Looking for Some Close Encounters of the E.T. Kind?

 

The on-ramp to the world-famous Extraterrestrial Highway is a just a short, 90-minute drive northwest of the world-famous Las Vegas Strip.  The highway itself leads to the top-secret military base at Groom Lake known throughout the universe as “Area 51.”

 

For those venturing to visit this mysterious part of frontier Nevada, make sure you stop by the Alien Research Center at the highway entrance just past the town of Alamo.

 

For those not familiar with the history and controversies surrounding this otherwise barren desert wasteland in the middle of nowhere, here’s a short primer…

 

In 1955 the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) chose Area 51 for clandestine research.  And it created secret code names for operations they wanted to keep secret, such as “Dreamland,” “Paradise Ranch” and “S-4.”

 

There are various versions of why Area 51 exists and different people believe different versions.  But facts are facts.  And there is much credibility to the version that on July 8, 1947 a “flying disc” crashed on a ranch near Roswell, New Mexico and extraterrestrial occupants were recovered by the U.S. Army Air Force.

 

According to a press release issued by the Roswell Army Air Field (RAAF) their personnel inspected the “flying disc” and sent it on to a “higher headquarters” known as Wright Field, outside Dayton, Ohio.

 

What gives this version massive credibility? 

 

Just 18 days after the Roswell crash occurred, President Harry S. Truman created the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) under the National Security Act of 1947.  On September 18th the CIA officially came into existence. 

 

It’s believed that CIA Director Rosco H. Hillenkoetter, a very serious man, chose the remote desert of Nevada to house the craft and extraterrestrials because the Roswell crash took place in Lincoln County, New Mexico - and Area 51 sits inside Lincoln County, Nevada.

 

Director Hillenkoetter’s inner-circle referred to Area 51 as “Project Lincoln.”

 

Then, in April 1955, it’s believed both the “flying disc” and three extraterrestrial occupants were moved to Area 51. 

 

To distract from the events of the Roswell crash and the move to Area 51, the CIA began multiple disinformation programs to silence critics.  

 

In August of 1955 - as part of the effort to redirect the conversation from aliens and flying saucers to a research facility - the CIA chose Area 51 to test the top-secret Lockheed U-2 reconnaissance spy plane, nicknamed “Dragon Lady, which was the first plane able to reach altitudes of 70,000 feet.

 

Many UFOlogists believe it was the extraterrestrials who provided the military with the technological know-how that made the U-2 spy program successful. 

 

In 1960 the program became public when Francis Gary Powers’ U-2 was shot down over the Soviet Union by a surface-to-air missile.

 

For more than 65 years, Area 51 has served as the most top-secret research facility in the country.  It’s served as the testing ground for the U-2, the F-117 Nighthawk Stealth Fighter, the SR-71 Blackbird, the B-2 Stealth Bomber and the F-22 Stealth Raptor.

 

In addition, it’s also believed that during the 1960’s a “NUT file” was distributed by the Pentagon to various technology companies, including Bell Labs, ATT, IBM, Voxx International and Bruker.  The file is rumored to have shared information provided by the extraterrestrials that cleared the path for today’s tech giants, such as Apple Computer, Microsoft and Intel.

 

If you’re looking for a unique, fascinating weekend adventure, please enjoy the short, scenic drive from Las Vegas and visit us at the Alien Research Center.  We look forward to seeing you.