Traveling advice, rachel NV.

Ok, so...this post is probably not in the right forum section but i do not know were to put it so i´ll have go anyway. Mod, please move to the correct section if i´m waaay off track.

Going to rachel NV next week. I am a photographer and i´m looking into various options as far as making a story on the "UFO folklore" topic. Figured Rachel would be good starting point for a pilgrimage for doing research. I am familiar with all the stories both on ATS as well as elsewere on the web. However, i would like to do the trip LV/Rachel/Tonopah and then back to vegas but, can i get gas anywere along that route or do i need to carry spare jugs in the trunk? Is there any particular location i might bump into fellow human beeings interested in the topic other than in rachel?

This is more like a thread asking for traveling advice as well as trying to understand were a fellow human interested in the topic spend his time out there.

Thank you!

Oh you lucky ducky, going to Rachel I would love to be able to do a trip out there.

I cant offer any advice but have a great trip, hopefully you will get some good pictures.



Don't go getting yourself abducted now lol

i haven't been to rachel yet i did work in tonopah i would suggest you fill up there and you might need some gas cans depending on the gas mileage your rig gets and how far out in the middle of you plan to go and then again you might not even need to bring the extra gas but it would be better to be safe than stuck in the middle of nowhere.

a reply to: tomra

I've done that loop many times. The longest stretch between gas stations is Tonopah -> Ash Springs/Alamo, about 150 miles. Wouldn't hurt to fill/top up in Ash Springs, Tonopah, Beatty. Check out the candy store in Beatty when you fill up. Clown Motel in Tonopah. There is so much to see along the loop, don't know where to start to recommend what to check out. Watch for drones at Creech AFB. Mercury, entrance to the A-bomb test site. Tonopah Test Range. So much to see....

EDITED TO ADD:. Warm Springs (take a dip if you dare), Base Camp. Frankly, I have only been to the A'Le'Inn once, overpriced crap for sale you can get off eBay for way less.

If you aren't camping out around the ET Highway, Foster's advice is right on. Just get gas when you can get it.

It gets tricky when you camp out around the range for a week or more. You drive around from the Cedar Hate to front gate or Roadblock Canyon and a few times you find yourself low on gas.

I carry a five gallon gas can. If you can find one, get a California CARB rated can. You will have no fumes in the cabin.

If you are driving off road on street tires, flats are a possibility. Hey, flats see a possibility with real offroad tires.

Tmobile service works from about 20 miles east of Tonopah to Tonopah then all along route 95 to Vegas. There is no TMobile service along route 93, 375, and most of 6 except as I stated about 20 miles east of Tonopah.

AT$T covers everything TMobile plus all of route 93 up to the turn onto 375.

Verizon has a tower in Rachel.

There is wifi in the Little Alien. Get some terrible coffee there and get the password.

I usually don't get gas in Ash Springs. It is a little cheaper on Alamo, plus you get free coffee with a fill up. Ash Springs sells 85 octane. I draw line at 87. Ash Springs had 87 as well, but costs more than in Alamo.

a reply to: gariac

I have never seen the gas cheaper in Alamo than at Ash Springs. Must be my timing. Plus, Alamo is a "dry" town, so you can't get a nice cold one there either.

Like gariac said, unless you are doing more than visiting the Groom Lake Road gate and/or the Rachel gate, you shouldn't need spare gas. Check your spare, make sure it isn't flat. GLR and Rachel gate road are pretty safe, I wouldn't be doing any other "offroading" unless you are setup for it.

EDITED TO ADD: if the weather is clear, you might want to consider "car camping" - couple of cheap sleeping bags and pillows, couple of lawn chairs, plenty of snacks and beverages. Don't forget wipes for natures call.... the night sky there is not to be missed, the stars are amazing. And who knows, you might see something in the air. I wouldn't recommend camping near the gate(s) unless you want the camo dudes spotlighting you all night. The Hidden Campsite or Coyote Summit turnout is where I would recommend. Or the Gravel Pile.

a reply to: FosterVS

For the same octane (87), the Sinclair station is generally cheaper. But I'm there for the free coffee.

Now to get alcohol in Alamo, you go to the Sunset View motel on the south side of town. Legal? Who knows. I stayed their once last year when everything else was sold out and was surprised by the room of booze.

I only break out the tent for Tikaboo. Otherwise I just car camp.

a reply to: FosterVS

Spot on mate! When we camped out there it was off the
main gravel road, just before the guard shack & close to
the warning signs. We got to observe the Janet Bus drive
right by leaving from work, we were under surveillance
the whole time, had our evening Black Hawk fly by & we
took pictures, he even turned around right there & flew
back across for better pictures, & yes the flashes all night.

We made a fire using the dead palm bunches on the ground
& we knew to stay put & not wonder around. They did not
bother us. We slept in sleeping bags by the fire. The desert
get extremely cold at night in the winter. We then had our
rise & shine Black Hawk fly over...then mid morning we
packed up & went to Rachael for breakfast before heading home.

