"The truth is out there, but so are the lies."
The X-Files had quite an impact on a whole generation (and beyond). From checking every moving light in the sky to becoming alien-obsessed nerds and space enthusiasts, some of us grew up with much more fascination for the third kind than the ones around us.
So many sci-fi fans have considered taking up the profession of a UFO hunter, or have wanted to visit places where some sort of alien-related activity has been reported. Across the world, there exist several ancient structures which have mysterious origins (leading to conspiracy theories). In other locations, there have been reports of strange events and sightings.
From mysterious ranches to Martian-themed parties, here are some destinations to visit if you're a fan of the third kind.
San Clemente, Chile
The city of San Clemente is considered to be the unofficial UFO capital of the world. According to the researchers working here, UFO sightings average nearly one every week. So much so that the Chilean tourism board has established an official 30 km-long UFO trail here in 2008. The trail takes travelers through the scenic Andes mountains covering the various sites where close encounters have been reported. The area is home to the Colbún Lake which has a high mineral content apparently without any source. The trail's standout sight is the El Enladrillado, a huge and bizarre flat area formed by 200 perfectly cut volcanic blocks that are believed to be laid by ancient civilizations. However, conspiracy theorists and researchers believe it's a landing pad for extraterrestrials.
Wycliffe Well, Australia
Wycliffe Well, located along the Stuart Highway in the country’s Northern Territory is known as the UFO capital of Australia. UFO sightings by locals here are so comm༒on that the area hosts a full alien-themed junction in Wycliffe Well Holiday Park. It is one of the top five hots🦂pots of alien-sightings in the world that travellers can fly in to watch some UFOs zoom by usually during the beginning of the dry season, from May to October. The reports of unidentified flying objects started popping up in this area ever since the days of World War II. Visitors coming in here can grab their telescopes and stay in the cabins at Wycliffe Well Holiday Park. Locals claim sightings of strange objects almost every other day during the ‘UFO season’.
Joshua Tree National Park, California
Joshua Tree situated on the 29 Palms Highway is known to have many underground waterways high in mineral content without any explainable reason. The National Park was once home to 300 mines in its vast desert, including a unique white crystal quartz hill behind Giant Rock. It is believed to be an alien base by some researchers. UFO follower exploring the desert here believe that Joshua Tree sits on the 33rd North parallel just like Roswell does. Thus, it could be a hotspot for UFO sightings. For many years, UFO researchers have converged here for long weekends of lecturesﷺ and workshops on the unexplained. Considered as the Woodstock of UFOlogy, the weekends shed light on everything unexplained from the science of UFOs and ancient aliens to human origin and government disclosure.
Roswell, New Mexico
The mother ship of all UFO destinati🍨ons, this place is ꦺrenowned for the Roswell Incident which took place in July 1947. Apparently, the US military announced that it had recovered a spaceship from the nearby desert (later, they said it was just a weather balloon). Ever since then, conspiracy theorists have claimed the remains of a flying saucer, and even dead aliens were secretly taken into storage here. The area is home to the Roswell Spacewalk and the International UFO Museum and Research Centre along with the Roswell Museum & Arts Centre, all flocked by space enthusiasts. Spotting an actual UFO here might be tough, but head over to the city for the Roswell UFO Festival held every Fourth of July weekend to celebrate all things extraterrestrial with fellow fans. Thousands wearing costumes meet here for this Comic-Con of UFO devotees, which includes lectures and the alien-themed parade.
Guizhou, China
The five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) is the world's largest and most sensitive radio telescope. Located in a rural part of China’s Guizhou province, the FAST Radio Telescope which saw first light in 2016, is believed by Chinese researchers to be humankind’s best option to debunk mess꧂ages from outer space. Nickname Tianyan, meaning "Eye of the Sky" or "Eye of Heaven", by its founders, it was found to solve some of the universe’s biggest mysteries. One of its primary missions is to detect communication signals from aliens. Visit this large wonder of science and get a chance to watch scientists work on some real extraterrestrial-related projects.
Area 51, Nevada
From new conspiracy theories to Facebook events urging people to run into the base, Area 51 is always in the news. The US military installation, located almost 160 km north of Las Vegas, is a common ground for conspiracy theorists. Theories and even books by researchers and government insiders state that the area is a storage facility of a crashed alien spacecraft including its occupants, both living and dead, along with materials recovered at Roswell. Some even believe that the area is used to manufacture aircraft based on recovered alien technology. Some UFOlogists claim a newly discovered secret underground facility in the base of the Papoose Mountains, in Nevada, is where the extraterrestrial beings are kept hidden away and no longer at Area 51. Whether it actually has aliens or not ꦰis debatable, but the area certainly is highly classified. Visitors can drive up the state highway here which has the sign 'Extraterrestrial Highway'. It's filled with alien-themed businesses along the desert route. Remember to look upwards if you’re here during night time. It may be your lucky day.
