Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Nevertheless, the road draws a steady stream of UFO seekers each year, who-
drive up to Rachel, Nevada, stopping at the
Little Al'e Inn
(located right off Hwy.
375;
%
775/729-2515; www.littlealeinn.com; daily 8am-10pm; AE, DISC, MC, V)
for an “Alien” burger (described as “out of this world”) and chat with some of the
kooky locals, only to turn around for the long drive home. Some report sightings
along the way, whether it's black things zooming through the sky, or mutilated
cows along the side of the road. (In the conspiracy world, dead cows are possibly
connected to alien abductions. In the rational world, free-range cattle regularly are
hit by cars.) All I saw on my last drive were oversized rabbits diving in front of my
bumper, seemingly bent on being removed from this alien tourist trap forever.
How to get there:
Be sure and gas up before heading out because gas stations
are few and far between. Take I-15 north to U.S. 93 North, which is exit No. 64
(it's easy to miss, especially if your eyes are on the sky), for 85 miles to Nevada
S.R. 375, heading west. After about 20 miles you'll reach the road that leads
towards Area 51—you'll know it by the white mailbox (referred to by those-in-
the-know as “the black mailbox,” because that's the color it used to be). Turn left,
and follow any of the dirt roads to the border of Area 51. To get to the most popu-
lar entrance, veer right at the fork in the road.
But before going to Area 51, I recommend going past the white mailbox
turnoff and on about 20 miles further on S.R. 375 to Rachel. Once you're in the
proper mood and have purchased the appropriate alien earrings, turn back and
look for the Little Green Men.
Tourist info:
Call the
Nevada Commission on Tourism
(
%
800/NEVADA-8).
AMARGOSA OPERA HOUSE
The town of Death Valley Junction has as many opera houses as it does residents:
exactly one. And though the closest town to the
Amargosa Opera House
(
%
760/
852-4441; www.amargosa-opera-house.com;
$
15 adults,
$
12 children 5-12; Oct
7-May 12 Sat only, doors open 7:45pm, shows start 8:15pm)
is 30 miles away, it
manages to pack the house every Saturday it's open. The show is unlike any you've
ever seen, and considering its creator and star, Marta Beckett, is 82 and growing
more feeble every season, there's no telling how much longer it will be around.
Located on the edge of Death Valley, the opera house is the culmination of a
dream of the bizarre Beckett, who arrived here by accident in 1967 and hasn't left
yet. A dancer, Beckett had been touring in California. She and her husband were
driving back east when they discovered their car had a flat tire. The closest garage
was in Amargosa, which at the time was a company town run by the Pacific Borax
Company. While the tire was being fixed, Beckett poked around the old adobe
structures and instantly fell in love with the opera house. “As I looked into that
hole, into this empty building, I had this distinct feeling I was looking into the
other half of my life,” Beckett recalls.
Though the floors and ceilings were falling apart and there were rats living in
the space, it symbolized freedom and independence. So she did it. She and her
husband abandoned their lives in New York City to move out here, at the inter-
section of nowhere and nothing.
The opera house, itself, is a work of art—and so is the hotel it's attached to.
Before she began performing, Beckett wanted to guarantee herself an audience.
She spent 4 years painting its walls to resemble the inside of a theater, with level