We had a blast & I should have visited more often since I lived
in Los Angeles. I hope you have a great time! We never had to
worry about gas.

tomra
Do take warnings seriously & don't wonder as there is NO
fence & you could cross the line & then you will be in Hell.

Cheers
Ektar

Thank you so much for all friendly and useful advice. I will stay on the main road. No overnights and no wandering around. I only have this one day. The shots i´m initially looking for are the type you usually see along the ET highway, mailboxes, rachel, tonopah. Obviously with my own personal touch and preferably with some form of human element as this is about the people who seek these places more than what is actually going on there.

Actually, the cell phone coverage is another concern of mine. I travel from abroad and although my carrier should work most places in the US i´m not sure about the more rural places. Do AT&T sell prepaid sim cards?

I will probably fill up the tank at every opportunity. Thanks for the tip on the California CARB rated jug. Will probably get one as i like to be prepared.

Heading to the airport in a couple of hours. Looking forward to see nevada in general, thanks again!

a reply to: tomra

I assume you have a GSM phone. A sim from Cricket would get you AT$T. Not as good but far easier to find is a Straight Talk simcard. The sell them at Walmart. The problem is there are Straight Talk simcards for both AT$T and T-mobile, so you need to get the right card. Very close to the airport is Fry's Electronics. They sell simcards as well. Cricket is a better deal if you want data as well as voice.

All this said, you will lose AT$T coverage as you turn to get to the ET Highway. Basically the phone won't work where you are likely to get into trouble. I assume while you only have one day to spend around the range, you will be in the US more than one day, so the AT$T service isn't a waste.

The black mailbox, which has been white for years, was abducted by aliens.

If you only have one day, you won't run out of gas. Don't bother with a gas can that you can't take home. (Of course, people do hide stuff in the desert for a return trip.)

You won't have time to do the whole loop around the range. Driving from Vegas to Tonopah takes forever. Just stick to route 93 and the ET Highway. Do the front gate first, then back gate, the Cedar Gate. Cedar gate is tricky since you have to watch for the border signs. The gate itself is well beyond the border. The only good news is no nobody gets arrested for driving up to the Cedar Gate. I watched a few tourists do this. The only border you cross by accident would be the front gate.

There is a coin operated car wash in Alamo. It is a good idea to hose off the rental car so as to not attract attention to the fact you have been driving it on dirt roads.

originally posted by: tomra
Thank you so much for all friendly and useful advice. I will stay on the main road. No overnights and no wandering around. I only have this one day. The shots i´m initially looking for are the type you usually see along the ET highway, mailboxes, rachel, tonopah. Obviously with my own personal touch and preferably with some form of human element as this is about the people who seek these places more than what is actually going on there.

Actually, the cell phone coverage is another concern of mine. I travel from abroad and although my carrier should work most places in the US i´m not sure about the more rural places. Do AT&T sell prepaid sim cards?

I will probably fill up the tank at every opportunity. Thanks for the tip on the California CARB rated jug. Will probably get one as i like to be prepared.

Heading to the airport in a couple of hours. Looking forward to see nevada in general, thanks again!

The loop is 470 miles. With stops for photo op's, you are looking at one very long day.

I am from Canada, and I lose roaming cell service not far from Alamo, then no service until almost Tonopah. Didn't know you could swap out SIM cards to get service from a different carrier, makes sense.

a reply to: FosterVS

Ah, I forgot to mention one deal about the simcard swap. The phone needs to be unlocked. If you bought the phone without subsidy, it is probably unlocked. If you bought the phone with subsidy but are out of contract, you can request the unlock code from the carrier. For those in the US on Tmobile, if you have a sufficient credit score or have been a customer of sufficient period, TMobile will unlock your phone.

Depending on your definition of money to burn, you can get a burner smart phone for about $100. Even less if you just want voice. Note that some of these cheap simcards do not allow tethering or hot spots.

Back to route 95, driving to Creech is maybe 45 minutes from Vegas. So you could do some of the 95 trip.

The NTS isn't that much further, but you can't see much from the road anyway. Past the NTS, there isn't much Nellis related until you hit Tonopah, and that is a long drive.

This thread is bringing back memories.

Made the trip out while on a visit to Las Vegas from the UK. As someone who has long been fascinated by A51 it doesn't disappoint.

Whatever you believe; the mythology behind it is so deep that it is such a buzz to see the landmarks made famous by countless documentaries. The Ale Inn, the cammo dudes, even the Janet flights taking off from Vegas.

We made a day of it - filled up leaving LV and again at the Sinclair in Alamo. (As a Brit this was US candy heaven, Hot Tamales and Ranch Pringles are so hard to find in the UK.. .)

Drove to Rachel first, did the Inn and chatted to the locals for the stories then we went to the Back & front gates. The roads are patchy in places so go steady and yes, pack a spare.

