Updated: April 2020
We have been taking short weekend road trips, (with our dog Harvey) as much as possible. Starting from Southern California where we currently reside, to anywhere we can reach and be back within three to four days. One trip was to the world-famous and formerly non-existent “Area 51”.
Both of us are avid believers in life beyond our planet. With all the secrets that surround the mysterious complex, from UFO reports to having actual Aliens on base, we decided this was the trip for the weekend.
What Is Area 51?
The land was acquired in 1955 by the USAF as a test site and training range and is officially known as Homey Airport or Groom Lake. (During the 1950s and 90s, nuclear weapons were tested here). The salt flats of the lake bed make an excellent area for testing aircraft.
The whole zone comprises of 2.9 million acres of land. Dreamland or Paradise Ranch, as it has also been referred to, can now be seen on satellite images. It shows runways over 2-miles long.
Due to the secrecy of the base, the 23 by 25 miles of restricted air space, has become a hotspot for UFO enthusiasts and government conspiracy theorists.
Rumour has it that over 1,500 people work at this secret location, and are flown in by private aircraft or bused in from some of the surrounding towns.
No one seems to know where the name “Area 51” originated. However, the CIA supposedly used the term in a document during the Vietnam War and officially acknowledged the existence of the classified area in August 2013. Some reports say that the CIA now claim the name comes from its map designation.
Dozens of movies and television series have used Area 51 in their storylines, compounding the existence of Aliens, thus generating more hype.
Getting to Area 51
Now the base may be for experimental aircraft and testing terrestrial devices before they go into mass production. That’s possibly what the strict security is all about. Perhaps, the former is the case. We don’t know what it’s really for and neither does anyone else we know. With it being relatively close by, we knew we had to go because I mean, it is Area 51!
Our trip began in the early hours to beat the heat and morning rush hour. Heading North on Interstate 15 to Las Vegas and continuing onto Highway 93 North, a scenic byway that connects to the 375 or “The Extraterrestrial Highway”.
Setting the cruise control to 55, we began soaking in the beautiful desert landscape. Letting our minds create all kinds of fantastic ideas about who’s travelled along these same paths years before. Native American petroglyphs yet to be discovered in the rocky outcrops, amongst other secrets which lay concealed in this desolate land.
We like to imagine that there are ghost towns in perfect preservation, waiting for someone to stumble upon them. Then, put the pieces together of the people who lived there and when and why they left. And, of course, there’s our favourite, Buried Treasure!
There is something unbelievably striking and haunting about the desert. If you live, have visited or even travelled through any of the southwestern states, (Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico and Southern Nevada for example), you have, without a doubt, experienced the raw unbridled and tantalising elegance of Nature’s extreme ingenuity. If, for some reason, you have not had this adventure yet, let me tell you it is something that will stay with you forever.
Alien Research Centre
At the junction of the 93/375, we took a few photos of an Alien mural and the Extraterrestrial Highway sign before making a stop at the “Alien Research Center.”
A 35-feet-high, silver Alien statue stands firm at the doorway of a silver Quonset hut. Several other corrugated metal warehouse-type buildings were adjacent to the road. Paintings of Extraterrestrial Beings adorned the exterior.
The name implies much more than is the case. It’s just a novelty gift shop. Nevertheless, we did spend some time mooching around, and bought a great glow in the dark Alien t-shirt!
We found out later that the two-story Alien’s name was Fred!
Next stop was to be Area 51 itself. We had read that we needed to take a dirt road between mile markers 29 and 30. We rounded the last corner separating the hillsides; a very long arrow-straight, unpaved road veered off to the left of the 375. It cut through the flat desert only to disappear behind the distant ridges. Was that the road? We were unsure. We decided to give it a try, but after two miles we turned around.
Returning to Hwy 375, we drove to the site of the infamous “Black Mailbox”.
The Black Mailbox
Back in 1973, cattle rancher Steve Medlin and his wife Glenda bought 900-square-miles of land in Tikaboo Valley. A black mailbox placed along the desolate highway of 375 was for their mail.
In 1989, a gentleman named Robert Lazar appeared on TV. He claimed he had worked as an engineer and scientist in Alien Technology at an Air Force base located near Medlin’s ranch.
Lazar also declared that a crashed Alien spaceship had been recovered from the desert. Whether or not this is the famous crashed “UFO” retrieved from Roswell, New Mexico in 1947 is unknown. However,
conspiracies grew subsequently triggering a UFO mania.
UFO hunters and enthusiasts flocked to the area. Because the location is so remote, the black mailbox became the main landmark and meeting point.
People began filling Medlin’s mailbox with letters to Aliens. The madness continued. Someone even shot up the box, before it went missing.
Medlin decided to put a new white bulletproof mailbox at the location. He also added a second box for “Alien” mail.
Over time, these too were vandalised and eventually stollen. Very little now remains at the site of the “Black Mailbox”, but it continues to be an important landmark for Area 51 visitors and UFO enthusiasts.
People camp here. Some say they have seen flying saucers, while others abducted and experimented on before being returned to Earth! Most just party.
Mysterious White SUV’S
We met a couple who had taken a different road to find the back entrance to Area 51 and told us that a white SUV driving at high speed had chased them.
They were a little scared to go back but agreed to follow us. There is strength in numbers! Plus if we were in a car chase with a white SUV what a story that would be!
As it turned out, we ended up intersecting the dirt road we had initially started on, (so it had been the correct one) and followed it. At this point, the tension was beginning to fill the van, as at any moment, the possibility of security barreling down on us was becoming more probable. Especially if we were on a road we shouldn’t be on!
The Not So Secret Entrance
We drove for what seemed like miles until finally, the route came to a small wash. Up the other side, a slight curve to the right and there it was! One of the most talked-about entrances was directly in front of us.
