Day 20: San Antonio to Houston — Buc-ee’s, a Table Full of Veterans, and the Mission Ahead

2026 Rally4Vets America Grand Tour

A shorter run today — San Antonio to Houston — but a good one. It gave me a pit stop for the car, an unexpected reminder of what this whole tour is about, and a lunch table full of people who make the mission work. The kind of day where the driving is the easy part and everything around it is the point.

Refuel at Buc-ee’s

You can’t cross Texas without stopping at Buc-ee’s, and I wasn’t about to try. Topped off the tank, stretched the legs, and — full disclosure — walked out with a bag of chocolate-covered almonds. Fuel for the car, fuel for the driver. No apologies!

Pit Stop at Superior Subaru of Houston — and a Shared Love of Dogs

This car is the workhorse of the whole tour, so I brought her to Superior Subaru of Houston for the care she’s earned: an oil change, a tire rotation, and a brake fluid change. After 5,021 miles on the highway, a little preventive maintenance is the difference between finishing strong and getting stranded.

The team there was outstanding. It honestly felt like an F1 pit stop.  The service was great and had her in and out before I could get through my second cup of coffee. They even called my home Subaru dealer, Pacific Subaru in Hawthorne, to check on what I had done at my last service. Their motto is “We Set the Service Standard,” and they backed it up.

But here’s the part that really landed. Subaru is famous for a slogan you’ve probably seen: “Subaru Loves Pets.” Standing in that showroom, was what I thought was the most well-trained service dog I had ever seen.  It turned out that “Bluey” was the most realistic stuffed animal I have ever seen.  Got me:-) But it was so much fun speaking with the staff.  it also struck me how much common ground we share with Subaru. Because Rally4Vets loves pets too. Ours just happen to be service dogs, and they go to veterans in need at no cost.

A trained service dog can cost up to $40,000 and takes about two years to raise. For the veteran who receives one, it can be a lifeline — steadier days, better sleep, a reason to get up and out. Every mile we drive on this tour helps fund that. So it was a good reminder, standing among people who love dogs as much as we do: a dog can be a companion and a lifeline. We’re in the business of the second kind. Huge thanks to the crew at Superior Subaru for taking such good care of the Rally4Vets WRX and sending us back onto the road ready for the next leg.

Lunch at Quotes in Houston

With the car freshly serviced, it was on to my Vet the Vote meeting — lunch at Quotes in Houston, at a table that says a lot about what Rally4Vets is really about: people from different corners of the veteran world, all pulling in the same direction.

I sat down with Camillia Jackson, the Vet the Vote coordinator for Houston. Vet the Vote is a national call for veterans and military families to keep serving — this time as poll workers. It’s a natural fit: people who already raised their hand once, stepping up again to help their communities run. Good work, and good to put a face to it.

Also at the table was Bob Poland — my Brother Rat from VMI. There’s a particular kind of shorthand you have with someone you went through the Institute with; the years fall away fast. Always a gift to share a meal with a Brother Rat on the road.

And rounding out the table, a retired Marine Corps Sergeant Major who is now putting his energy into a charter school. That’s a theme I keep running into on this trip — veterans who never really stop serving; they just change the uniform. From the Marine Corps to a classroom is a straight line if you understand what drives people like the Sergeant Major.

Different missions, one table. That’s the tour in a nutshell.

Looking Ahead

Tomorrow the road bends east toward New Orleans. Along the way I’ll stop at American Legion Post 0397 — named for Sergeant Alvin York, one of the most decorated soldiers of World War I — to leave a challenge coin. Fitting company for this mission: a post that carries the name of a man who embodied exactly the kind of quiet, dutiful courage we’re out here to honor.

What a country. What a day. 4 days until America turns 250!

The Rally4Vets 2026 America Grand Tour isn’t a road trip. It’s a moving act of remembrance; a celebration of the country and the people who created it.

Connect with the tour at www.rally4vets.com.

Follow the team in real time at: https://itl.ink/2026AmericaGrandTour

Donate to our current service dog in training: https://donorbox.org/2026-service-dog-program