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Old 20th June 2020, 14:51   #1
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America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents

As a kid, my dad used to always make a point to take me out every weekend to some or the other place around Bangalore in city buses to make me familiar with all the areas of Bangalore. Those were the times when we could travel from one end of Bangalore to another without having to worry about traffic jams. We used to just hop onto some BTS bus (now BMTC), go to the last stop, get down, roam around for some time and then return in the same bus. We used to stay near Vijayanagar and few of our favorite routes were:
  • 176 - RPC Layout to Kaval Byrasandra
  • 401B - RPC Layout to Yelahanka
  • 300G - Koti Bande to Banasawadi
  • 279G - RPC Layout to Bhoopasandra
Those were considered as some of the lengthy routes those days. Our other favorite routes were:
  • 131 - Majestic to Dhoopanahalli
  • 134A - Shivajinagar to Dhoopanahalli
These were the only routes which had a double decker service (I guess even route number 150 had) and traveling on the upper deck sitting on the front seat was a difference experience altogether. I used to be thrilled when the upper deck used to make loud sounds by rubbing against the huge tree branches which were found in abundance in Bangalore. I always used to make a point to travel only in double deckers which had a separate unit at the front for the driver. As a kid, I used to refer to them as "Bere tale iro double decker" in Kannada which translates to "A double decker which has a separate head".

The double decker which has a separate head (Image source: https://www.reddit.com/r/india/comme...angalore_1992/)
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In regular buses, my favorite place to sit used to be the seat right behind the backdoor. Pollution was unheard those days and the cool breeze from the backdoor used to add more excitement to the journey. Traveling in a BTS bus was my favorite childhood activity. I also had a habit of collecting the bus tickets. I used to also have a whistle and imitate a bus conductor. I always used to tell everyone then that I wanted to become a bus conductor after I grew up.

This is me imitating a bus conductor issuing a ticket to passenger. If you closely look at the picture, there is a huge bundle of bus tickets in my left hand which I collected over years. I still have those tickets stacked away somewhere in my home:
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Thanks to my dad who made me roam around entire Bangalore. By the age of 10, I was familiar with every nook and corner of Bangalore and I had memorized most of the BTS bus routes by then. It is not an exaggeration if I say that I am familiar with the routes in Bangalore more than any auto rickshaw driver out there . This has also made me to get addicted to traveling. Even to this day, I just take my car and explore the routes around Bangalore on most of the weekends. I still travel a lot in BMTC (for any chores that does not require a car) but no longer explore the routes as it takes one whole day just to move from one place to another inside Bangalore city. I truly miss my old Bangalore.

Fast forward few years, we got a car at home. We then started visiting lots of places in our trusted car, a Maruthi Esteem. We used to go on lots of road trips to various places in Karnataka. I have lost the count of our trips in that car to our native place near Mangalore. These road trips made be very familiar with the routes of Southern Karnataka. We used to explore lots of interior roads in and around Mangalore.

Our trusted car Esteem. I never knew driving at that age and I was sitting in the driver seat just for a photo-op with my dad seated in the back seat. When I turned 18 years, it was in this car I learnt how to drive. I did not attend any driving classes. My parents taught me how to drive. I have special sentiments with this car since that was the first car I ever drove:
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All these small incidents have ignited the passion to drive and explore places in me. I certainly owe a lot to my parents for having made me what I am today.

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Old 20th June 2020, 20:04   #2
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America the Beautiful - A road trip with parents

Since my parents had taken me to so many places in my childhood, it was now my turn to take them all across the places. While I was in the USA, it was always my dream to take my parents on a long road trip. Last year, I called up my parents and told them about an idea of a lengthy road trip in USA. I got a big thumbs up from them with no questions asked. Thereafter, I invited them to USA in the end of summer of 2019. I did not tell them anything about the plan but just said it's going to be a long road trip of approximately around 10000 miles. Fall is one of the best seasons for travel in the USA. Temperature is cooler and most of the places have less number of visitors.

My aim was not to just take them to famous tourist places but I wanted them to experience the great American outdoors. This included:

Great American national parks:
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Open roads of West:
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Fall colors of New England:
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Postcard perfect landscapes of Finger Lakes:
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Rocky New England coast dotted with lighthouses:
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Rugged Canyons:
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Ethereal landscapes:
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Hidden national forests:
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Rustic rural villages:
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Colorful casinos:
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Mega cities:
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My dad, all smiles during the road trip:
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Old 20th June 2020, 21:18   #3
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Finger Lakes

We used to stay in Greater Boston area. My parents landed in Boston sometime early September. There were few initial hiccups during their travel as British Airways employees strike coincided with my parents travel date. But BA was extremely helpful in changing the travel dates according to our convenience and we were given the option to rebook the tickets for a different date or get a complete refund. It was actually a blessing in disguise as BA was ready to change the booking dates even to weekends without any additional charge.