You would think that there would be a high metal fence, with barbed wire. Maybe even electrified for somewhere that is top-secret. All there is are a few signs. But don’t let that fool you.
We saw a white SUV security vehicle perched high on the hill where it always is on TV and a large “No Trespassing” sign. Cameras and sensors are erected on high poles along the road and appear spasmodically in the hills.
The “Photography is Strictly Prohibited” sign, beckoning us to pull out our phones and snap away, which we did! All the time, knowing security had a watchful eye and was listening to everything we were saying.
Some say that there are sensors embedded along the road and that security knows even when a tortoise or other desert creatures cross into this restricted area.
Do’s and Don’ts
At this point, we must remind you that this is an active, high-security military base. So please be sensible. Respect the signage (apart from the photos) and stay on this side of the entrance. PLEASE NOTE. Security will turn a blind eye to photographing the gate. BUT, any attempt to use a telephoto lens to capture a security guard is a big NO-NO!
Welcome Earthlings to Rachel, Nevada
We bid farewell to the couple and headed back along the dirt road towards the 375 and onto our next stop of Rachel.
One of the biggest draws to Rachel is the little “A’Le’ Inn” cafe where “Earthlings” are welcome too. We pulled up for photos of the tow truck hoisting up a UFO.
Another lure to this town is an additional entrance to Area 51, and that’s pretty much it. We hadn’t researched how to find the second entrance, and of course, it’s not advertised, so we didn’t go to that site. Although I am sure if we had asked someone in the café, they would have been happy to point us in the right direction.
The Town of Rachel
Rachel is a relatively new town, being founded in 1973 by an alfalfa farmer named D. C. Day. The population grew with the opening of the Tungsten mine in the nearby Tempiute Mountain. Being called Tempitue Village, then Sand Springs, the town was finally named “Rachel” after the firstborn child.
Unfortunately, the mine was short-lived and closed in 1988. Most of the 500-plus residence moved away, leaving a handful of people. Over the next few decades, the few remaining businesses also closed, leaving just one bar and restaurant – the little “A’Le’ Inn.”
Since 1989, when Bob Lazer made his television debut, the number of UFO sightings has skyrocketed. With the increased talk and speculation about Area 51, people from all over the world come to Rachel. The little “A’Le’ Inn” is the only place in town to grab a cold drink or some grub.
And you can’t call Rachel a ghost town either, because it has never had a post office.
Fun Fact: A ghost town is depicted by whether there had been a post office which subsequently closed. Which is why you often get places called “living ghost towns” like Darwin in Death Valley, or Oatman along Route 66. Residents remain, but the post offices have been shut down.
Continuing Our Road Trip
We were running low on gas, so we headed towards our next destination. We continuously scan the horizons, letting our minds wander down the rabbit hole of strange and exotic trails. There is so much more out there.
That is one thing I find fun on road trips, whether I’m the driver or passenger. Gazing out and imagining all the history that has taken place on these very grounds. What it would be like to travel back in time and see how much it has changed. Maybe even journey into the future and see what might become of the entire area.
Continuing our road trip, we headed to Highway 95 and some of Nevada’s ghost towns.
Our Takeaway Of Area 51
It was amusing being able to go to one of the entrances of this top-secret government area. We made up scenarios about what we would find and if we would see anything of Alien origin. That was part of the fun of it.
Our personal opinion is that there is life on other planets. We feel that it is incredibly ignorant to believe otherwise, seeing as there are quadrillions of planets in the Universe.
Q. – Have we been visited by “Aliens”?
A. – Maybe. Throughout the millennia, there have been documentations about “Star Beings”.
Q. – If this is the case, then should the Government tell us?
A. – Well, let us ask you this. Are you ready to know if “Aliens” walk this Earth? If you found out that “we are not alone”, what would you do? Go out and stock up on toilet paper!
We, as humans, tend to destroy and kill. Look at what we have done and are still doing to our beautiful planet. We can’t even get along with our neighbours. We discriminate against colour and gender. If the world’s population panics in the event of a virus, then what would we do if we discovered Aliens? I don’t think there would be enough hand sanitizer!
For us, Area 51 was a Fun experience. And both of us agree that next time we are in the vicinity, we will seek out the back entrance.
WARNING:
- This is the Desert people. It gets HOT. Surface of the sun hot! We strongly recommend that if you are travelling with a dog, then NEVER leave them in the car unattended and keep the air conditioning on. Cracking down the windows IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. (Temperatures exceed 110ºf outside. In your vehicle it can get to over 160ºf in a very short time).
- Check the ground temperature with your hand, if it’s too hot for you, it’s too hot for them. You try wearing a fur coat and going barefoot in 80 plus degree heat!
- You drink lots of water when it’s hot right? Well So Should Your Dog! Be Responsible.
area 51 – In A Nutshell
- Officially not open
- Off-Highway 375 (Extraterrestrial Highway) – turn at The Black Mailbox continue until you reach a T junction, then turn right.
- Dirt Road – 2 wheel drive is OK in dry weather
- No cell service (you may be able to pick up a few bars in the small town of Rachel)
- No service stations – fill up your tank before attempting this trip. The nearest petrol/gas stations are 110 miles north in Tonopah or 50 miles south in Ash Springs
Please Note:
- NO telephoto lens photography
- DO NOT take photos of security guard’s faces
- ABSOLUTELY NO flying of drones
- DO NOT attempt to cross the security line
- NO firearms
- RESPECT ALL SIGNAGE
By following the rules, we can preserve this fantastic opportunity for future adventure seekers.
Location Map – area 51
We apologise for the quality of these photos. They were taken using a cheap cell phone.
- For more mysterious places, click the link below.
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