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Courtesy of Travel Nevada
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Courtesy of Travel Nevada
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Courtesy of Travel Nevada
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Courtesy of Travel Nevada
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Courtesy of Travel Nevada
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Courtesy of Travel Nevada
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Courtesy of Travel Nevada
By Kirk Williams, photos courtesy of Travel Nevada
It’s the ultimate David vs Goliath story. Armed with little more than true grit and a desire to take back their planet, the good people of Earth muster up their strength, ingenuity and bravery to battle a technically superior extraterrestrial enemy. The 1996 Academy Award-winning movie Independence Day was a blockbuster, and the Nevada desert had a starring role.
There’s a good reason for that. This east-west stretch of Nevada State Route 375, officially known as the Extraterrestrial Highway, has a rich history full of yarns, mysteries and – depending who you talk to – truths, about sightings and encounters of the alien kind.
Physically, the area is a sharp contrast to the hustle and bustle of Las Vegas, a two and a half hour drive away. It’s quiet, it’s desolate, and if you want to get away from it all, this is the place.
As you reach the junction of the Extraterrestrial Highway and US Route 93, there’s an immediate sign you’re entering an otherworldly existence. Stop at the E.T. Fresh Jerky to take a selfie in front of a massive mural, complete with green men dressed in western garb and a spaceship.
Still on the hunt for a photo op? Stop at the Alien Research Centre to see a large metal alien standing guard outside the building.
From here, it’s a wide-open drive to the epicentre of the ET Highway, the small town of Rachel, Nevada. Don’t worry about traffic, you won’t see more than a couple hundred vehicles along this route the entire day. Do watch for cows, though, there are a lot of them.
While you’re enjoying the solitude, take some time to reflect on how this section of highway got its name. ‘Extraterrestrial Highway’ is actually copyrighted by the State of Nevada. Essentially, it created a brand for all the stories about UFO sightings, and strange goings-on, that have been swirling around these parts for decades. Like all great stories handed down through the years, there’s a healthy mix of mystery, conspiracy, half-truths, and maybe a fact, or two. Believers and non-believers can take their pick.
Near Rachel, lies a remote off-shoot of the Edwards Air Force Base in California, commonly known as ‘Area 51’. What goes on here is top-secret. The CIA only officially acknowledged the existence of Area 51 in 2013, when it admitted it was the testing ground for the U-2 spy plane. The report’s details can be found at the National Security Archive at George Washington University.
As for the UFO connection, one explanation is when the U-2 planes first came out in the 1950’s, they flew above 19,800 m (65,000 ft ) , much higher than most people thought possible. Seeing strange aircraft high in the sky, led many to conclude they were alien spaceships.
In the 1970’s, there came a huge interest in all things UFO, after people started looking into the 1947 crash of a US military spy balloon in Roswell, New Mexico. References to a flying disc led many to believe it was the crash site of an alien spacecraft, and conspiracy theories pointed to a massive government cover-up.
Rachel is a relatively new community that got its start in mining, but when the mine closed it became the UFO Capital of the World. Its proximity to a top-secret military base, complete with signs saying “use of deadly force authorized”, and a history of strange sightings, all help to keep the alien legend alive and fuel the imaginations of ufologists everywhere. It’s been featured in The X-Files, and of course, Independence Day. The film donated a time capsule to the community in recognition.
The main attraction is the Little A'Le'Inn, owned by Pat Travis and her daughter Connie. They offer free boondocking, as well as several rooms for overnight guests. Best to book ahead. The store offers everything from alien cookie jars to t-shirts.
Still on the alien theme, the entire ET Highway is a geocaching zone. Long before Pokémon Go, there was geocaching. Think of it as a giant, global treasure hunt, where you use an app on your phone to find geocaches (small containers), where you leave your name and post your find online. Make sure you dress appropriately for whatever the desert can throw at you (heat AND cold), and take plenty of water before you head off the highway.
At the end of the day, the best thing about the Extraterrestrial Highway are the nights. Since there is no light pollution, and you are in what seems the middle of nowhere, the conditions for stargazing are perfect. Look up into the vast cosmos. Is there life out there? Why not? The ET Highway may just make a believer out of you.
If you go:
Make sure you gas up in Alamo to the east, or Tonopah to the west. There are no gas stations in between.
RV sites:
- Picketts RV Park, 115 Broadway St., Alamo, NV 89001 - http://pickettsrvpark.com/
- Tonopah RV, 1160 US-95, Tonopah, NV 89049 - http://tonopahrv.com/TonopahRV/Home.html