The plan was to take it easy for the first few weeks after their arrival so that they could get adjusted to the change in time zone. During the first month after their arrival, we just planned to visit some nearby places like rural Massachusetts, Finger Lakes region, Niagara Falls, etc.

One of my uncles stays in Buffalo and our first plan was to visit them. The first place we visited on the way to Buffalo was Watkins Glen in Finger Lakes region in New York. I never drive directly from Boston to Buffalo through the boring I-90. I always take a detour through Finger Lakes region to the South or Adirondacks to the North. These two regions have so many scenic places to visit that I have lost the count of places I have been to in the last 5 years.

Watkins Glen (Finger Lakes region):

Watkins Glen is a small town located at the Southern tip of Lake Seneca. Watkins Glen State park has a 400 foot deep gorge which consists of around 19 waterfalls over less than 2 miles. This is one of our favorite places to visit in the Finger Lakes region. This place is around 350 miles from our home and usually takes around 6 hours to reach. I usually take I-88W right after Albany which cuts through the beautiful Catskills and enter Finger Lakes region by taking an exit at a small town called Bainbridge and take NY state route 206 and 79 to reach Watkins Glen. Google maps usually suggests to drive through Binghamton and Owego but I have found that this route is faster and more scenic. The only pain point in this route is to cross the Ithaca town. Other than this, one can just zip through the scenic villages of NY state.

We started early morning from our home and reached Watkins Glen at around 11 AM. If we are visiting with elders, we always park the car at the upper entrance of the state park and hike down the Gorge trail to reach the main entrance in the town. I then take the park shuttle back to the upper parking lot and get the car to the entrance to pickup everyone.

My humble Civic served as our transport for all our local road trips from home:
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Gorge trail in Watkins Glen state park. Rainbow falls:
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Central Cascade:
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Cavern Cascade:
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Once we reached the main entrance, I took the park shuttle to the upper entrance parking lot and got the car to pick up everyone. We then went to the nearby Clute Park to have the packed lunch.

Beautiful Seneca lake from Clute Park:
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View of the Watkins Glen town from Clute park:
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After having lunch, we started our drive towards Buffalo. I never take the direct route to Buffalo from Watkins Glen. I take the beautiful back roads through the Finger Lakes region and make a customary stop at Bristol overlook. It's a beautiful scenic stop overlooking the Canandaigua lake. This is very close to the town of Naples, NY.

Canandaigua lake from Bristol overlook:
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This is the view which one can see in most of the postcards representing Finger Lakes region. This view is also in the official image of Finger Lakes:
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Dad and Mom at the Bristol viewpoint:
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From the town of Bristol, it's just a 2 hour drive to Buffalo through Rochester. After spending some time at the overlook, we drove towards Buffalo to my uncles's house.

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Old 20th June 2020, 21:47   #4
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Letchworth State Park

Letchworth State Park, New York:

We spent couple of days at my uncle's house in Buffalo and visited few places like Niagara Falls, Whirlpool State Park, University at Buffalo campus, Niagara Power project, etc. While returning from Buffalo to Boston, we again took a detour through Finger Lakes and visited Letchworth State Park. The Genesee River cuts through this park by creating gorges and three falls. A road cuts through the state park and there are lots of scenic overlooks throughout this route. Out of the three waterfalls, the upper and middle falls are accessible by car while the lower falls can be accessed by a small hiking trail. The small gorges created by the Genesee river in this state park are collectively called as Grand Canyon of the East.

Upper falls. There is a railway bridge on top of this falls. I had seen a freight train pass over it during my visit in 2015 but I heard that the tracks are unused now. It used to be a beautiful sight to see the train pass over the falls:
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Closer view of the upper falls:
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Middle falls. It's a two-minute walk from the upper falls:
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Gorge created by the Genesee river:
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All these scenic overlooks are right next to the road. There are many such overlooks throughout the park:
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After spending a few hours at the park, we drove back to Boston. We planned to visit Taughannock falls on the way back but time didn't permit us.

