Thelife- I spent a day traveling the Extraterrestrial Highway, 98 miles of alien fun in the Nevada desert.
- The town of Rachel, Nevada, is the quintessential road-trip stop for alien enthusiasts.
I'm no stranger to weird road trips in my travels.
As a product of the generation that grew up on "Unsolved Mysteries" and "The X-Files," I'm also naturally predisposed to the unexplained.
So when I heard we'd be within a short drive of Nevada's Extraterrestrial Highway on a recent trip through the state, visiting was a no-brainer.
The 98 miles of Nevada's State Route 375 have been known as the Extraterrestrial Highway since an official name change by the state's tourism commission in 1996.
The road's proximity to Area 51, a top-secret government base that many believe to be home to extraterrestrial secrets, is one reason alien enthusiasts flock to the area.
Although we didn't see anything hovering above, we did encounter some other weird sights along the way.
Our first stop was E.T. Fresh Jerky in Hiko, Nevada
My husband and I started our road trip in Las Vegas.
We traveled north along US Route 93 for just under two hours until we hit Hiko, Nevada, a farming community of about 120 people outside of Crystal Springs.
Both Hiko and Crystal Springs can be found on lists of ghost towns in the area. After watching a loose cow cross the road with not much else in either direction, we could see why.
Before hitting the fork at State Route 318 and State Route 375, the official start of the Extraterrestrial Highway, we fueled up on treats at E.T. Fresh Jerky.
We knew we were there when we saw the giant saucer outside.
The decor inside was very much on theme, with life-sized aliens manning dozens of different types of jerky, spicy nuts, and dried fruit.
After acquiring some whisky-BBQ beef jerky, we ate our purchase in the car. Mid-bag, we spotted a pair of travelers that we thought were about to stock up on jerky for their own adventure.
Instead, they removed a bucket and shovel from the bed of their truck and started digging right outside the snack shop.
As they filled up their pail, we heard a large boom in the distance and decided that was more than enough intrigue so early in the drive.
We didn't engage further with the diggers or the noise, but the whole scene set the stage for an even stranger trip than we'd expected.
Next, we hit the highway's 'welcome' center
The Alien Research Center is a gift shop known for carrying alien-themed souvenirs like T-shirts, mugs, hats, and even tequila.
Unfortunately, it was closed during our trip there, so we had to settle for posing with the giant metal alien outside.
We stopped by the Black Mailbox, where visitors can leave messages for aliens
Curving past the Mount Irish Wilderness, we nearly missed our next stop, the Black Mailbox.
For many, this box marks the best way to reach any aliens that have taken the Extraterrestrial Highway for a whirl.
A peek inside the box revealed the best of Americana. If aliens landed here to retrieve their mail, they'd find we love Pop-Tarts, "Rugrats" cartoons, and Jack in the Box.
There was an actual letter inside, but reading someone's personal notes to their friends above felt invasive — especially since I didn't have any of my own treats and secrets to leave behind.
We spent time in Rachel, Nevada, which was filled with oddities
Rachel, Nevada, is the closest town to Area 51. The government officially uses the base as a flight testing facility, but many alien enthusiasts believe the base holds the country's extraterrestrial secrets.
All I know is you don't want to get anywhere near Area 51. It's manned by military personnel, and they don't offer tours.
On our way to Rachel, we passed by one of two Extraterrestrial Highway signs. The one covered in stickers is one of the most photographed stops in the area.
While in Rachel, we stopped at the Alien Cowpoke Gas & General Store, a shop that only sometimes serves gas.
The gas pumps were not working when we were there, which reminded us why travelers are advised to fill up their tanks before hitting the road.
A car out front appeared to hide a family of aliens. I didn't get too close.
The Little A'Le'Inn just up the road was more impressive.
Here, guests can sleep, eat a world-famous Alien Burger, or just pull over to check out the town's time capsule, which was given to the people of Rachel from the producers of "Independence Day" after filming there.
We had our pup in tow, so we kept our exploring to the outside. The truck parked out front looked like a survivor of some kind of abduction.
The folks we interacted with here were all tourists trying to walk the same line we were.
We weren't sure what we all believed, but if there was anywhere in the country that would be a hub for aliens, the middle of Nevada could definitely be it.
The end of our adventure came at the second Extraterrestrial Highway sign at the fork with US Route 6.
We hadn't had our fill of curiosities just yet, so we drove to Tonopah, Nevada, to check out the world-famous Clown Motel.
They call themselves the scariest motel in America, but I'll have to take their word for it. I draw the line at clowns.