Next on the agenda, after the Seven Magic Mountains, was Nevada State Route 375… or as it’s more commonly known “the Extraterrestrial Highway.” Area 51, the top secret government base, as well as lots of reports of alien activity, prompted the state to officially designate the route the Extraterrestrial Highway back in 1996.
Visiting this area has been on my bucket list for quite some time now. I went through a huge alien obsessed phase in middle school, and definitely still believe they’re out there. The moment I realized that sign that said “Extraterrestrial Highway” was real, I knew I had to see it myself. I love it even more covered in stickers. Although if stickers aren’t your thing there is a second sign, coming from the other direction, that doesn’t have quite as many. This sign alone was what prompted me to look more into this area and add it to our map. I know, it’s kind of silly. It’s just a sign but it’s the little things that make me the happiest.
Though sadly we saw no real aliens, there were lots of wonderful photo opportunities of ridiculous alien related things…
To be honest, the Extraterrestrial Highway isn’t all that exciting. The scenery is gorgeous but it’s a bit repetitive after a while. There are a few really great signs, as shown in the photos above, and I could never say a bad thing about a giant metal alien but if signs and aliens don’t do it for ya, this is easily a section of Nevada you could skip right over. Despite the fact this area draws in tourists, it was a beautifully lonely stretch. There were free range cows all along the highway which I thought was equal parts nerve-wracking and exciting. Let me get close but please don’t run out in front of the car! While Jeff tried to snooze in the passenger seat, I was hitting the brakes every five minutes to take photos of cows.
Last year I got to cross off Roswell, and this year I finally got to check out this strange area. Maybe next year I’ll get to see a UFO? Fingers crossed!
xoxo
