The Extraterrestrial Highway Located some 120 miles north of Las Vegas, in the center of Nevada's Pioneer Territory, is State Route 375, better known as the Extraterrestrial Highway. The desolate road bisecting the state lies 320 miles south of Elko, Nevada. The lonely stretch of asphalt has quite an infamous and world reknown reputation due to the road’s proximity to a top-secret Air Force base. A military installation who's existence, that up until recent years, was official denied by the U.S. government. The base, popularly known as Area 51, is said to be home to recovered alien beings and technology. This has made the route a favorite among UFO enthusiasts. The E.T. Highway is 98 miles in length and stretches between the junction of US Highway 93 in the east across the state towards Highway 6 near Tonopah in the western part of the state. The only real amenities along this road is in the small town of Rachel. This hamlet in the desert of around 70 residents, provides some services and is an unofficial headquarters for UFO hunters and, of course, alien-related souvenirs. For the curious, the primary UFO viewing area is located near the 'black mailbox' (which is now white after a repainting) on the Extraterrestrial Highway 20 miles Southeast of Rachel. On a typical evening one might see a line of vehicles scattered along the roadside hoping to catch a glimpse of anything. Most likely what they might see would be big budget, highly classified US aircraft which are often going through their early testing rigors. Many well known technologically advanced aircraft cut their teeth in the blue Nevada sky here such as the SR-71 Blackbird spy plane and the Stealth fighter and bomber. Supposedly the base is/was the testing grounds for a super hush hush aircraft project known to the people of the state of Nevada and airplane enthusiasts only under its project code name, Aurora. This plane is reported to streak across air traffic control monitors in excess of Mach 5. In years past, the plane was becoming quite a tourist attraction. The curious would climb nearby mountain ridges to see it leave and return to the base. The Air Force, not appreciating its most secret plane taking off from its most secretive air base becoming such a spectacle, had the ridges annexed and closed to the public. When driving in these isolated portions of the state you should remember that South central Nevada is sparsely populated. Services for travelers exist but are far apart. If you do have trouble, stay with your vehicle. Roads are patrolled, and locals will almost always help a stranded motorist. There are also many restrictions since most of the area on the southwest side of U.S. 375 is owned by the Air Force. Never travel off the road toward this area at night. The uniqueness of this stretch of Nevada blacktop along with its challenging climb up and down several interior mountain ranges makes this twisty another favorite. Come on, where else in the world can you push the little roadster AND look for UFO's! return to road trip