This final recap of the Route 66 Centennial Caravan—organized by the Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership with support from the National Trust for Historic Preservation—covers ten days and 4.5 states.

From June 16-June 25 this intrepid group of travelers journeyed from Amarillo, Texas, through Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and Illinois. Many of the stops were supported by grants from the National Trust’s Route 66 Initiative. At one point at the Oklahoma State House, they numbered a whopping 74 vehicles. Wow!

But the Caravan is more than those who drove along the Mother Road. It is also Route 66 enthusiasts, historians, preservationists, classic car lovers, civic leaders, community supporters, business owners, and advocates that have lined streets, given tours, served as escorts, prepared food, and welcomed us at every stop along the way.

This is what preservation looks like. A connection to a place (albeit one that is thousands of miles long) that brings joy, energy, and history together. Some call it the enduring highway, because it is an essential strand in the narrative tapestry of the people, places, and stories that make up these United States.

Let’s explore this last leg of the Caravan. One state at a time.

Don’t forget! You can relive each day and each state recap @preserveroute66 on Instagram!

Texas

We know that Route 66 is all about changing landscapes, and Texas was no different with windmills dotting the skyline on a regular basis. As the vehicles drove through Texas, attendees continued to reflect on this very visible legacy of Dr. T. Lindsay Baker. (Dr. Baker passed away on June 11 during the second leg of the Caravan; his fellow travelers have carried his memory forward ever since.) As the author of “A Field Guide to American Windmills” he was the leading historian on the evolution of water-pumping windmills. Because he was the official Texas state representative on Route 66 Centennial Caravan, this stretch of road would have been his moment in the spotlight to share his knowledge and passion for this landscape.

The second and final day in the state took the Caravanners through the rest of the Texas panhandle. After being escorted through Amarillo the group made their way to Groom, Texas, before visiting the ghost town at Jericho Gap.

For the Caravan this was a moment to reflect and to see what the early days of Route 66 looked like. In Jericho, (which was established in 1902) the owners talked about their passion for preservation and making sure that the greater story of the town was not lost to time.

The rest of the day involved a stop at the Devil’s Rope Museum in McLean—everything you wanted to know about Barbed Wire in one place—followed by a celebration in Shamrock, Texas at the U-Drop Inn which sits across from the Western Hotel. These two amazing sites lit up the night as they celebrated Route 66 in Texas.

And now it’s time for Ohhhhh-klahoma!

Oklahoma

The next two and half days through Oklahoma were a whirlwind, with an amazing welcome to western Oklahoma from local citizens, fire departments, fellow travelers, and the Oklahoma Department of Transportation all lining the streets to wave as caravan passed. Day 12 brought with it a trip across the Bridgeport Pony Bridge and a visit to the Route 66 Museum in Clinton and they closed out the day at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum where some of the Caravanners took on the 72 oz steak challenge.

The next day began at the Oklahoma State Capitol before moving on to Edmond where they were met by another incredible welcoming committee including some children at the 1889 Territorial Schoolhouse. They stopped at the iconic Arcadia Round Barn and the Threatt Filling Station which had a great new neon sign! The Caravan members met Edward Threatt who shared updates about the site and how he plans to keep his grandfather’s legacy alive for future generations.

The last day in Oklahoma started in Tulsa after which drivers got to experience the Blue Whale of Catoosa. From there, they stopped at the Will Rogers Memorial Museum and then the Cherokee Nation Anna Mitchell Cultural Center.

The last day in Oklahoma started in Tulsa after which drivers got to experience the Blue Whale of Catoosa. From there, they stopped at the Will Rogers Memorial Museum and then the Cherokee Nation Anna Mitchell Cultural Center.

The best thing about road trips is the sense of serendipity. While this Caravan was tightly scheduled on Day 14 they found out that the Ottawa County Ribbon Road project had been completed so they diverted down the old 9-ft-highway section to check it out. Oklahoma closed out at The Coleman Theatre and a slow roll past the Dairy King in Commerce scored drivers Route 66 cookies from the owner Charles Duboise.

