Hiking Itineraries Landscapes Maps. Site Map Photography Whats New? All Nevada Locations NV Known as the Extraterrestrial Highway, road crosses a typically empty Nevada landscape of vast valleys and isolated mountains, running close to Nellis Air Force Base, home to the mysterious Area The first thing you see at the intersection of U.
Across the road is E-T-Fresh Jerky, a beef jerky haven that invites you to drop off your toxic waste. The shop is open daily, and personnel and locals are happy to talk with you while you choose from a huge variety of flavored jerky. Forty miles down the road is Area 51, whose front and back gates are accessed by dirt roads.
No trespassing. Strictly enforced. Photography of this area is prohibited. On to Rachel, the only town along the Extraterrestrial Highway. Route 6 at Warm Springs. Enter your email address and we'll email you a digital version of this coupon that you can present on your mobile device at your Sun Auto Service Shop.
One gentleman was adamant that I not take his picture, but did want to make sure I Googled a special interview with aliens that proves life from outer space exists. I smiled, thanked him and left, silently grateful for this first and undoubtedly unusual start to my adventure. Extraterrestrial Highway Sign — Just opposite the jerky shop is the official Extraterrestrial Highway sign, which has been nearly covered with stickers over the years.
This sign is one of the most iconic when it comes to weird roadside attractions, so be sure to stop to take a few photos. Alien Research Center Gift Shop — Almost immediately after the start of the Extraterrestrial Highway is your first stop, this quirky gift shop. This secrecy has also led to countless conspiracy theories, especially around the concept of UFOs. Both the front and back gates of the base are located off of the Extraterrestrial Highway, along with other famous Area 51 sites including the so-called Black Mailbox.
I had done a little research on how to find these places before leaving home, but I was nervous. I am not a rule-breaker. Far from it actually, I am the type of person who believes rules exist for a reason. That changed though after a pit stop at the midway point of the Extraterrestrial Highway — the tiny town of Rachel. Rachel, Nevada — Home to only about 40 people, Rachel exists today as a rest stop for those looking to learn more about Area 51 and alien life. Initially when I said I was from the DC area I was met with a very frosty reception, but she gradually warmed up to me as we chatted about all kinds of things, from our lives to Area 51 itself.
Selling me a cent map that would lead me to the back gates of Area 51, I finished up my pie and coffee and backtracked up the road to take a slight detour that would eventually lead me to the back gates of Area I nervously drove down the mile dirt road that I knew would lead me to the base itself. The officers here are not known for their patience with alien-hunters and I understood that if I got too close to the gate, I would be arrested. Then, almost out of nowhere, I saw a series of small structures in the distance.
I looked at my odometer and it was almost miles from the main road, just as my copied map indicated. Then I saw it, the simple gates with the famous warnings that marked Area I took a few illegal photos, almost shaking from the flagrant rule breaking. Driving back to the main road I was oddly proud of myself. Proud for veering off the road and tracking down the mysteries of the Highway, to see what draws so many people to this sparsely populated part of the country. Only a couple of hundred cars drive this road on any given day, a tiny number when you think of it.
But you know what? That was part of the fun driving it. From the ET Jerky Shop to Area 51 itself, this is ground zero for anyone interested in life from outer space. But the highway also tells other stories, of ranchers and VERY intrepid souls who chose to eek out a life here in the middle of nowhere. Sometimes they succeeded and other times they failed, but at least they tried.
This drive has reminded me not only how massive my wonderful country is but how remarkable it is as well. In every corner are stories that may not be widely known, but which deserve discovery.
They deserve our time, attention and respect because what they have to share adds to the great and quirky fabric that is the US. Matt has a true passion for travel. As someone who has a bad case of the travel bug, Matt travels the world in order to share tips on where to go, what to see and how to experience the best the world has to offer.
Awesome write up Matt! If you do this road trip from Vegas, is there a place to get gas when you turn around and head back to Vegas?
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