs, Arizona, to Kingman, Arizona
- Oct. 10 — Early stop in Needles, California
- Oct. 11 — Amboy, California, to Barstow, California
- Oct. 12 — Rest day in Barstow
- Oct. 13 — San Bernardino, California, to Irwindale, California
- Oct. 14 — Arrive in Santa Monica, California.
Several towns along the route that have lunch or overnight stops already have planned welcomes to drivers in the convoy.
The convoy’s progress can be followed on the internet here and on Facebook here.
(Image from the MVPA convoy in 2015 by Barbara Brannon via Flickr)
I’m really excited about this convoy coming through Tulsa!
Awesome! I will have my camera ready. THANKS FOR THE HEADS UP!!!
Hurrah!! Is anyone related to this ‘campaign’ 🙂 planning to discuss Pershing’s 1921 transcontinental convoy? It resulted in the “Pershing map”, which was very influential in the US Highway system creation and routing!
What about the existing portions of old 66 between Springfield and Hamel? Like the section from north of Litchfield through Staunton? Or Illinois Route 4 through Macoupin County?
We were eating in Rolla Missouri today and seen the convoy going through. Didn’t have a clue what we were witnessing but was really cool. So I came home and put in Route 66/ military and found the website. Just wanted to let you know I thought it was really neat, just wish I would’ve known at that time what we were seeing.
They are here in Claremore! So neat to see the vehicles! They are here until 1 pm