{"id":68579,"date":"2025-08-23T06:18:06","date_gmt":"2025-08-23T10:18:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/chasing-aliens-and-legends-on-the-extraterrestrial-highway-in-a-hyundai-santa-cruz\/"},"modified":"2025-08-23T06:18:06","modified_gmt":"2025-08-23T10:18:06","slug":"chasing-aliens-and-legends-on-the-extraterrestrial-highway-in-a-hyundai-santa-cruz","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/chasing-aliens-and-legends-on-the-extraterrestrial-highway-in-a-hyundai-santa-cruz\/","title":{"rendered":"Chasing Aliens and Legends on the Extraterrestrial Highway in a Hyundai Santa Cruz"},"content":{"rendered":"

What\u2019s the Story Behind America\u2019s Most Mysterious Mailbox?<\/p>\n

If you ever find yourself cruising along Nevada\u2019s Highway 375, you\u2019ll spot something that feels straight out of a sci-fi movie: a lone black mailbox, battered by the desert sun, sitting quietly by the roadside. This isn\u2019t just any mailbox\u2014it\u2019s a quirky landmark on the so-called Extraterrestrial Highway, a stretch of road officially renamed in 1996 to cash in on the UFO tourism boom. Locals and travelers alike stuff it with letters addressed to the \u201caliens\u201d supposedly held captive inside Area 51, the world\u2019s worst-kept secret military base.<\/p>\n

Why here? Well, look around. The landscape is an endless sea of nothing, ringed by hills that seem tailor-made for hiding things\u2014be it experimental aircraft or, if you\u2019re feeling imaginative, visitors from another planet. The mailbox has become a symbol of the area\u2019s blend of mystery, myth, and tongue-in-cheek alien lore. It\u2019s not just a tourist trap; it\u2019s a testament to the enduring power of curiosity and a good story.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s It Like Driving to Area 51 in a Hyundai Santa Cruz?<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s set the scene: you\u2019re behind the wheel of a Hyundai Santa Cruz, rolling west out of Albuquerque, New Mexico, with the sun blazing overhead and miles of open road ahead. The Santa Cruz isn\u2019t your typical American pickup. Built on the Hyundai Tucson\u2019s platform, it\u2019s a compact, car-like truck with a five-seat double cab and a short, practical bed. It\u2019s the kind of vehicle that turns heads\u2014not because it\u2019s massive or intimidating, but because it\u2019s refreshingly different.<\/p>\n

On the way to Area 51, the Santa Cruz feels right at home. The ride is smooth, steering is precise, and the cabin is packed with tech\u2014digital dials, a big touchscreen, and enough comfort to make even the longest stretches of desert highway feel like a breeze. Unlike the hulking, body-on-frame pickups that dominate American roads, the Santa Cruz is approachable, almost friendly. It\u2019s the kind of truck you\u2019d take camping or surfing, not just to haul lumber.<\/p>\n

As you approach the infamous mailbox, you might spot a dust cloud in the distance. Maybe it\u2019s a tour group in a white SUV, stopping for photos and a quick chat about the base\u2019s mysterious guards\u2014known in online circles as \u201ccamo dudes.\u201d The sense of being watched is real, but it\u2019s all part of the experience. Even standing near the gate, you might hear stories of phones mysteriously deleting photos, or cameras wiping images clean. Paranoia? Maybe. But it adds to the thrill.<\/p>\n

Is the Santa Cruz Really a \u201cProper\u201d Truck?<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s address the elephant in the room: some pickup purists scoff at the Santa Cruz, dismissing it as not a \u201creal\u201d truck. But here\u2019s the thing\u2014most people don\u2019t need a massive, heavy-duty hauler. The Santa Cruz offers a sweet spot for those who want the utility of a pickup without the compromises of a full-size rig. With a 2.5-liter turbocharged engine delivering 281 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque, it\u2019s got plenty of pep for both city streets and backroad adventures.<\/p>\n

In the US, the Santa Cruz\u2019s compact size (just under 5 meters long) makes it nimble and easy to park, while the all-wheel-drive system is more than capable of handling dirt tracks and sandy shortcuts. For families, outdoor enthusiasts, or anyone tired of the \u201cbigger is better\u201d mindset, it\u2019s a breath of fresh air.<\/p>\n

