The plan is to travel to Boca Chica from Dawsonville, GA in the most economical way possible. That involves finding free overnight parking along the way, which is actually pretty easy. The solar power system will allow me to “boondock” (camping without any hookups) and yet still enjoy all of the benefits of full hookups.
With the usual stops for gas and meals, The Cup averages about 50 miles per hour of driving. The planned route is 1,237 miles, which is almost 25 hours of driving. I will spread the miles over five days which will make this a fairly easy trip.
Travel Itinerary
Leaving around midday to avoid Atlanta rush hour traffic, I will drive to the Buc-EE’s in Leeds, AL (just east of Birmingham). After topping off the gas tank I will travel another 70 miles to just outside of Tuscaloosa, where I will spend the night in the parking lot of a United Methodist church at which a family member is a staff member.
Total Miles: 263
Estimated Time: 5 hours, 15 minutes
Day 2 will be the longest driving day of the trip with 341 miles to cover. Four hours in, I will gas up at a Mississippi Love’s Travel Stop, then drive another 2-1/2 hours to a Cracker Barrel Old Country Store restaurant in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Cracker Barrel allows RVers to stay overnight in their parking lots at no cost. Most restaurants have a few extra-long parking spots to accommodate bigger rigs. Cracker Barrel is one of our favorite restaurants so I will take advantage of this opportunity to start Day 3 with a tasty breakfast!
Total Miles: 341
Estimated Time: 6 hours, 47 minutes
After a five-hour drive, I will gas up at another Buc-EE’s in Baytown, TX, which is just a few miles outside of Houston. I will drive another 25 miles into downtown Houston where I will stop at Equal Parts Brewing.
Equal Parts is a Harvest Hosts host location. Harvest Hosts is an RV membership program that allows self-contained travelers to overnight at 8,000+ unique locations around the country including farms, wineries, museums, breweries, and golf courses.
The idea is that while it is free to stay overnight, as a member you are expected to be a courteous guest and spend some money at the host location. The “All Access” plan is only $179 a year, so RVers can start saving a ton of money with the third or fourth HH stay each year.
While we have been Harvest Host members for almost three years, this will be my second stay. (The first was at a sheep farm in Alabama.)
Total Miles: 277
Estimated Time: 5 hours, 32 minutes
From Houston, I will turn south toward Boca Chica. After a stop at another Love’s Travel Stop, 240 miles, and almost five hours of driving, I will arrive at Kingsville, TX. Kingsville is the home of the King Ranch, the largest ranch in Texas. At over 825,000 acres, the ranch is larger than the state of Rhode Island.
My options for free overnighting may be a little limited in Kingsville. I have found a nice RV park but I’d rather not incur the expense this close (118 miles) to my final destination.
If I arrive in Kingsville early enough, I may drive on to Brownsville and Boca Chica. Ideally, My RV spot in Brownsville doesn’t become available until the following day but if I can arrive in Brownsville well before dark, I may try to spend the night on Boca Chica Highway in front of the launch site!
The problem is that Boca Chica Highway is a two-lane road that ends at Boca Chica Beach and the Gulf of Mexico. I am not sure that I can safely turn The Cup around on the narrow road at the launch site without sticking it in the sand. If I have enough time, I will park The Cup at a Wal-Mart; unhook the Jeep and check out the roadway.
Total Miles: 238
Estimated Time: 4 hours, 45 minutes
Whether I spend the night in Kingsville, in front of the launch site, or somewhere else, I will check into the RV park in Brownsville in the early afternoon. Currently, I have a spot reserved for a month. If the rocket has not launched by the end of the month, I will decide whether to stay until it launches or head back home.
Total Miles: 118 (from Kingsville)
Estimated Time: 52 hours, 21 minutes