Rachel

History of Rachel, Nevada

Rachel, Nevada—originally named Tempiute Village and, later, Sand Springs—was first developed by an alfalfa farmer in the 1970s. After agriculture, other settlers were drawn to the community to work at a mine opening nearby, swelling the population to a whopping few hundred. Within a few short years, the first baby to be born in town came along—Rachel—and the town was renamed a third time in her honor. By 1980, the mine shut down, and the town shrank precipitously.

In the 1990s, decades of rumors about UFO sightings within the close proximity of mysteriously secretive Area 51 (which the government now admits does exist) finally reached the mainstream, prompting the publication of countless books and on-screen references, and even drawing in reporters like Larry King to suss out people’s experiences. 

In 1996, Twentieth Century Fox jumped on the bandwagon, filming parts of the blockbuster alien invasion flick Independence Day in Rachel. (Look for the time capsule-housing ID4 monument in front of the Little A’Le’Inn.) Then some pretty clever folks (ahem, we) seized the moment and somehow convinced the Nevada DOT to embrace the hype and officially name the stretch of highway between Alamo and Tonopah the “Extraterrestrial Highway,” securing—and publicizing—Rachel’s title as the UFO Capital of the World forever.

The Little A’Le’Inn—Rachel, Nevada’s Hotel & Café

“EARTHLINGS WELCOME.” Naturally, the joint closest to Area 51 is alien-themed—in every possible way. Originally opened in 1989 as Joe and Pat’s Bar and Grill, Rachel’s—and the entire Extraterrestrial Highway’s—sole restaurant and motel became the Little A’Le’Inn in 1991, as a gesture to the number of UFO hunters who were increasingly spending their time there. 

Today, the iconic Little A’Le’Inn serves up out-of-this-world-famous Alien Burgers (don’t worry, it’s Earth beef…we think), Alien Amber Ales (brewed, appropriately, in Roswell, NM), galaxy wraps, and a classic mom-and-pop menu offering breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 

If you are looking to make a night of it, you can space out in one of several funky, multi-room “units” (AKA spiffed-up portables; rent a whole unit if you want your own bathroom). This very affordable Nevada Uncommon Overnighter gives you access to a free, mostly-VHS library—stocked, both overwhelmingly and fittingly, with alien invasion flicks—and permission to roam the grounds under dark skies full of stars…and maybe a few other things.