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Old 21st June 2020, 09:43   #5
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South Deerfield

South Deerfield, Massachusetts

Central Massachusetts is one of our favorite places for a quick visit on weekends. Most of the places are around 1-2 hours drive from our home. There are plenty of small hiking trails, rustic villages, abandoned factories, fields in Central Massachusetts. Similar to how I explore places around Bangalore, I have extensively explored Central Massachusetts on weekends. While we go to The Berkshires for most of our quick hikes, we do have few favorite places which are family friendly and suitable for picnic.

South Deerfield is one such place which is just an hour away from our home. This small town is located in the Connecticut river valley. There is a small hill called Mt Sugarloaf and one can just hike or drive up the hill which has beautiful views of Connecticut river and the surrounding areas. We decided to drive with my parents on a weekend to this place. I-90 and I-91 are the quickest routes to reach there but I always take internal roads which passes through beautiful villages like Belchertown, Ware, Paxton, Hardwick.

Beautiful backroads of Central Massachusetts:
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Beautiful view of the Connecticut river from Mt Sugarloaf:
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Sunderland town from Mt Sugarloaf:
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Sunderland bridge:
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View towards West. The Berkshires mountain range can be seen at a distance. The tall peak towards right is the Mt Greylock, which is the tallest mountain of Massachusetts.
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Amherst town can be seen which is the home of University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
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On the way back, we made a customary stop at French King bridge in Mohawk Trail (MA-2).
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Old 21st June 2020, 10:05   #6
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Quabbin Reservoir

Quabbin Reservoir, Massachusetts

This is another quick weekend getaway in Central Massachusetts. This reservoir was built in 1939 and provides the water supply for Boston and surrounding areas. There is a loop road at the Southern entrance of the reservoir. There are numerous hiking trails and picnic areas that can be accessed by public.

A small loop which can be accessed by walk. This leads to the reservoir area:
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Crystal clear water of reservoir:
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The islands that were formed when the surrounding areas were submerged:
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The Prescott peninsula can be seen at a distance. This is where the former town of Prescott stood before it was submerged. The town can be seen when the water levels recede. Though the entry to the town is restricted to public, one can visit once in a year when some group organizes a tour.
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The watch tower near Enfield overlook. One can climb to the top of the watch tower to get a 360 degree view of the reservoir and the surrounding areas:
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Old 21st June 2020, 13:05   #7
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America the Beautiful - A road trip with parents

Southwest:

I would consider a visit to the USA is incomplete without visiting the beautiful places of Southwestern United States. My wife and I had done a road trip in the Southwestern Unites States in 2016. We had such a great experience traveling there that it was my dream to take my parents and in-laws to those places. While my in-laws had disagreed to do such road trips during their previous visit to USA, I was confident that my parents would have no issues accompanying me to such road trips. We have done numerous road trips in India and my parents had even attended one of the Team-BHP overnight meets too in 2012. They love traveling.

This pic is from the 2012 Chikmagalur overnight TBHP meet thread. My mom can be seen sitting at extreme left wearing saree with my dad standing behind her:
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It was almost 3 weeks since my parents had arrived to the USA and by now they had acclimatized to the new place and had overcome jet lag. The day my parents gave a thumbs up, I had started making plans for a long road trip in the Southwest. I had already booked rental car, flights and hotels for the trip. I had also laid out the routes and places which we are going to visit. I had planned this trip for the last two weeks of September. This is the ideal time to visit Southwest as the temperatures would have dropped a bit and also the visitors to National Parks sees a significant drop after the summer vacation rush. I had already applied for 2 weeks of vacation in advance. Unfortunately my wife could not join us for this road trip as it was not practical for her nature of job to take 2 weeks of vacation. So it was just me, dad and mom for this road trip.

The plan was to follow the similar routes and places which we had visited in 2016 with some small changes. We took the overnight direct flight from Boston to Las Vegas. The flight took off at scheduled 7 PM from Logan International airport in Boston and landed sometime around midnight at McCarren International airport in Las Vegas. We collected our luggage and took the shuttle to the airport car rental center. I had booked a rental car from Hertz as I always had good experiences with them in the past. My company has a tie up with them and hence I got a very good deal for the rental. I didn't book anything fancy this time but just a SUV so that ingress/egress is easier for my parents. We got a New Jersey registered Jeep Compass Limited Edition which just had around 1000 miles on the odometer.

This will be our transport for next 10 days:
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It was 1 AM by the time we collected the car. I had booked the rooms in Silverton Casino and we headed straight there from the airport.

