On Wednesday night we stay over in Tonopah, NV. It’s the only place between nowhere and St. George that has accomodations. We have been staying at the Ramada where you can roll three dice to see if you get a free room but we decid to try the Best Western Hi-Desert instead this time. Much better. Comfortable beds, decent sheets and free breakfast. Also, importantly, it has a microwave. That means that instead of eating in the few horrible restaurants, you can go to the store and buy something to microwave. Much better. We dine on macaroni and cheese and a pasta dish.
One thing that I have always found humorous is their high school mascot. Tonopah High is the Home of the Muckers as you can see on the side of the gym. A mucker is the guy who shovels out all the ore and stuff that the miners have extracted from the mine face. Anyway, you can bet that opposing teams have made up some mighty interesting cheers rhyming with mucker!
As we leave Tonopah on US 6, we pass the Tonopah Rocket Test Range. We’ve always kind of wanted to go down this road and see what they are doing. Maybe next time.
We turn down NV 375, also known as the Extra-Terrestrial Highway. So sad, the sign proclaiming it as such has been taken down at both ends of the highway. The only one that remains is the one near Rachel, NV. This area is all open range. That means while traveling at 70+ mph down the road, it is perfectly normal to spot a cow crossing the road. Why did the cow cross the road? Perhaps in the hope of becoming ground beef.
John and I continue on the Extra-Terrestrial Highway to Rachel, NV. As the sign says the population has 98 humans and ? aliens. What category shall I put John in? Hmmmmm…..
Most people outside of those who travel the deserts of Nevada and California have never come across the Alien Fresh Jerky signs. In fact, you can order some for yourself by going to www.alienfreshjerky.com. The base of operations is Baker, California, a dismal little town on I-15 in the middle of the Mojave Desert. Baker’s other claim to fame is the world’s tallest thermometer.
