Tuesday, April 17, 2018

Las Vegas: A Walk on the Wild Side Part 2


We didn't drive enough our first day at Nellis so the second day we decided to accept the challenge of the Extraterrestrial Highway which is Nevada Route 375. 
The remote winding road through high desert country is as close as one can get to the mysterious Area 51. 

Alien Research Center

We stopped at the ET Highway sign for a quick photo and then drove a few miles to the Alien Research Center Gift Shop. We thought the center was closed because the doors were locked but Fred knocked repeatedly (he wanted in) and someone let us in. Somehow the door had locked by itself! Or did it........

Fred was determined to get in.
The gift shop was fun and quirky. The best part was the giant alien statue crafted of sheet metal. It looked amazing in this isolated environment. 
There are a few points of interest along the road. 

The black mailbox in the middle of nowhere.
There are not many landmarks on this deserted stretch of highway. 
The "Black Mailbox" in the middle of nowhere has served as a meeting place for UFO hunters for many years. The mailbox has been replaced many times due to theft and other vandalism. Nearby rocks are graffiti covered and the sign for Mailbox Rd is covered in travel stickers.


Our destination was the little town of Rachel, Nevada and the Little A'le'Inn diner. The cafe is a funky place that embraces alien culture. The parking lot features a very tall self parking sign for visiting UFO's.


We were warmly welcomed with a "where have you been all day? We've been waiting for you" from Betty who seated us and took our order with a smile. We wandered around the restaurant while waiting for our alien burgers to arrive. The walls are covered with photos of close encounters and UFO sightings mailed to the Little A'le'Inn from all over the world. We enjoyed our burgers, gathered up a few souvenirs and left our autographed dollar on the ceiling for ET to find. 


There was one more stop on our way back to base. The staff at Little A'le'Inn gave us directions to the Area 51 Boundary on Groom Lake Rd. The dirt road is not marked. Our directions included a mound of dirt with a water tank and a corral but we found it. There are a few clues that you are getting close. A stop sign with warning not to proceed, a grey truck on a nearby hilltop and a surveillance cameras warned us that we had gone as far as was safe for us to travel. 


We headed back to Nellis with smiles on our faces even though our only close encounter was with a warning sign.

Little A'le'Inn
9631 Old Mill Rd
Alamo, NV


2 comments:

  1. Wow...looking at the Google satellite of Area 51, that's quite a base out there. I find it oddly comforting not knowing what goes on in that piece of real estate. Glad you weren't vaporized by aliens...or the Air Force, Bonnie! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is definitely huge. I wish we could have seen some of those mysterious planes the Air Force flies out there. That would have been an experience.

      Delete