Nevada’s Weird Wonders

Nevada’s Weirdest Wonders

Travelers looking for a super strange or off-thebeaten-path trip idea, look no further. Travel Nevada released its inaugural list of the state’s Seven Weirdest Wonders. Just like the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World are proof of humanity’s ingenuity, Nevada’s Seven Weirdest Wonders are definitive proof that the Silver State is filled with abundant unique places. These locations aren’t just fun to see and talk about – experiences like these can transform vacationers by opening their eyes to things they never imagined.

BY: TRACIE BARNTHOUSE

Alien Research Center

Almost everyone has heard of Area 51. While you definitely can’t storm it (seriously, you’ll be arrested before you can say “ET”), you can go inside the Alien Research Center and get a feel for what those little green creatures might have found after crash-landing in the area. As the gateway to the world-famous Extraterrestrial Highway, the Alien Research Center is the perfect way to start your own alien hunt. Extraterrestrial enthusiasts and skeptics alike won’t want to miss stopping at the gift shop to stock up on various alien-related knick-knacks at this one-of-a-kind Nevada experience.

International Car Forest of the Last Church

Rethink any preconceived notions of a typical forest with trees and greens. This open air gallery comprises more than 40 graffiti cars, each a unique masterpiece. The “forest” has no artist statement or bulletin, so visitors are free to interpret the surrounding art in limitless ways.

If you haven’t stayed in a hotel since… well, who can even remember? Make the first overnight one you’ll never forget. The Clown Motel in Tonopah is the perfect place to get over your fear of clowns — or maybe make it worse? We’ll let you decide. No matter your goal, this motel has arguably the largest private collection of clownthemed memorabilia, and is a landmark that makes Nevada unique. Oh, and did we mention it’s situated right next to a historic (allegedly haunted) cemetery? Of COURSE it is!

Among some of the world’s most distinctive pieces of experiential art is the Goldwell Open Air Museum. More an “experience” than a “museum,” Goldwell boasts seven colossal structures, including a ghostly, life-size version of Leonardo Da Vinci’s painting of the Last Supper; a 25-foot pink woman constructed of cinder blocks; and a gleaming tangle of chrome car accessories. Forget the velvet ropes of a traditional museum – visitors are encouraged to step right into these pieces of art.

Imagine digging a hole in the middle of the desert and suddenly getting sprayed by hot water as if you hit a pipe. You walk away, only to learn that years later, that hole is still spewing, but is now a 12-foot geyser with a rainbow of colored rocks surrounding it. That’s essentially how Fly Geyser came to be, and, after more than 100 years since the first “pipe” was hit, people can still come see this everspewing natural fountain in all its beauty.