By the time we did all that dusk had started to fall. We pulled over at the top of Groom Lake Road and watched the sun set.

Wow.

I envy you for getting to see that sky again. Stunning. It's a day you'll never forget.

Back home again. Thought i just post a small update since i started the thread. Spent a couple of days in LA and quickly figured out that getting around in the US takes far more time than what the GPS/maps estimates so we drove to rachel and headed back to vegas again. I got some photography done but more important for myself is that i learned a ton about logistics for my next trip. Beautiful country, really! So quiet. Phone coverage went away soon after heading down the ET hwy. Honestly, i did not risk going down gravel roads. The car was brand new and too beautiful and i just did not want to get into trouble. Still made my day and my focus point is not the base itself anyway. Going back for sure!

Oh, driving in LA is pure madness. Seriously. It is not safe. I have never been so scared in my entire life. Slow down, it´s not a nascar track.

Glad to see you made it back. Don't worry about getting a rental dirty on a gravel road. The first time I visited there we got our rental filthy and felt like we got our money's worth. Did you take any scenery pics?

originally posted by: tomra
Back home again. Thought i just post a small update since i started the thread. Spent a couple of days in LA and quickly figured out that getting around in the US takes far more time than what the GPS/maps estimates so we drove to rachel and headed back to vegas again. I got some photography done but more important for myself is that i learned a ton about logistics for my next trip. Beautiful country, really! So quiet. Phone coverage went away soon after heading down the ET hwy. Honestly, i did not risk going down gravel roads. The car was brand new and too beautiful and i just did not want to get into trouble. Still made my day and my focus point is not the base itself anyway. Going back for sure!

Oh, driving in LA is pure madness. Seriously. It is not safe. I have never been so scared in my entire life. Slow down, it´s not a nascar track.

Oh no, you really should have at least gone down Groom Lake Road to the signs/border. The road is usually pretty good, just lots of powder dust. Next trip do it!

Oh, driving in LA is pure madness. Seriously. It is not safe. I have never been so scared in my entire life. Slow down, it´s not a nascar track.

I have driven LA freeways. Worst I have ever seen? The freeways around and through Salt Lake City. Very scary.

a reply to: FosterVS

Driving around Norcal, I have to hand it to the Socal drivers. The Socal roads are packed, but the drivers are not nearly as bad as in Norcal. Driving the 405 is just amazing. So many cars, yet somehow it works. (Check out Steve Martin's "LA Story.) Las Vegas drivers...well not so good.

Regarding getting the rental car dirty, as I mentioned in a previous post, just use the coin operated car washes in either Alamo or Tonopah. I use them myself when I am heading back into civilization. It is annoying to deal with a rear bumper full of dust when you want to use the hatch.

Regarding the front gate, it is the only place most tourists will see the camo dudes and surveillance cameras. Well you might see the dudes at the back gate, but it just doesn't feel the same. You can see a dude at the back gate if there is a visitor. Otherwise the dudes just hang out in the guard shack and watch Oprah. But you nearly always see dudes on the hill at the front gate.

I've done a fair number of photos for tourists at the front gate. I don't have any examples on line, but here is a photo composition tip. Usually the camo dudes are parked in a location where you can get a composition of the tourist in front of the sign with the camo dudes in the background. Just watch your step because you are very close to the border, not to mention the photographer is in the road.

if you are looking for some great info about Rachel and the area, DreamlandResort.com is one of the better websites. A lot of trip reports, maps, and other useful information for the area if you plan on heading out there. The message forum is out of date but still used.

a reply to: EngineerGuY

Ah yes, the forum that steals my photos.

Here are some Nellis range area GPS tracks you can download or view in Google Earth and hey, no work at home adverts or pop-ups.

Nellis range info

If you knew how much work it takes to photograph Groom Lake from Tikaboo, you would hold any website that steals your photos in very low regard. In the case of the website you mentioned, two emails to the webmaster to remove the link to my image of the new new hangar were ignored. In fact the link is still there, but I got the image hosting company to remove my image, which they replaced with an "image not available" graphic.

originally posted by: gariac
a reply to: EngineerGuY

Ah yes, the forum that steals my photos.

Here are some Nellis range area GPS tracks you can download or view in Google Earth and hey, no work at home adverts or pop-ups.

Nellis range info

If you knew how much work it takes to photograph Groom Lake from Tikaboo, you would hold any website that steals your photos in very low regard. In the case of the website you mentioned, two emails to the webmaster to remove the link to my image of the new new hangar were ignored. In fact the link is still there, but I got the image hosting company to remove my image, which they replaced with an "image not available" graphic.

I did notice a recent post where someone posted a recent picture of yours, and they were very quickly scolded and your link was posted. I think folks on there are trying to be a bit more mindful of your images thankfully. Guess we will see

And yes, I have made the climb to tikiboo several times.... it's not the easiest climb, and that is without equipment to take pictures! It's a daunting task to say the least.