My Amazing (and Exhausting) Week Touring Elon Musk’s Companies!
March 8–14, 2026 - Austin, Texas
I just returned from an unforgettable week in Austin, Texas, where I visited every one of Elon Musk’s companies. The experience was truly special.
I didn’t get to meet Elon or the others I had hoped to see—sorry, Jake @PairedWith_P7 and Farzad @farzyness! The schedule was so packed that I barely had time to breathe.
Below I’ll share my highlights and a few photos. First, a huge thank you to my wife Tiffany and our friends Lance and Karen for all the heavy lifting (literally) to make this trip possible. Also I would like to thank my friend Andy for flying out to help Lance drive the 16 hours from Phoenix to Austin. I’m still blown away by their kindness and generosity.
I also owe a big debt of gratitude to one unnamed person whose incredible support made the entire journey happen.
Ready? Let’s go!
March 8 – Sunday: Fireside Talk Near Austin
I hadn’t experienced a time change in years. Arizona doesn’t observe daylight saving time, so after a 16-hour drive from Arizona to Texas I lost an extra hour. Bummer!
I was invited to give a fireside devotional at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints near Austin. It was a joy to bear my testimony of Jesus Christ. I also met a wonderful family who had recently lost their husband and father to ALS, and we showed them exactly how the Neuralink implant works.
Ellie In Space posted a short video:
You can watch my full talk here:
March 9 – Tesla Gigafactory
“This place is ginormous,” Lance declared. He was 100 % right.
We met Tiffani at Tesla and introduced her to my wife Tiffany—she was fantastic. We parked right at the entrance and rolled straight in. The sheer scale of the factory left us speechless.
Optimus (version 2.5, partially tele-operated) greeted us at the door. It was impressive!
We then toured the Cybertruck and Model Y assembly lines. Watching raw parts transform into finished vehicles was mesmerizing. I was especially struck by how the team keeps simplifying and improving the process from one vehicle to the next.
We got a close look at the new Cybercab (no production line yet). Abigail instantly fell in love with the video screen and seats.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1n5-z8tkipG-I3z1uGG5VfHER_niALwnTShLnjdHasNw/edit?pli=1&tab=t.0
The kids danced with Optimus and went home with gift bags.
March 10 – Starlink Factory & The Boring Company (Bastrop, Texas)
We were honored to tour the Starlink dish factory in Bastrop. Seeing the cutting-edge technology that produces the dishes was eye-opening. Our guide had 14 years at SpaceX and was incredibly knowledgeable. I asked about her time on the Dragon capsule and her experience with Gwynne Shotwell (her hero!).
I also had her explain phased-array antennas to the kids—fascinating stuff.
Right across the street we met the Boring Company team at the Boring Bodega for a great lunch. Abigail loved the playground.
We then walked through the tunnel that connects Starlink to the Bodega. The Starlink crew can zip over for lunch or drinks without fighting the busy highway—super cool.
Next came a factory tour to see how they build tunnel-boring machines. No photos allowed inside, but the innovations were impressive.
The Boring Company is a perfect example of fresh thinking in a traditionally “boring” industry. They started with an existing machine and improved every single part. Today they design and build their own machines and handle every step of tunnel construction.
The result? They build tunnels faster and cheaper than anyone else on the planet. We watched improvements in everything from muck removal to the concrete panels that line the tunnels. My boys were thrilled to learn the team uses a cheap PlayStation controller from Walmart to test lifting 3,000-pound panels—and it works perfectly.
I’m a longtime fan and have made several videos about The Boring Company, so I was basically a happy fanboy the whole time.
We took photos outside in front of the logo and a tunnel segment. They even set up panels so I could roll right up—such a thoughtful detail!
March 11 – Neuralink
We closed out our Austin visit at Neuralink’s new building. It was outstanding.
Lance said: “Meeting the amazing people who work to make Neuralink operate is such a powerful experience! The level of dedication to their work in the service of others is incredible. This team of people who are passionate in their quest for the future of others needs is second to no other company I have had the opportunity to tour and learn about! The people who work to improve the quality of life for others are such a cool program to watch!”
The team is moving into a beautiful new building. (Ironically the elevator was out, so I couldn’t go upstairs.) Even so, it was a privilege to meet the dedicated people working to improve life for those with disabilities.
