During my spring break, my family and I decided to go to Las Vegas. We did alot, we walked ths strip, went to the famous pawn shop. Didn't see any pawn stars, but it was still fun. The next day we plan to go to my favorite air base, Area 51. It was a cool day, very windy out. Our journey to the secret airbase begins!

Driving along Intersate 64 was interesting. I remember passing near Nellis Air Force Base and I'm thinking, "This could be base that runs Area 51, but I know that Edwards runs it..." After turning on the exit, we stop to get gas and buy some snacks. When we leave the gas station, the longest part of our journey begins. We have about two hours on US route 93. About an hour and a half into our journey, it does something it never does in the desert, IT RAINS!!! I'm thinking come on, how does it rain the day I go to Area 51. Anyway, we soon see the towns of Alamo and Ash Springs.

About ten minutes later, we turn onto the ET highway and I get out and am able to get my photo under the sign. We drive for another fifteen minutes and as we turn a bend, I see Groom Lake Road. After having my photo taken again, we head town the 13.8 miles of road to the border. I remember looking back and seeing the trail of dust we were leaving. I remember thinking, "The cammo dudes know we're coming." As we continued down the road, I see the intersection of Mailbox road and later on Freedom Ridge. I think what is must have been like to go up there before the land seizure 17 years ago. Several minutes later my dad says he sees a truck on the hill. I knew it was the cammo dudes. Finally we turn towards the sign and stop the car and get out.

As I'm walking around at the border, I see the white pick up truck and I knew we were being watched. I walk up to the signs and my dad takes a photo of me. He then takes my spot and I take photos of him. Then I look up the hill and see the camera. Then I grab my bionoculars and look at the cammo dudes. I wave to them but they don't wave back. With seeing everything I've wanted to see, I tell the cammo dudes that their job must be boring and tell them to keep up the good work. We then leave the front gate.

After leaving the front gate, we go down mailbox road and stop at the black mailbox. I take photos of it and then we go down Highway 375 to Rachel. As we drive down I look at Bald Mountain and see the radar facility and snow dumped by the storm earlier in the day. After about twenty-five minutes of driving, we arrive in Rachel, Nevada. I get out of the car and have my photo taken by the truck with the flying saucer behind it. Then I hear a sonic boom and look up in the sky, but I don't see anything.

Finally, we head down the Rachel Back Gate toward the guard shack. It wasn't as dusty as the front gate, but some dust was flying. After ten minutes, we pull up to the back gate to see the first gate down but the two behind it were up. I get out of the car and walk up to the gate. The lights on the gate were flashing. After hanging out at the back gate, we leave the back gate and get back on Highway 375. Our Area 51 adventure was over.

As we leave, I wave goodbye to the town of Rachel as we head back to Las Vegas. I remember looking at the snow on Bald Mountain and thinking, "I'll be back. It may be today, it may be tomorrow, it may not be for another ten years, but they'll see me again." Finally, we pass Groom Lake Road and I see a trail of dust coming up the road toward the highway. I wave goodbye to Area 51 and prepare for the two and a half hour drive to Las Vegas.

Alex