Road trip from McAllen to Plano, TX

[get-atty]

I have returned from a 1,263 mile round trip from deep South Texas (McAllen) to North Texas (Plano) and wanted to recap a few highlights. I was in my 2021 Model 3 Standard Range Plus.

THe SR+ has a 90% charge of 230 miles. At 75 mph from McAllen to Three Rivers Supercharger (163) miles it can get a bit low battery. The key is to change the trip charge to 100% at the McAllen Supercharger (254 miles) and that got to Three Rivers just fine. FYI there is a dog park there which is a nice outdoor picnic table area. Amenities are average: McDonalds, Subway, Love's Truck Stop.

I then managed to go to all the chargers up I -37 North and I-35 W North to Fort Worth:
San Marcos Outlet Mall
Austin Domain Mall
Waco Collin Street Bakery
Alvarado Shell Station
Fort Worth Downtown

Then over to Plano where the Supercharger is like at Austin Domain - in a parking garage in an upscale shopping area. Not so easy to find but once you are there, it is an easy walk around. Interestingly, there are only 2 Superchargers for North Dallas and Plano so it was always nearly full even on weekday mornings.

Heading back, charging stops at
Waco
San Marcos
Three Rivers
Kingsville - near a new Starbucks, Holiday Inn Express, IHOP

If you like to shop, San Marcos, Austin Domain and Plano/Shops at Legacy are good charging stations.

Some notable restaurants - the farther north you go, the more things have opened up after Covid.

Susie's Taco's - Edinburg

12 Cuts Brazilian Steakhouse - Dallas

Texas Live! Arlington (think of a Las Vegas Sports Book, right next to new Globe Life Park (Texas Rangers)

 

[Cigar Man]

Don’t know why I didn’t see this earlier. I too live in McAllen, driving a blue MY.

Just curious - why did you swing over to Kingsville on the way back? I agree, though - it’s a nice place. On the way to Houston, I stop there and by the time I get back to the car with something from Starbucks, I have more than enough charge to get it Victoria.

Did you know there is a Tesla RGV Facebook page? They had a get together at HEB Park recently and another I. Brownsville when the Service Center was opening.

 

[AudreyHTX1]

I enjoy reading Tesla trip reports, doesn’t matter if they are not recent.

Lots of new superchargers along this route now!

I look forward to the Alice V3 chargers. I really didn’t like the Three Rivers supercharger - so cramped, parking was awful. Long line at bathrooms too - yuck. I’d like to skip this one next time and I think I can now.

 

[Cigar Man]

I enjoy reading Tesla trip reports, doesn’t matter if they are not recent.

Lots of new superchargers along this route now!

I look forward to the Alice V3 chargers. I really didn’t like the Three Rivers supercharger - so cramped, parking was awful. Long line at bathrooms too - yuck. I’d like to skip this one next time and I think I can now.

I just happen to be on a trip right now. I’m on the way to see an old college friend in Homestead, FL (south of Miami) then to a family reunion in central Florida.

I made the same trip a year ago, and as you say, a lot of new V3 chargers are now on the route, including the ones at the Buc-ees in Wharton and the just opened one in Beaumont. The Wharton one was nice in that I didn’t have to stop in Victoria. The wife was sleeping so well and I didn’t have the heart to wake her up, so I just kept on to Wharton. Beaumont too was nice. My hotel was almost across the street, so we checked in, found dinner, then I dropped her off at the hotel and then charged up while enjoying the conversation with two locals who “wondered how those things worked.”

Another new one at a new Buc-ees east of Mobile Bay in Alabama. I’m not a big Buc-ees fan but having SCs at their stores is handy. As I write this, I am in Ocala, FL, just starting the day. I charged here last year at an overworked V2 SC that was limited to 80% because of high usage, but last night, juiced up at a new V3.

I enjoy BSing with other Tesla drivers at SCs. I was juicing up in Live Oak, FL yesterday and saw the head of a huge Great Dane poking his head out of the moonroof of a 2014 Model S. I didn’t know retractable moon roofs were once the norm in the Model S, but the lady who owned the S and the dog explained that was the way she bought her car back then. She has over 350,000 miles on it! Her job requires travel and the pooch is a support dog.

Off to get some breakfast, then (as Willie says), it’s on the road again.

 

[get-atty]

That's quite a trip - my father in law lived in Homestead FL for a short time when he was 19 or so. A good memory of him.

Glad to know about the Mobile East SC - the current one in Mobile is in a has-been mall, not the kind of area to spend time hanging around. It's cool that there are so many new ones. I am glad to hear Beaumont is now open - it is on my list of Texas Superchargers to visit.

 

[AudreyHTX1]

We recently went from McAllen area to central GA (where I checked out the Fort Valley GA construction), up to the TN side of the Smoky Mountains (found new construction at Adairsville Buc-ee’s). Upon returning we stopped by the new Chattanooga supercharger that was still under construction, and also found that the Beaumont site had started construction.

Since then less than a month returned, every one of those sites are up and running! I would have used most of them.

It was over 3000 miles, including some fun mountain driving. The car did great.

On the way we also made it from Kingsville to Wharton skipping the Victoria SC. I think the car wanted me to go even further to Richmond, but we preferred the Wharton stop. We also skipped the Mobile SC, charged up enough in d’Iberville MS and made it up to Greenville AL SC no problem.

Yep, I remember driving through Homestead Fl early 2000s, on the way to Everglades NP.

When we were RVers years ago we stayed at Silver Springs state park outside Ocala. Pretty area.