Area 51, plastic alien sighting

Though the city of Las Vegas is full of odd characters and bizarre scenarios, none compare with what exists just outside of town, off Interstate 15: Area 51.

Area 51 is the stuff of legends and has been featured in many films and documentaries. It is the most famous secret military installation on the planet; some might call it "The Real X-Files."

You can drive along the perimeter of Area 51 yourself, although I enjoyed taking a tour that included fascinating points of interest and stops along the way. The "Black Mailbox" is a famous site for ET viewings and so is the area where UFO radiation has been said to have deformed a Joshua Tree Forest.

It's fun to stare at the heavily armed Air Force guards hanging out in their fortified trucks. Test your eye for detail by searching for hidden detection, motion and listening devices, and scan for assorted cameras mounted among the cactus. Should you "accidentally" cross the perimeter into Area 51, some say men in black will teleport to you directly and slap some cuffs on you for trespassing on government property.

Don't forget to scan the skies for UFO activity – maybe some ETs are searching for lost kin. That would be the purported dead aliens and spacecraft the government has presumably secreted below Area 51 that contain the remains discovered at Roswell, New Mexico, in 1948.

A sign that caught my eye: "The use of deadly force is authorized." The feds mean business here.

Even though it is supposed to be hush-hush and no picture taking is allowed, there is something supremely alluring and mysterious about this place. No trip to nearby Sin City should be complete without an extraterrestrial pilgrimage to Area 51.