Next Stop – Area 51
By Judy Berman
Leaving Las Vegas, we headed out in search of aliens. There was a reported sighting in Rachel, Nevada – about 145 miles outside Vegas.
Maybe it was the burning, hot desert sun or the long drive. But on the way to the Extraterrestrial Highway (Route 375), I was shocked when I did see green. There were miles of green pasture and free-range cattle just off the side of the road.
But that’s not what Dave and I came out here for.
Then, we spotted it – the Little A’Le’Inn. It’s the travel destination for people across the world – and, perhaps, intergalactic travel. It became a popular UFO seminar headquarters, following reports by KLAS-TV investigative reporter George Knapp on Bob Lazar, who claimed he worked on flying saucers at nearby Area 51.
“Area 51, Dreamland, Groom Lake, the Ranch, the Box – all these names refer to the top-secret research installation located 100 miles north of Las Vegas that has prompted speculation about captured alien spacecraft and hidden bodies of extraterrestrial beings. The facility and surrounding areas are also associated with UFO and conspiracy stories,” according to “Off the Beaten Path Nevada,” by Heidi Knapp Rinella.
“George Knapp wrote about Bob Lazar in 1989, and it snowballed from there. (Our restaurant is) the destination stop for foreign travelers,” said owner Pat Travis-Laudenklos, who has owned the restaurant for 25 years.
The international buzz prompted Pat Travis-Laudenklos and her late husband, Joe, to change the restaurant’s name from the Rachel Bar and Grill to the Little A’Le’Inn. in 1989.
During our brief visit last month, we met people who had driven to the restaurant from Virginia, and visitors from Las Vegas and London. She estimates that they get a minimum of 200 visitors a day. The restaurant’s World Famous Alien burgers, Saucer burgers or Galaxy Wrap (low-carb) might be part of the appeal. The tourists said they wanted to see what the place was about before they went to Area 51.
She’s no stranger to UFO sightings.
“I’ve watched a craft do maneuvers, moving faster in either direction than any I’ve ever seen,” said Pat Travis-Laudenklos. “Can I prove it’s one of ours? No. I can’t.”
But another encounter late one night still leaves her shaken. Pat said that she and Joe saw “a beam of light shoot thru the back (steel) door. It illuminated the door jamb. I still get goose bumps when I talk about it.”
Still not convinced?
Order the restaurant’s “Beam Me Up Scotty beverage, which reportedly helps the staunchest skeptic see UFOs,” according to “Off the Beaten Path Nevada.”
As you leave this tiny town, you’d be well-advised to be careful on your drive – especially after sundown. You don’t want to run into any little greys, or risk a collision with a low-flying vehicle traveling at warp speed thru the night.
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Video: Area 51 – the alien interview with Bob Lazar and George Knapp and David Adair (Steven Williams, host)
Video: Update on Area 51 Whistleblower Bob Lazar – interview by KLAS-TV investigative reporter George Knapp – http://www.openminds.tv/update-on-area-51-whistleblower-bob-lazar-1064/
Video: UFO – Sightings UFO Report with Tim White – George Knapp, investigative reporter, and Area 51 whistleblower Bob Lazar http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4s6kQuoLqM
KLAS-TV – Area 51: UFOs (May 7, 2005) – George Knapp, investigative reporter on Area 51, photos and comments about Little A’Le’Inn http://www.8newsnow.com/story/3313227/area-51-ufos?clienttype=printable
An Update on Bob Lazar by George Knapp (and an interview at the A’Le’Inn – on Above Top Secret’s website http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread192047/pg1
Photo: Warning sign in Area 51 Groom Road gate – Author: Tim1337, taken 6-9-09 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/61/Area51_gate.JPG/640px-Area51_gate.JPG
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Sounds like an interesting trip.
L-o-n-g and definitely intriguing.
I LOVE this, Judy. I thought Roswell was the “special” place, and now I want to visit Little A’Le’Inn (great name, and the pictures are terrific!) You did a thorough, real, wonderful and enticing job on this!
If Roswell wasn’t so far from Vegas (768 miles), I would have loved to have gone there. But this little restaurant really has some history to it. It’s in the middle of nowhere and folks flock to it. Thank you, Marilyn. Glad you liked the story and photos. It was fun.
Sounds like a fun, quirky place to visit.
That about sums it up, Paprika. The gift shop was a hoot. I forgot to mention that I got a “Nebraska U.F.O. License for Area-51″ that allows me to fly spacecraft. It does, however, list my height as 3’3” and that I’m weightless (got to love that part). 😆
Good to know the height requirement for flying a spacecraft is under 4 feet. I’m just barely 5 feet and have difficulty driving some cars. Looks like I’d have no problem flying an alien spacecraft.
comment from earthrider to Paprika:
So, it’s a win-win situation. For me, I’ll take the “weightless” element and fly with it. 🙂
Sounds like you had quite a trip out there, Judy.
It was surreal to see this restaurant that is connected to UFO history. The folks there were a lot of fun. Great experience.
Had I been in the area I would have been right there, Judy. What an absorbing little place. And the interview snippets are fantastic…
Thank you, Kate. I rather think you would enjoy this place. Simply fascinating – every where you look – and it was a delight to talk with the owner.
I think that my post:
I visited a “UFO” http://sartenada.wordpress.com/?s=I+visited+a+UFO
might be interesting.
Have a great day!
Your photo of the Futurohouse is cool. The “UFO’ has plenty of seating, but it doesn’t look very roomy. 🙂 I added the link to his blog so that you can check out the photos.
Thank you for visiting my blog.
Well, that’s an intriguing restaurant! With a name like that it must draw a lot more attention than ‘Rachel Bar and Grill!’ I think I’d be tempted to eat there as a tourist just for the fun of it – and the photo of course! 🙂
I have to be honest I like a bit of fantasy now and then, and am a big fan of Doctor Who, but I’m not a believer in UFO’s any more than I am of angels floating around us! If I ever experienced either one of those sightings personally myself there might just be a small chance of me changing my mind. But that’s assuming it’s not been faked of course. I just have a strong feeling someone will try to fake this UFO thing in a very impressive way one day, but I’m very sharp to spot the fake things of this life, so I don’t think I’ll be lining up in the cue for the believers! 😀
Suzy, I’d guess the name change was a dynamite marketing move. It does have a lot of cool stuff inside – souvenirs, toys, books, T-shirts – related to UFOs. The food was good and the company, too. 🙂
I do think we are not alone in this vast universe. But, no, I haven’t seen any UFOs. Nor would I go out of my way to hitch a ride on one. 🙂
Thanks for your email Judy about my comment going into your spam box! Yes, I had a feeling that’s where it went! I can make comments OK on all blogs now, but there is still an issue with some comments going into the spam. It’s not all solved yet it seems! 😀
Rest assured, Suzy, your message came thru this time. Thank you for your persistence. 🙂
Thanks for opening my eyes to a place that was previously alien to me. 🙂
No problem, Lisa. Don’t be a stranger! Drop in any time. 🙂
A fun post, Judy. But what did you think of Las Vegas?
The best attraction for me in Las Vegas is my brother. We had a great time dining out at Mount Charleston Lodge outside Vegas and at several other restaurants off The Strip. I will post later about our visit to the Mob Museum – very cool and well worth the time spent there. Plus Bellagio’s art gallery’s feature of Andy Warhol’s works. Las Vegas has much to offer.