A Day in Rachel, Nevada
The town has a population of 98 people, and is sandwiched between long, lonely stretches of nothing but road and desert. Although isolated, Rachel’s claim to notoriety is its location: It’s the last stop before Area 51 and said to be the location of numerous alien sightings
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| Ample parking for UFOs |
The ET Highway can definitely inspire such speculation. Road kill is prevalent on the less-trafficked route (I saw three dead cows, two snakes and one unidentified animal on the drive), and points of interest are few and far between. The first thing you should know about Rachel is there is no gas station. To fill up, you must stop in either Alamo or the Ash Springs area.
Following the highway from Alamo, your first stop should be the Alien Research Center in neighboring town Hiko. Housed in a hangar with a giant metallic alien standing guard, this will be your first (and possibly only) sighting of an intergalactic stranger. While the term “research center” is loosely applied, the business is perfect for picking up any space kitsch you might desire—alien ID cards or Star Wars T-shirts, anyone?—and also provides a brochure of useful information on the surroundings, such as don’t wander close to the Area 51 base at night.
Your next stop will be 40 minutes later at the Little A’le’Inn, where the owners have provided lodging and grub to earthlings for more than 25 years. This is the perfect spot to grab a cheap bite and some extraterrestrial souvenirs such as Alien Jerky, Outer Space Vodka and more T-shirts. It also provides the perfect photo op with a parking lot that boasts a tiny flying saucer and an Extraterrestrial Highway sign emblazoned with stickers from past travelers and UFO hunters.
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| Alien Research Center |
Farther up the road, you’ll find theblack mailbox, which is actually two white mailboxes—one belongs to rancher Steve Medlin, and the other is for missives addressed to beings not of this Earth. The spot became a meeting point for UFO hunters after Bob Lazar went on television in 1989 saying he worked on extraterrestrial technology at Area 51.
Beyond that is the secretive base itself, the border of which is strictly patrolled. If you dare, you can see how far you can drive until you’re asked to turn around.
