Two hours north Las Vegas and 25 miles
north of Area 51
lies a quiet desert town known as Rachel. At
any given time
there are between 80 and 100 residents and a
handfull of
tourists eager to hear all about UFO's,
government
conspiracies, and the latest top secret
aircraft. While
some residents claim to have seen UFO's there
are many who
have lived there for years who say they have
never seen
anything out of the ordinary.
The people of this tiny community seem to
be very
friendly, and almost amused by the fact that
there little
town has gained world wide recogition by
playing host to
those who wish to take a peek at what lies
behind the
borders of the secret military base.
Aside from the Quik Pick gas
station/convenence store
there are only two businesses in Rachel of
interest to the
Area 51 tourist. Both of which will be
invaluble to you
should you decide to visit Area 51.
The first is The Little Al'e'inn (pictured
above) a
bar/diner/motel owned and operated by Pat and
Joe Travis.
This is as much a local town hangout as it is
a tourist
trap. A reassuring sign out front reads
"Earthling's
welcome" and upon
entering this establishment one will find a
small well lit
resturant with a fully stocked bar and a
corner designated
to fullfilling all your souveneir needs. The
walls are
covered with all sorts of extra-terrestrial
related items
ranging from UFO photos to artistic
renditions of aliens.
This place is lots of fun, even for those
not interested
in UFO's. Aside from its commercial facade
this place has a
really pleasant "down home" feel to it
(although there
always seems to be one drunk local or another
at the bar
pestering visitors) The food is great,
and reasonably priced (try an Alien Burger if
you get a
chance.) The motel rooms are actually mobile
homes that
have been sectioned off into 2-3 rooms that
share a common
bathroom.
Its not uncommon to be greeted by friendly
Rachel locals
when you enter the Little Al'e'inn, don't be
surprised if
the first question you are asked is "So, out
here lookin
for UFO's?" Joe Travis seems willing to
openly share his
"experiences" as do many of the patrons. This
is a great
place to hear and trade stories, as well as
get a feel for
the area.
The Little AL'e'inn is as much a part of
the Area 51
experience as the base itself. Pat and Joe
Travis are both
good down to earth people, and you will no
doubt enjoy the
time you spend there.
The second place you will want to visit in
Rachel is The
Area 51 Research Center was founded by Glen
Campbell (aka
Psyhcospy.) although I understand he has now
sold it. Campbell is perhaps best known for
discovering
"Freedom Ridge" a hilltop on public land
where Area 51 was
clearly visible. Freedom Ridge along with
another view
point White Sides Mountian were seized by the
government
for "National Security Reasons." Campbell is
also author of
"The Area 51 Viewers Guide" a spiral bound
book highly
recommended for anyone heading to the base.
Campbell is
also webmaster to one of, if not the
biggest, UFO
data base
on the web www.ufomind.com.
The Research center is the place to go if
you want the
hard facts about the base. You won't find a
whole lot of
abduction stories or one world government
theories here,
but this is the best place in Rachel to get
solid, reliable
information about anything from the borders
to the security
forces.
As an alterative to Rachel there is another town located south of Area 51 called Alamo. Alamo is much bigger than Rachel, although it is by no means a large town. It does however contain a convenience store, a couple of places to eat (including a great Tex-Mex place!) and two motels, both of which are more comfortable than the rooms at the Al'e'inn. I recommend the Meadow Lane Inn (which is where I usually stay) You can reach them at (702) 725-3371. On the down side Alamo is slightly farther from the black mail box and it is 50 miles from Rachel. On the plus side, it is only a few miles from the road to Tikaboo Peak.
