It’s scorching hot and the desert stretches in all directions as far as the eye can see. I’m half expecting some tumbleweed to roll across the road; I’ve already seen wild donkeys. We’re driving along Nevada’s Extraterrestrial Highway – so called as this vast space, near the top-secret Area 51 military base, is reportedly the scene of lots of UFO sightings and unexplained activity.
We’ve just had a close encounter with Little A’Le’Inn, a popular stop-off for UFO hunters keen to share stories and keep a sharp eye on those big skies. Billed as a motel with camping and RV spaces, the tiny set-up at Rachel (population 48) on State Route 375, where an “earthlings welcome” sign is displayed and a spaceship is suspended from a crane, feels like the middle of nowhere. Inside, a blackboard features drinks specials with names such as Alien Blood and Beam Me Up Scotty, and walls are covered with memorabilia, alien-themed art and grainy photographs of mysterious lights in the sky.
Having browsed the merchandise, such as inflatable aliens and Area 51 shot glasses, we’re now huddled outside in the shade of a solitary tree where we fall into conversation with Jonathan. And Jonathan, who’s originally from Kansas, clearly knows stuff. It’s here that like-minded people while away their evenings – not on constant watch for anything unusual, he says, but open to it – and he knows their stories of strange encounters.
People only get to know as much as they can deal.