I already shared Chase’s story here: @chasemac97
It was a deeply human moment. Bonus: Neuralink hired my second cousin once removed as their video producer! I got interviewed by a relative I had never met.
We toured the surgery rooms where new procedures are tested, the pathology lab studying implant effects on the brain, and a fully disassembled Neuralink device. We also visited the imaging lab with its CT and MRI scanners.
Finally we saw the barn that houses the test animals, including the famous pig from the first demo. It was spotlessly clean and the animals were clearly well cared for. They even shear the sheep—but have no idea what to do with the wool! If you have ideas, let me know.
Meeting the people who literally changed my life was the perfect way to end the Austin portion of the trip.
March 13 – Starbase, Texas: SpaceX Rocket Factory
We drove down to Starbase to tour the rocket factory. It was spectacular—just what you’d expect.
Sean and Graziella met us and served as our guides. Sean was even wearing one of my ALS Cyborg shirts!
In the lobby stood three Raptor engines—versions 1, 2, and 3. The leap from version 1 to version 3 is stunning; version 3 looks so clean and refined.
We viewed the massive factory floor from above (the same spot where Elon has given interviews), then walked the floor. One neat detail: TV screens at each production cell show the photo of anyone holding up production at a station, be it parts, engineering or issues—radical transparency in action.
We visited the booster “AFT” production line and were able to go directly under the AFT assembly where the heat shield, ETVC’s and Raptor gimbals are installed and tested.. I asked Sean which booster was this? Booster 20! And I told the kids to remember they were literally standing beneath Booster 20 and will remember that when it launches!
I asked about the “down comer.” Sean corrected me—it’s actually called the “transfer tube” and we were able to get next to it outside Megabay 1 as it was awaiting to be installed into Booster 20. It’s roughly the size of a Falcon 9—huge!
Outside we gazed up at the Megabays 1 and 2 where the completed assemblies are stacked and welded together to create the full stacked Starship and Boosters.. Seeing the boosters and ships towering overhead left me speechless.
We climbed to the top of Megabay 2 for the best view and to see what they call the “Penthouse” where employees can go on break, eat lunch or have meetings. They also use the space for events. We snapped photos in front of the Starman painting. I asked if we could see the Raptor engine room—Sean made it happen!
Inside the Raptor Nest we stood among 28 giant engines. I told the Raptor Flight Integration supervisor he was awesome. He let us touch the huge bell of Vacuum Raptor #98 (the one scheduled for the next launch), gave me a patch, and handed stickers to the kids.
We finished at the tiki bar taking photos in front of the rocket garden—one of the few places photos were allowed—then enjoyed lunch at the Bistropub with its rocket-fin patio.
On the trip I had asked on X for good questions. I got to ask Sean a few:
Q: What’s something nobody ever asks about, but you and your team are super proud of? (@MartyEarthy)
A: Teamwork. Building Starship has shown him that when humans rally around a common goal with real purpose, they can conquer even the toughest engineering and production challenges. Every person across the entire process contributes with total effort and laser focus. Starship is the ultimate accumulation of human experience, intelligence, and physical might. .
Q: Where will Ship payload integration happen—in the Megabay or in a new specialized building? (@davewolfusa)
A: In the Megabay.
Q: Besides the Raptors, have any other components of the Starship stack seen major mass reductions? (@davewolfusa)
I didn’t ask this one, but Sean volunteered that they’re constantly improving every part of the vehicle—a theme you see across all of Elon’s companies.
Q: When transitioning to V3 vehicles, do you expect the same early teething problems as V1→V2, or have lessons learned made the jump smoother? (@hikenmann)
They’re optimistic—lots of improvements have already been built into V3.
Q: Can I grab any souvenirs from the scrap-metal dumpster? (@BocasBrain)
I obviously skipped that one. 😉
What an incredible, exhausting, and inspiring week. Grateful doesn’t even begin to cover it. 🚀
@Tesla @SpaceX @Starlink @neuralink @boringcompany
Oops, hit the wrong button! Brad, today as we look out our hotel window at the Rock of Gibraltar, I am reminded of your rock solid belief and faith. You are a model of that rock, just as Jesus is the model to all of us to exhibit rock of Gibraltar sold faith and trust in the Lord in all that comes our way.
Parabéns, meu herói! Sou, cada vez mais, seu fã e te desejo O MELHOR SEMPRE 🎉 🎊 🎂 👏 👏 👏