C.I.A Acknowledges Area 51 Exists — Is It What We Think?
by Courtney Gordner
For all of you alien enthusiasts out there, the Central Intelligence Agency has great news — Area 51 is a real government base. Area 51, which has long been the fodder of conspiracy theorists, has generally been thought of as a top secret base where the government has kept evidence of aliens. Located approximately 150 miles from Las Vegas in the remotest parts of the Nevada desert, the site has been popularized through movies like Independence Day and The X Files.
Don’t get too excited, though, because while the C.I.A. has acknowledged Area 51, it hasn’t said anything about aliens. The C.I.A. has stated the facility is used to test spy planes — which explains the strange aircrafts and lights residents have long reported in the area. Whether or not people buy this explanation, the revelation is bound to have some effects.
Are Spy Planes the New Weather Balloons?
Alien enthusiasts may remember this isn’t the first time the government has “acknowledged” an extraterrestrial incident in the southwestern United States. On July 7, 1947, a New Mexican rancher in the small town of Roswell reported a U.F.O. crash on his property. The story made national news, and the U.S. government quickly acknowledged the crash — but told the public the U.F.O. was merely a high-tech weather balloon. Even 66 years after the crash, conspiracy theories run rampant. The rancher’s son, Jesse Marcel, Jr. examined debris from the U.F.O. — he remembers seeing I-beams with strange geometric symbols similar to hieroglyphics. With Roswell in mind, the public can only wonder if the spy plane explanation is that different.
Rachel, Nevada
Whether they believe it or not, the citizens of the small town of Rachel, Nevada welcome the C.I.A.’s news. The town, boasting a population of 57, once thrived on tourism, as tourists and conspiracy theorists alike would visit Rachel while searching for Area 51. In recent years, there have unfortunately been fewer and fewer visitors. The owners of the Little A’Le’Inn — say it to yourself — in Rachel haven’t even displayed their guest book in awhile. Area 51 hasn’t been in the news much, so tourists haven’t had as much interest in searching for aliens.
With the C.I.A’s acknowledgement, Rachel’s residents are hoping alien enthusiasts will drive down the Extraterrestrial Highway — also known as State Route 375 — and pay them a visit. Those who visit the Little A’Le’Inn and the surrounding area have a full Area 51 tourist experience. They are greeted by a “Welcome Earthlings” sign in the parking lot and can purchase a host of knickknacks during their stay. Vacationers can buy anything from a green alien coin bank to a bottle of Area 51 wine.
See a U.F.O.
Rachel’s residents can teach you a skill you can’t learn in many other places — how to spot an Area 51 U.F.O. The townspeople expect tourists will want to see Area 51 for themselves now that it’s been acknowledged, and when they visit they’ll want to know how to find a U.F.O. in a pitch black sky. By and large, the people of Rachel have never doubted the alien activity in Area 51. One woman says she sees lights in the sky every morning, and the government has never been direct about what it was doing in the Nevada desert. If you do choose to visit, though, just don’t get too daring. What is presumably the back entrance of Area 51 has six very clear no trespassing warnings — they promise six months in prison to anyone who passes the gate which you’ll need a lot of law help to get out of.
Courtney Gordner is a blogger with a passion for all things on the internet regarding politics, business and social media! Read more from her on her own blog, www.talkviral.com. You can also follow what she has to say on her Twitter.