Kansas

After the hand off in Kansas the Caravan made their way through 13.2 miles of Route 66 in the state. While not as long of a section as the other states Kansas is packed with cool sites like the Rainbow Bridge, Gearhead Curios, and Cars on the Route (a National Trust supported landmark) – which is home to the truck that inspired Mater in Cars and is featured in the recent USPS Postage Stamp series. This stop highlighted the communities and preservation advocates working to keep Kansas’s Route 66 story alive.

These sites show how preservation, storytelling, and grassroots support ensure that Kansas’s small but mighty stretch of Route 66 remains an essential part of the Mother Road.

Missouri

Day 15 brought the Caravan to the great state of Missouri. The day opened with some early-in-the-day ice cream before the group stopped at the Boots Court in Carthage, joined by local visitors on a beautiful stretch of Missouri driving. Rhys Martin, program manager of the National Trust’s Route 66 initiative pointed out that parts of Route 66 here are “improved” with wide shoulders and modern pavement while other parts are the original concrete. Other stops included Rockwood Motor Court —the oldest operating motel on Route 66 and the only motel to be inducted into the Historic Hotels of America—which showcased the state’s remarkable collection of historic accommodations and service stations.

Day 16 brought a surprise. As the group made its way through a line of thunderstorms and tornado warnings, the vehicles quickly moved to a pavilion thanks to the work of the Lebanon-Laclede County Route 66 Society and City of Lebanon Tourism. Quick thinking is often necessary when Mother Nature comes calling on the Mother Road.

After a stop at the Gasconade River Bridge and Waynesville (where they crossed paths with the Great Race, another Centennial event!) the group wandered around the St. Robert’s Neon Sign Park before taking a scenic drive through Devil’s Elbow and the Hooker Cut of Historic Route 66. Of course we have to mention the acquisition of pecan log rolls at the Doolittle location of Stuckey’s.

The Caravan closed out Missouri with stops at the Fanning Outpost (a legacy business that is now a combination gift shop, convenience store, and feed store), the former World’s Largest Rocking Chair, and the Wagon Wheel Motel. Of course, no stop in Missouri is possible without a visit to Shamrock Court in Sullivan where the Caravanners got to see the neon accents in Room #1. The day closed with stops at the Route 66 State Park in Eureka and Ted Drewes Frozen Custard in St. Louis – fitting bookends to a stretch of road that tells the story of travel, hospitality, and roadside commerce along the Mother Road.

Illinois

Which brings us to Day 18 and the last-but-not-least Route 66 Caravan state of Illinois. The day started with the remarkable crossing of the mighty Mississippi into Illinois. This narrow bridge with a bend in the middle is how people crossed the river before the interstate came along. Fun fact: Because of road closures, the Caravan got to go over the bridge TWICE (naturally following the rules for crossing – spaced out cars to distribute the weight!)

This first day in Illinois involved crisscrossing different alignments seeing restored buildings like the West End Service Station and the adaptive re-use of historic buildings at the Pink Elephant Antique Mall. They ate Apple Cider Doughnuts from the Apple Barn (jealous anyone?) before ending the day in Springfield.

The last full day of the Route started with a stop at the Cozy Drive-In and the American Giants Museum in Atlanta, Illinois with a lunch stop at the Route 66 Museum in Pontiac, Illinois. They saw the familiar Route 66 icon the Gemini Giant in Wilmington before cruising into the Old Joliet Prison.

Which brings us to Day 20 and the close of the Route 66 Centennial Caravan. How are we already here?

The final day began at the Original Dairy Queen where our partners at Landmarks, Illinois brought everyone together to Celebrate the Mother Road in Illinois. The group was welcomed even further as they drove by the Castle Car Wash before getting to their final destination in Chicago.