Sunday, November 23, 2008

Trip Report 11-22-08


Area 51 and Eastern Nevada

The wife and I decided to head out to Caliente this past Saturday. Caliente is located in Eastern Nevada and is one of the most beautiful towns we have seen. It is in the mountains that run along the Eastern part of Nevada near Utah. It is approximately 2hrs from Las Vegas. Without a doubt, a stop at Groom Lake Road, the "black mailbox", and an alien burger are a must. We left Las Vegas around 10am and headed for Alamo. Once in Alamo, we drove to the Sheriff's substation to see what vehicles were parked there. The government "White Bus" was there along with two government pickups. All three vehicles were covered with that wonderful Groom Lake Road dust! We stopped at the Chevron for a few snacks and a restroom break before heading out to Groom Lake Road. We stopped at the entrance of Groom Lake Road to take a few pictures. We wanted a few shots to use for our Christmas card this year, but they did not turn out very good. The lighting and setting were not correct, so we will have to go out again before Christmas. After the photos, we went to Rachel for an Alien Burger. The burgers were great! The owners are always so nice. They invited us for Thanksgiving dinner. If we weren't going to see our family in California, I would love to go to the Little A Le Inn for dinner. The next stop was beautiful Caliente. We drove past Caliente to visit Panaca, and then Pinoche. Both towns are so beautiful. The mining history in Pinoche is incredible. We took a photo of the Lincoln County Court House. I hope I never miss a border marker and end up in that place! On the way home we drove back to Caliente and looked at houses that were for sale. There really looked like a few good deals in Caliente. We at Pioneer Pizza and then headed back to Las Vegas. It was a full day, but it was fun and the gas prices are finally low enough to make it worth while.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Who is watching who?


No matter how many times I go to the border of the restricted area on Groom Lake Road I always get the same feeling. It is a feeling of "high anxiety". I know I am on public land, but the warning signs clearly say that it is illegal to photograph the signs and any property past the signs. The sight of the "Cammo Dudes" just sitting there watching is enough to get the blood pressure pumping. I know they are just there to keep people out and detain people that cross that line, but I always get nervous near them. What a feeling!