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Old 21st June 2020, 15:14   #8
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Las Vegas

Las Vegas

Since we reached late the previous night, the 2nd day plan was just to take it easy and roam around Las Vegas strip. We got up pretty late after taking enough rest in the hotel. We parked our car at Bellagio casino and roamed around the strip. I find that Bellagio is a convenient place to park. They do charge for parking but compared to the ease of parking, it is negligible.

Initial visit was to the Fabulous Las Vegas sign:
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The beautiful Bellagio Hotel & Casino:
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Bellagio fountain:
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The interior of Bellagio was decorated with Indian theme:
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A view from the Las Vegas Boulevard pedestrian overpass:
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Las Vegas strip looking towards North:
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Old 21st June 2020, 17:00   #9
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Valley of Fire

Valley of Fire State Park:

On the third day, our plan was to visit few places nearby to Las Vegas. The first place in the list was Valley of Fire state park. As the name states, this park is famous for it's bright red stones. It is located at around 50 miles away from Las Vegas and takes just around 45 minutes to reach there. We took the I-15 N from Las Vegas and reached there early in the morning. I always ensure to reach here pretty early in the morning as the temperature increases to unbearable levels as the day passes by noon.

The roads inside this park are an absolute joy to drive:
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My dad and mom on the way to Valley of Fire:
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Old 21st June 2020, 17:32   #10
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Lake Mead & Hoover Dam

Lake Mead and Hoover Dam:

We took the Southern exit of Valley of Fire state park which has a connecting road NV-167 to Hoover dam. Hoover dam is just 60 miles from Valley of Fire. The NV-167 passes through Lake Mead recreational area. Lake Mead is a man made lake which was created by the waters of Hoover dam. NV-167 is a lightly traveled route with almost nil traffic. It passes through some scenic desert landscapes. This route passes right next to the Lake Mead for almost 50 miles but the water level is so low that one wonders the existence of Lake Mead. One can see some water only near Hoover dam. At other places, it just appears like a desert. The record breaking droughts in the region has made Lake Mead look like a barren land.

Lake Mead National Recreational Area sign which can be seen right after exiting Valley of Fire state park:
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The land to the right side of the road is supposed to be Lake Mead. The drought has made the water levels drop to record levels in recent years.
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Desert landscapes along NV-167.
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We can finally see some water near to Boulder City. No wonder we hear a lot about water shortage in California. At this rate, some statistics indicate that this lake may turn completely dry in few years:
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Hoover dam:
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Old 21st June 2020, 18:54   #11
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Extraterrestrial Highway

Extraterrestrial Highway:

Aliens' stories would always fascinate me as a kid. I have read lots of stories/rumors surrounding Area 51. Ever since I landed in the USA, it was my dream to drive through the Extraterrestrial Highway which always gets featured in any story related to Area 51. This road is also feature in "100 roads to drive before you die". My dream came through when I drove through this road in 2016. Even though we didn't come across any alien (), the experience of driving on his highway was fantastic. I have never driven in such a road in my life. It was a completely difference experience. I wanted my parents to experience the same. I knew they would definitely like the experience of traveling on this road (and I was not wrong).

ET Highway (NV-375) is a 100 miles route between Crystal Springs and Warm Springs in Central Nevada. It passes near the famed Area 51 (Nellis Airforce base) and is a famous destination UFO/aliens enthusiasts. This route is void of any services or traffic. There are no gas stations for the entire length of the route. There is no cell phone service The only thing that can be found in this route is the village of Rachel. This village just has one small alien themed restaurant called Ale Inn. The Shell gas station in Ash Springs (on US-93) is the last service one can get in this route. This is just before the starting point of ET highway at Crystal Springs. For folks who travel towards West after ET highway on US-6 W, the next gas station is located 150 miles away in the town of Tonopah. For folks who travel towards East after ET highway on US-6 E, the next gas station is located 220 miles in the town of Ely. Either way, it's a good idea to fill up at the Shell gas station in Ash Springs so that there is no chance of getting stranded in the middle of nowhere.

Our plan for the 3rd day was to just drive through Extraterrestrial Highway, US-6/US-50 and reach Salina in Utah. The total distance is almost 600 miles. It generally takes around 12 hours to do this journey. After 2 days of roaming around Las Vegas, we started early morning 5 AM from Silverton hotel. Our goal was to reach Salina by 7 PM in the evening.

