Starbase plan · Sat–Mon
Sat Sep 26 → Mon Sep 28 · Taiban NM → Rocket Ranch · Sun Starbase / SPI circuit
Captured ~09:00 CT Sat Sep 26 (Ara in-car). Rebuild: say “rebuild the route to Starbase” / “rebuild route to Rocket Ranch.”
Source of truth: Jock BRIEF-starbase-spi-circuit-20260926 (Drive 1V59pVwZ5wYVFFqolbSP7YoCwhSK05XyB). Self-guided — no official SpaceX tours. No book / no spend from this page.
Hwy 4 / Boca Chica: OPEN Sunday 27 (no road delays as of Sat 26). Next ordered closure Mon 28 Sep 4:00–10:00 AM CT (Order 2026-23) for Flight 14; backups Tue 29 / Wed 30. Morning-of: starbaseevents.com/visit · text BEACH → 866-513-3475.
Flight 14: NET Mon 28 Sep 2026 · window 7:15 AM CT / 8:15 AM EDT (~75 min). First orbital attempt (Pad 2). Confirm FAA + SpaceX stream morning-of.
Jason Eberle · Brownsville · 956-227-1091 · soft noon slot 12:00–13:30 CT. Text AM to confirm. If no answer → continue solo.
Every stop: address · on site · drive from prior · fee. Queen Isabella Causeway = no toll.
| # | Stop | Address | On site | Drive | Fee / notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Microtel → Brownsville | Start: 1311 Brush Country Lane, Pleasanton, TX 78064 → Brownsville corridor | — | ~4.0–4.5 hr / ~243 mi | Target ~noon BV. Leave ~07:00–08:00 CT. Re-check Hwy 4 before eastbound. |
| 1 | Jason Eberle sync (optional) | Brownsville (meet TBD) | 45–90 min | — (arrival) | 956-227-1091 · soft 12:00–13:30 noon CT. Text AM. Skip if no answer. |
| 2a | Lunch A — Ostionería Mocambo | 2451 Pablo Kisel Blvd Suite D1, Brownsville, TX 78526 · (956) 982-6886 | 45–60 min | local | Mexican seafood. Sun hours listed ~11:00–20:30. Confirm day-of. |
| 2b | Lunch B — Vera’s Backyard Bar-B-Que | 2404 Southmost Rd, Brownsville, TX 78521 · (956) 546-4159 | 20–40 min | local | Barbacoa landmark. Often sells out — call ahead. Sun often early. |
| 3 | Elon sculpture + Mars Embassy corridor | SH 4 / Boca Chica Blvd east of Brownsville (~halfway to Starbase). Mars Embassy parcel #171767 near Boca Chica Blvd | 15–25 min | ~15–25 min from central BV | $0. Public ROW only — no private lots. Bust: “ELON aka MemeLord”; sign: “Mars Embassy. Future Location.” |
| 4 | Starbase build site — Hwy 4 pull-offs | State Highway 4 / Boca Chica Blvd, Starbase, TX (public road past Starfactory; pads private) | 30–45 min | ~10–15 min further east | $0. Factory + pads private. No SpaceX tours. |
| 5 | Boca Chica Beach | End of Hwy 4 / Boca Chica Blvd, Starbase / Boca Chica, TX | 30–45 min | ~5–10 min past pads | $0 (free) when open. Soft sand — know Cybertruck recovery limits. |
| 6 | Port Isabel Lighthouse | 421 E Queen Isabella Blvd, Port Isabel, TX 78578 | 30–45 min | ~40–55 min via BV / Hwy 48 | Adults $5 (seniors $4). Climb ~75 stairs. Causeway no toll. |
| 7 | Isla Blanca Park (SPI) | 33174 State Park Road 100, South Padre Island, TX 78597 | 45–75 min | ~10–15 min via Queen Isabella Causeway | Vehicle $12/car thru 30 Sep 2026 ($15 from 1 Oct). ~5 mi across Pass from pad. Primary Hwy 4–closed fallback. |
| 8 | Sea Turtle Inc | 6617 Padre Blvd, South Padre Island, TX 78597 | 45–60 min | ~10–15 min north on Padre Blvd | Adults $15 (card only). Tue–Sun 10:00–16:00; closed Mon. Hit before 16:00. |
| 9a | Dinner — Hopper Haus | 418 E Queen Isabella Blvd, Port Isabel, TX 78578 | 60–90 min | local | Craft beer / Tex-Mex-German. Call ahead. |
| 9b | Dinner — Dirty Al’s Pelican Station | 201 S Garcia St, Port Isabel, TX 78578 · (956) 943-3344 | 60–90 min | local | Waterfront. Call ahead. Alt SPI: Henrietta’s / Liam’s / F&B. |
| — | Starbase Brewing | (brand / retail / ship only) | — | — | No verified public taproom. Skip. Astropub = employees only. |
| 10 | Evening — GATEWAY TO MARS / lit signs | Visible from public Hwy 4 near Pad 2 (Ion Art neon) | 20–40 min | ~40–55 min back via causeway → BV → Hwy 4 | $0. Skip if road closed or lights off. |
| 11 | Rocket Ranch (overnight) | 43742 Palmito Hill Rd, Brownsville / Boca Chica area, TX | overnight | ~20–35 min from Hwy 4 corridor | Campground ~9.7 mi from stage zero. Mon ETA ~5:00 AM CT for Flight 14 positioning. Do not book from this draft. |
Rough day load after noon: ~6–8 hr on-site + ~2.5–3.5 hr intra-circuit driving. Prioritize Sea Turtle before 16:00 or Starbase daylight — not both late.
If Hwy 4 closed (fallback): Re-check starbaseevents.com/visit + city beach-road page; text BEACH. Do not force past checkpoint. Closest legal: shoulder west of barricade, or Isla Blanca / SPI (~5 mi across water; ~45–60 min around via Brownsville). Alternate beaches: Cameron County Access #3, #4, #4 West, #5 West. Sun 27: no primary closure posted as of 26 Sep — Mon 28 is the risk window.
Starbase → Pecan Island → home (Surfside Beach, SC). The bridge is I-55 in Louisiana, about 22.8 miles over Manchac Swamp between LaPlace and Ponchatoula. Pecan Island sits west of Lafayette, so the swamp is on the eastbound home leg, not on the SPI circuit. Both directions fit as an out-and-back while the truck is still in the LaPlace–Ponchatoula pocket. A southbound crossing after Louisiana is behind you does not fit.
Day 24 map · Pecan Island → LaPlace → Ponchatoula (northbound)
Day 25 map · Ponchatoula → LaPlace, then east toward Surfside (southbound return)
Draft route. No book and no spend from this page. Spell Lathom.
Google Contacts has no API connector in this stack. lathom.com/contacts is JS-rendered so raw fetch returns a blank shell — must use the in-car browser (or Bud / Google bot). Fallback: Andy reads the number from Pixel.
Tesla / in-car feature requests (filed).
Sources: Jock BRIEF 2026-09-26 · route-snapshot · starbaseevents.com/visit · Andy lock Manchac days 24–25 · Spell Lathom. Cache ?v=202609261430.