May 3rd was an amazingly full day---full of driving and full of different adventures of the quirky kind. In fact, it was such a full day, I have to split it up into TWO different posts.
Our next stop was just around the bend, the AREA 51 ALIEN RESEARCH CENTER (which is, apparently, a gift/souvenir shop. It was closed. I had heard it's only open weekends...and it was a Wednesday, so...didn't expect it to be open...but you never know. We had to stop anyway. I was able to get a shot of the inside through the window. Drat--I'd love to have gone in. I'd totally have bought stuff. Oh well.
It started with our leaving Las Vegas. We drove all around, looking for a credit union again. We finally found one at the extreme north end of town...but there was no where to get breakfast. That's okay---we'd find something on the way...or so we thought/hoped. Although there was a much shorter route for our final destination of the day, we were going on a long, roundabout route that would add on, not only miles, but also hours and hours and hours. The reason for this was because A) it was a chance to see something I'll probably never track down again and B) because, in the back of my head, it is part of the basis for a possible article for The Bee I've been kicking around--kind of like my dumb side trip to Baker article, but quirkier. We'll see...
Anyway, off we went, heading north and then east through the vast expanses of NOTHINGNESS! No cars. No people. No buildings. NOTHING.
We went up the 16 and the up the lonely 93. Although the map of Nevada may list towns here and there, it has been my experience that some of them are completely deserted. We stopped at a Sinclair gas station in the town of Alamo. I had heard that Alamo is the last chance for gas (which turned out to be true---except there was a Union 76 just a little further beyond the Sinclair). The Sinclair had a super nice convenience store. It was more than a convenience store--it was a good sized market and we found plenty to hold us over there for our road trip...until our upcoming lunch stop. I'm glad we stopped at the Sinclair instead of the Union 76. Not only was the store great, they also had a dinosaur statue, still decorated in its Easter finery. Ha!
At "Crystal Springs", there is a junction in the road. Before taking the northern route, we stopped at the only business in town, E.T. FRESH JERKY. I'm not sure if this is related to ALIEN FRESH JERKY in Baker, CA or not. AFJ seems like a nicer business. ETFJ seems more...low budget? But then, how many visitors can it possibly get? It's out at the junction of nothing and nowhere. But it was the first stop on our journey down the Extraterrestrial Highway (really!). Lots of alien souvenirs...and jerky, too. It was actually kind of cool. We did buy jerky and I also bought Martian soda and an E.T. Fresh Jerky coffee mug. Ha!
My mug is the one shown below.
Martian soda was supposed to be kumquat flavored...but it tasted more like chlorine. Ha!
The northern route almost instantly splits in two directions, but we took route 375, which, as I said, is the Extraterrestrial Highway.
Why is it the Extraterrestrial Highway? Well, in case you have not figured it out yet, it is because of the nearness to Area 51, the top secret military base (that everyone knows about) where it is alleged that top secret research on aliens and alien technology is being conducted. There is no way to traverse through the middle of this section of Nevada because of the base. All you can do is drive in this huge loop around it (which is the basis for my Las Vegas side trip article for the Bee, the loop...the east side of it is all Area 51 stuff and the west side is...well, stay tuned and see...).
Our lunchtime goal was Rachel. Tonopah was our ultimate goal for the day. We had already traveled more than 109 miles that day just reaching the Extraterrestrial Highway sign. Zowie!
Our next stop was just around the bend, the AREA 51 ALIEN RESEARCH CENTER (which is, apparently, a gift/souvenir shop. It was closed. I had heard it's only open weekends...and it was a Wednesday, so...didn't expect it to be open...but you never know. We had to stop anyway. I was able to get a shot of the inside through the window. Drat--I'd love to have gone in. I'd totally have bought stuff. Oh well.
After the Area 51 Alien Research Center....there is nothing for miles and miles and miles. I had my eye out for the infamous "black mailbox", which is supposed to be the mailbox for Area 51. From what I've read, it's no longer there. We didn't see it...but it apparently used to be on the highway next to the big, long dirt road, which is supposed to be the way to Area 51's main gate...and we DID see the dirt road.
We may not have gone up to the front gate, however... Just as you come over a rise and can see the scattering of buildings that make up the tiny town of Rachel, there is another dirt road that goes off to the left and THAT is the road to the back gate of Area 51....which we DID traverse.
The dirt road was miles and miles long. Any car traveling it would kick up quite a trail of dust. As we drove down the road, we could see another car's dust trail ahead of us. I was really nervous doing this as I have heard that if you get too close, you can be arrested. I was also certain that--from all I've read--we were being observed (by the "camo guys") as we approached. My biggest fear at the moment was that the car ahead of us spewing up all of the dust was some sort of security patrol and we'd be stopped. I was so worried that I quickly called my mom (cell service out that way? Jinkies!) and let her know where we were and what we were doing -- in case we suddenly "disappeared". As we went on, the dust trail ahead of us dissipated. The vehicle ahead of us had obviously stopped...eeek! Yet, we continued on. And there, pulled over on the side of the road, was a shiny, new black SUV. The door was opening and... some fat bearded guy was getting out and his lady friend was sitting in the passenger seat. NOT a military patrolman, but some Area 51 geeks instead. HA!!! PHEW! We drove on by in our black, nondescript sedan (I wonder what they thought we were? Ha!) and kept going towards the gate. Suddenly the road became paved and onward we drove... And then, there in the distance it was, the back gate to Area 51. Zoinks!
We went as close as I dared go. We came, we saw...we did NOT "disappear" (or get arrested). We turned around and drove the long, LONG way back. On the way back, we passed the SUV that had resumed heading for the gate. After we passed them, I kept watching for their return dust plume. I NEVER saw it. Did they got busted? A couple came in to our next stop later on. I thought it might be them...but we left before they did and there was NO black SUV in the parking lot. Hmm.
Back on the highway, we were right outside the town of Rachel. There was nothing there but a few houses, an abandoned gas station...and...
...our next stop, the Little A-Le-Inn! Rachel is known for nothing other than being the closest town to Area 51...and for the Little A-Le-Inn, which is a combo bar, restaurant, motel. We stopped for lunch. It was kind of a dive---but a super groovy, cheesy dive that I am so glad we stopped for.
To make things more bizarre, there was, rather incongruously, a tall cowboy right out of a David Lynch movie that came in and left. I couldn't get a shot of him from the front though. Drat.
For lunch, we opted for Alien beer, of course, and, hello? Alien Burgers!!!
I was thrilled to get to visit the Little A-Le-Inn. I think Erich was a bit enchanted with it, too. It was fun and, yes, I bought several souvenirs (including a bottle of wine. Hmm. I can't imagine how it will be. Probably awful...but possibly "out of this world"?). Anyway, we had to hit the road. We had many, many miles left to go before the day was done....but I will save the 2nd part of the day for another post.
Catch up with us next time when we finally reach Tonopah...and the Clown Motel. (Or continue to the next part HERE.)
CHEERS!
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