We took I-15 N from Las Vegas towards Salt Lake city and took the exit to US-93N which connects to ET highway.
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This route has a scarcity of good restrooms. So one has to plan judicially for the nature calls. The Pahranagat National Wildlife Area has well maintained rest rooms. This is located on US-93 few miles before the town of Alamo:
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This area is a spring in the middle of the desert. This is also a tribal reservation area. If anyone is interested in bird watching, I read on the signboards that this area has lots of unique birds:
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There used to be a board called "Extraterrestrial Highway" before at the beginning of the ET highway at Crystal Springs but looks like someone has stolen it. I have read on the web that this signboard gets frequently stolen for the purpose of keeping it as a souvenir. Usually the state of Nevada is quick in replacing signboards. Since it wasn't there on the day we went, I believe it was stolen just a few days back. I just saw two cones placed in the spot where the signboard stood. I'm cross-posting the pic of the signboard from my old travelogue from 2016:
America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-img_0639.jpg

There is a signboard next to the "Alien Research Center" which shows the distance to town of Rachel. "Alien Research Center" is nothing but a gift shop which has a great collection of Alien themed gifts.
America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-5.jpg

Endless straight stretches on ET highway. This is at the beginning of the highway. The water source seen at a distance is Key Pitmann Wildlife Management area in Crystal Springs:
America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-6.jpg

After driving through some really straight stretches, we come across Mt Irish Wilderness area which has some really steep curves:
America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-7.jpg

Mt Irish wilderness area:
America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-7_1.jpg

Straight stretches again after crossing Mt Irish Wilderness area. One has to experience the vastness on this highway. It cannot be explained through photos:
America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-8.jpg

The faint white line is the Groom Lake road which leads to Nellis Airforce base (Area 51). This is where the famed White Bus is often spotted. This link has more information on the famed White Bus - https://www.dreamlandresort.com/area51/bus.html
America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-9.jpg

The distance from this point to those mountains is at least 50-60 miles (or more than that). As I mentioned earlier, the vastness cannot be explained through pictures.
America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-10.jpg

Last edited by guyfrmblr : 24th June 2020 at 16:38.
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Old 21st June 2020, 19:12   #12
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Extraterrestrial Highway - The Black Mailbox

The Black Mailbox:

The Black Mailbox is pretty famous in UFO/alien enthusiast circles. It's actually a mailbox placed by a ranch owner which frequently gets vandalized by travelers. The ranch owner has replaced the mailbox numerous times but it gets vandalized again in no time. This mailbox can be found on ET highway just after crossing the Groom Lake road. The dirt road next to this mailbox leads to restricted areas of Nellis Airforce range.

The famed Black Mailbox in middle of nowhere:
America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-1.jpg

America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-2.jpg

America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-2_2.jpg

It's a joy to drive on such roads:
America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-3.jpg

America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-4.jpg

I believe this beautiful dirt road leads to a ranch or abandoned mines that are found plenty in this area:
America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-7.jpg

Pics of some beautiful desert vegetation found all along ET highway:
America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-8.jpg

America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-9.jpg

America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-10.jpg

America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-11.jpg

America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-12.jpg

This pic is just for reference to indicate the size of these desert vegetations. It looks like a small shrub in other photos.
America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-14.jpg

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Old 21st June 2020, 20:07   #13
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Extraterrestrial Highway - Rachel

Rachel, Nevada:

Rachel is the only village we come across on ET highway between Crystal Springs and Warm Springs for a distance 100 miles. I guess it's one of the remotest village in the USA. It just has one small alien-themed restaurant called Ale Inn and few houses.

The alien-themed Rachel signboard on ET highway:
America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-1.jpg

America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-2.jpg

America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-dsc04371.jpg

Earthlings Welcome!
America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-3.jpg

UFO on tow
America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-4.jpg

We had a good chat with the owner of the restaurant. If you are interested/fascinated with UFO/Aliens, this is a must visit place and a chat with the restaurant owner is highly recommended. She has a lot of interesting tales to share. We bought a few souvenirs and sodas from the restaurant and bid goodbye to the owner:
America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-5.jpg

We bought couple of alien-themed mugs from Ale Inn:
America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-5_1.jpg

America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-5_2.jpg

This is the longest straight stretch on ET highway just after Rachel. The distance between this point to the end of the stretch is approximately 40 miles. Once again the photo doesn't do any justice to the vastness.
America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-6.jpg

