Alamo, a little further along Highway 93, was a stop in the mid to late 1800s for outlaws. Cattle thieves paused here to rest stolen cattle before moving them out to sell. In 2001 Alamo celebrated 100 years. A delightful surprise in Alamo is Windmill Ridge Café and Bakery, 151 Broadway, 775-725-3685. Open 8 am to 8 pm Monday-Saturday, co-owners Kim Turley and Kris Higbee and their friendly crew turn out daily specials with the regular menu. Oh yes, the aroma of baking bread, cookies and pies will tempt your taste buds. Sandwiches are served on fresh bread you can also purchase to take home. What a treat! Soon they are relocating, but signs will be in place to direct you; Kim assured me their rural ambience will continue to thrive.
Ash Springs just past Alamo offers another Rural Nevada surprise. Across from the gas stop is Ash Spring, home to endangered White River Springfish found in a few isolated Nevada ponds.
A bit past Ash Springs, the Extraterrestrial Highway, SR 375, dedicated in April 1996 by then Governor Bob Miller, is the official route to Rachel. Founded in May 1973 by an alfalfa farmer, the community was eventually dubbed Rachel after the first baby born there in 1977. Just under 5,000 feet elevation, and a few miles north of mysterious Area 51 in Sand Spring Valley, Rachel is considered UFO Capitol of the World. International visitors seek out the Little A’Le’Inn, formerly the Rachel Bar and Grill, as a stepping off point for UFO adventures; owner Pat Travis is a wellspring of information about the area. Quite an experience for Nevadans and visitors alike! A fun website for more Rachel information is www.rachel-nevada.com.
Contact Ginny at www.lakemeadcruises.com
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