The Mystery of the "Extraterrestrial Highway"

Want to see aliens? If so, this highway is a must-see! Deep in the Nevada desert, a lonely stretch of highway runs from State Route 318, famous for the ghost town of Crystal Springs, to US Route 6 (Warm Springs). It’s called Nevada State Route 375 – the “Extraterrestrial Highway” – because of the countless UFO sightings that have been reported along the route.

Nevada State Route 375 runs alongside the vast Nellis Air Force Base, home to the Nevada Test Site - Nellis Air Force Base, where many of America’s top-secret missiles, planes, and weapons have been tested since the 1950s. Even today, as you drive along America’s “Extraterrestrial Highway,” you can occasionally hear booms the size of F-18 fighter jets as they take off.

Route 375’s “alien” notoriety comes from the mystery of a facility known as Area 51 – a highly classified military installation of the United States Air Force – located inside this Nevada test site. The area’s official name is Homey Airfield or Groom Lake, after the large salt lake that sits there.

This area, hundreds of square kilometers in size, was used primarily for test flights of the Lockheed U-2 and a number of other projects that followed. But its fame does not lie there, but revolves around the topic of conspiracy theories related to flying saucers, alien landings and UFO incidents.

There are many “conspiracy theories” that have been put forward by interested parties surrounding Nevada State Route 375. In the mid-1950s, military aircraft flew below 40,000 feet, but when the Lockheed U-2 began flying above 60,000 feet, an unwanted “side effect” was an increase in UFO sightings. Typically, those who have seen it say that the phenomenon occurs most frequently in the early evening, when pilots are flying west, the U-2’s silver wings reflect the setting sun, giving the aircraft a shimmering appearance. Similarly, projects such as OXCART (a reconnaissance aircraft known as the A-12) and NERVA (a nuclear thermal rocket engine) at Area 51 have inadvertently led to many people believing they have seen UFOs and have fueled other rumors.

In 1989, an engineer named Bob Lazar added fuel to the UFO conspiracy theory by claiming on national television that he had worked on an alien spacecraft inside Area 51. As soon as his claim was made public, a flood of curious people flocked to the area hoping to see a real UFO. Since then, the area has attracted many curious and adventurous people who want to explore its supernatural "secrets".

Seeing the tourism opportunity here, US officials announced that Nevada State Route 375 would be named the “Extraterrestrial Highway” in February 1996. The small town of Rachel, the only settlement on this route, suddenly became a tourist attraction.

A public ceremony honoring the Extraterrestrial Highway was held, attended by Twentieth Century Fox executives and top stars of the then-filmed film “Independence Day.”

Since then, restaurants, hotels, and billboards have all adopted an “extraterrestrial” feel to attract tourists. Businesses in Rachel have flourished around the alien theme, with motels named “The Little A Le Inn” (pronounced a bit like Alien) serving alien burgers. The Little A Le Inn restaurant is so popular that it has appeared in many “alien” movies such as: The X-Files, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

Pat, the owner of Little A'Le'Inn, has lived in Rachel for all of her 63 years. She has always maintained that Area 51 has alien-related experiments and has also said that she has seen UFOs. "I actually saw a flying saucer about 15 years ago. The flying saucer moved very strangely at high speed. I think we live and work with aliens here every day. It's hard to prove it, but I feel it clearly," she asserted.

On the west side of Area 51 there is also Geocaching - an outdoor adventure game to hunt for treasure, this place also attracts many tourists because there are more than 2000 hidden treasures located on the highway and is an extremely interesting experience for tourists.

In addition, there are other "weird" tourist attractions such as: Alien Research Center, Space Man Statue and Black Mailbox.

My Tong