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From a distance Rachel looks like any other small desert town. A collection of house
trailers scattered across a few dozen acres of dry land with a sprinkling of green where
the residents have taken the time to plant trees and shrubs and keep them watered with
that most precious commodity in the desert.
Little suggests that behind this sleepy facade the battle of the UFO conspiracy theories
rages. The Area 51 Research Center, on the south end of town, is less than a mile from
the Little A' Le' Inn, but when it comes to UFO's, Area 51 and business in general, the
owners of these establishments are light years apart.
On the south end of town is the Area 51 Research Center. The Center was started by
Glenn Campbell, a Boston area native, in late 1993. He had moved to Rachel in 1992,
first staying at the Little A' Le' Inn, and later, in the house trailer which now houses the
Research Center. Campbell later moved to Las Vegas, leaving the management of the
store to local Rachelites, while he advertised and promoted it on his massive
UFOMIND web site. It's a friendly place, and I thoroughly enjoyed my visit. The
eclectic decor of the front yard gives an indication of what's inside. Maps, books,
satellite photos, pictures, all relating to Area 51 are everywhere. Its all available for
your perusal, and of course its all for sale, along with Area 51 caps, T-shirts, and other
souvenirs. In early 1998, Campbell closed the store for the season and moved the mail
order business to Las Vegas. But the need for a focal point for serious "Groom
Watching" was to strong, and the center reopened in April, run by local residents.
It's now operated by Don Emory, who not only minds the store, but organizes
bar-be-ques, get-togethers and other activities, plus operates a Web Site that keeps up
to date on current activity in the area. A feature of the page is a WebCam focused on
the skies over "Area 51".On the opposite end of town is the Little A' Le' Inn, owned and operated by Joe and Pat
Travis. A combination restaurant, bar, UFO museum and gift shop, it's the only place
for a meal within 50 miles. The food is good; I ate here twice. The first time I tried the
Alien Burger, actually a hamburger on a French roll, and was pleasantly surprised. The
business under other names, has been through numerous owners since it started in 1977 but the Travis's have managed to keep it going longer than anyone else. The recent
popularity of Area 51 and UFO's may have helped.
The walls of the Inn are covered with pictures of UFO's, Aliens, and Area 51. There
even are posters and photos of Bob Lazar, a Las Vegas resident who claims to have
worked for the Navy, attempting to "reverse-engineer" alien spacecraft in a super secret
facility at Papoose Lake, a dry lake bed south of Area 51. Most of the Area 51 photos
were taken by Jim Goodall and Chuck Clark from vantage points on Freedom Ridge
and Whitesides Mountain, which were open to the public until early 1995. These are
the best recent photos of the base that I've seen. Photographic prints of some are for
sale, and while not cheap, they are reasonable for actual photographs. Also for sale
are the usual T-shirts, caps and Alien/UFO/Area 51 souvenirs. If you can't visit
Rachel, it's also available on the official Little A'le'inn Website.
Just outside the Inn is the ID4 marker. It was placed here by the producers of the 1996
movie, "Independence Day" which was set in Area 51. The film was shot in Utah.
Studio executives, members of the cast and dignitaries from the state of Nevada were
among those who came to Rachel for the unveiling of the marker and ceremony naming
Highway 375 as the "Extraterrestrial Highway". The inscription on the monument is illegible in the photo because its also illegible, even with my best glasses, in person.
Such are the ravages of time.
It's hard to write about Rachel and the UFO/Area 51 phenomenon and remain serious,
but for a moment I must. After visiting the town and the surrounding area I grew to really like this place. The people are friendly and honest. Some may seem a little strange
with their ideas of UFO's, the U.S. military and New World Order politics, but they're
sincere. And unlike people in other towns made famous by alien space craft, no one
here is getting rich from the UFO phenomenon.
Area 51 is located in the Nellis Air force
Range in the southern part of Nevada. The Nellis Air force installation is a government base
that takes a large percentage of land in Nevada. The base is used for aircraft testing,
development and artillery testing. But on the northeast end of the base, people believe that
the government is doing something other than testing normal aircraft. People in the small city
or Rachel Nevada have reported sightings of UFO's.
Others argue its the governments place to test top secret aircraft
which is true, but as the people move closer to the boundary of the base, the base moves
outward scooping up all land which contains viewing points of this base. The amount of land
the government has taken is so large it can not fence it off. Instead they use green
landscaping stakes with small orange flags to mark the boundaries. Places where dirt roads
lead to the base are marked with large signs warning of entry to this base. Some citizens have
claims which have been added to the government property and are only allowed on their land
with the deed papers. The main issue is that the government is taking all actions it needs to
keep everything in this place a secret. What many people want to know is what exactly is so
important that we must keep it secret at all costs.
Area
51 Rachel Cam and Scanner
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