UFO Central
Outside the Little A’Le’Inn motel, restaurant and bar in Rachel, Nev., are, from left, Mike Lyons and Marney Macleod of Las Vegas, employee Rhonda Scott, and UFO seeker Lester Arnold of Declo, Idaho. The former Rachel Bar & Grill renamed itself as the tiny town became a mecca for UFO watchers, who might down an Alien Burger on their way to a night of sky watching in the desert near Area 51. (Laura Rauch / For The Los Angeles Times)
Alien mugs, ashtrays and shot glasses are among the extraterrestrial trinkets for sale at the Little A’Le’Inn in Rachel, Nev. (Laura Rauch / For The Los Angeles Times)
A mural on the side of the Little A’Le’Inn in Rachel, Nev., reflects the establishment’s proximity to the U.S. government’s top-secret Area 51, one of the most famous regions in UFO lore. (Laura Rauch / For The Los Angeles Times)
A road sign near Rachel, Nev., indicates Extraterrestrial Highway, the official name the state gave Highway 375 in 1996. Visitors, chiefly UFO enthusiasts, have added stickers to the sign along the two-lane roadway, a desolate desert stretch near Area 51. (Laura Rauch / For The Los Angeles Times)