The landscape changes a bit after crossing Rachel. The desert vegetation disappears and it turns more barren:
America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-7.jpg

America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-8.jpg

America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-9.jpg

The base of the hill is Warm Springs which marks the end of ET highway. Here it joins US-6. Taking a left here leads to town of Tonopah towards West. This is the route if anyone wants to return to Las Vegas. Since our plan was to drive to Utah, we took the right towards town of Ely:
America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-10.jpg

We had a thrilling experience driving on ET highway. My parents throughly enjoyed the drive. This kind of experience cannot be found elsewhere. Traffic has significantly increased on ET highway compared to my previous drive. While we encountered just 2 vehicles in the entire stretch of 100 miles in 2016, this time we encountered 6 vehicles. It's a significant increase in traffic. Time to start a thread titled "Rants on ET Highway's traffic situation" under "Street Experiences" and rant away to glory (just like the one we have for Bangalore)

Last edited by guyfrmblr : 28th June 2020 at 19:05.
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Old 21st June 2020, 20:53   #14
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US Route 6

Historic US Route 6:

US route 6 is one of the longest highways in the USA with a length of approximate 3200 miles. Its Eastern terminus is at Provincetown in Cape Cod, Massachusetts and Western terminus is at Bishop, California. During my previous drive, I was surprised to see US-6 at such a remote place near ET highway as I frequently travel on the same route to visit Cape Cod beaches in Massachusetts.

This section of highway in Nevada is very scenic and very lonely. It has arrow straight stretches similar to ET highway as well as frequent section of Humboldt National forest where it raises to a high elevation with lot of curves. Just like ET highway, there are no service or rest areas on this highway until Ely town where it meets US-50.

After reaching the end of ET highway, we took a right towards US-6 E to travel towards Utah:
America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-1.jpg

America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-2.jpg

Frequent stretches of straight sections:
America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-3.jpg

And frequent section of steep inclines with lot of curves:
America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-4.jpg

At few places inside Humboldt National forest, the highway passes at elevations more than 7000 feet. It was pretty cold out there:
America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-5.jpg

View from Mt Currant summit at 7000 feet:
America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-6.jpg

The mountains at the distance is the backside of Great Basin National Park:
America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-7.jpg

This is a historical route. This route has lots of abandoned silver/gold towns. There are frequent historical markers throughout this route where one can learn the history behind this route. This route used to have lots of population during the gold rush but now it's devoid of any population:
America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-8.jpg

America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-9.jpg

Last edited by guyfrmblr : 24th June 2020 at 16:40.
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Old 21st June 2020, 21:19   #15
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Great Basin

Great Basin:

After town of Ely, Nevada, US-6 joins and overlaps with US-50 almost until Colorado. The stretch of US-50 through Nevada is aptly called as "Loneliest Road of America". One hardly finds any traffic on this route. It is an absolute joy to drive on this road. After Ely, this route almost traverses through Great Basin National Park. This is the least visited National park of the USA. We didn't have any plans to visit this NP as it has only hiking trails and the only interesting place is Wheelers peak which requires a strenuous hike.

We stopped at Baker Archaeological site which is right next to the Great Basin NP. It contains the remains of a Fremont Indian village which was occupied between 1220 to 1295 AD. It's right next to US-50 and there is nothing much to see there:
America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-1.jpg

Well maintained picnic tables:
America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-2.jpg

Approach road to the Baker site with Wheelers peak of Great Basin NP in the background:
America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-6.jpg

America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-4.jpg

America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-5.jpg

America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-7.jpg

We then started driving towards Utah:
America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-8.jpg

This stretch looked like a runway:
America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-9.jpg

We reached Nevada-Utah border sometime at 3 PM. Here the timezone changes from Pacific timezone to Mountain timezone:
America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-10.jpg

Once we cross Utah border, the landscape changes and appears like a lunar surface:
America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-11.jpg

After certain distance, US-6/50 passes next to Sevier lake. It's a salt lake. During rainy season, a thin layer of water can be found on the surface:
America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-12.jpg

Closeup of Sevier lake:
America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-13.jpg

Depending on sun rays, the lake displays different color:
America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-14.jpg

Approaching Salina, Utah - Our destination for the day. We reached there at around 7 PM as planned. We never felt tired even after driving 700 miles from Las Vegas to Salina. We throughly enjoyed the drive.
America, the beautiful : A 10,000 mile road-trip with my parents-15.jpg

Last edited by guyfrmblr : 24th June 2020 at 16:40.
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