How Does the Route 66 Experience Compare to This Offbeat Detour?<\/p>\n

Route 66 is legendary\u2014a ribbon of asphalt stretching from Chicago to Los Angeles, immortalized in song and story. But let\u2019s be honest: as you head west, the excitement can fade. The road is often paralleled by modern highways, and many of the once-bustling towns have faded into obscurity, bypassed by progress.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why detouring north toward the Extraterrestrial Highway and Area 51 feels like a revelation. Instead of the usual tourist stops, you\u2019re treated to the surreal sights of the Navajo Nation\u2019s Window Rock, the ancient Petrified Forest, and the jaw-dropping scale of the Hoover Dam. Did you know the dam contains over 3.3 million cubic meters of concrete and its turbines generate more than 2,000 megawatts of power? It\u2019s the kind of place that makes you feel small\u2014in a good way.<\/p>\n

And then there\u2019s the town of Rachel, Nevada, home to the Little A\u2019Le\u2019Inn, an alien-themed cafe that welcomes travelers with a wink and a nod. The road itself is a study in contrasts: empty, open, and dotted with reminders that you\u2019re never too far from a good story.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the Real Deal with Area 51 and Its Alien Mystique?<\/p>\n

Area 51\u2019s reputation as a hub for extraterrestrial secrets is both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, it draws thousands of curious visitors each year, eager to snap selfies by the \u201cno photography\u201d signs and swap stories about government cover-ups. On the other, it\u2019s still a working military base, and the security is no joke. Seismic meters, cameras, and ever-watchful guards ensure that nobody gets too close.<\/p>\n

The 2019 \u201cStorm Area 51\u201d event, which started as a joke on social media, ended up drawing crowds of alien enthusiasts and curious onlookers. The result? More of a quirky festival than a confrontation, with the biggest risk being sunburn or an awkward encounter with a camo dude.<\/p>\n

Despite the hype, most visitors leave with nothing more than a few photos and a sense of having brushed up against the edge of the unknown. And maybe that\u2019s enough. The real magic of Area 51 isn\u2019t what\u2019s hidden behind the fences\u2014it\u2019s the stories we tell about what might be out there.<\/p>\n

Is the Santa Cruz Up for the Challenge of the Desert?<\/p>\n

You don\u2019t need a monster truck to tackle the dirt tracks leading to Area 51\u2019s outer gates, but the Santa Cruz\u2019s all-wheel-drive system certainly doesn\u2019t hurt. The terrain is rough in places, with patches of deep sand and loose gravel, but the Santa Cruz takes it all in stride. Most owners will probably never push their trucks this hard, but it\u2019s nice to know it can handle a little adventure.<\/p>\n

The drive is punctuated by moments of pure Americana: a white Chevy Suburban with tinted windows passing by, an aircraft graveyard shimmering in the heat, and the endless, empty beauty of Death Valley. It\u2019s a reminder that sometimes the journey really is the destination.<\/p>\n

Why Does This Offbeat Adventure Matter?<\/p>\n

In a world where travel can feel scripted and predictable, detouring off the main drag\u2014especially in a vehicle as versatile as the Hyundai Santa Cruz\u2014offers a taste of genuine discovery. You\u2019re not just following in the footsteps of countless others; you\u2019re carving out your own story, one dusty mile at a time.<\/p>\n

And as you roll into Los Angeles after a day spent chasing myths and marveling at the landscape, you realize something important: the best road trips aren\u2019t about the destination. They\u2019re about the surprises, the stories, and the sense of freedom you find along the way.<\/p>\n

So if you\u2019re looking for a new way to cross the country\u2014or just a fresh perspective on an old legend\u2014consider heading north, toward the mailbox, the myths, and the wide-open roads that make America\u2019s heart beat just a little faster. The Santa Cruz might not be the biggest truck on the block, but it\u2019s proof that sometimes, thinking outside the box (or the mailbox) leads to the most memorable adventures.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\"SantaCruz<\/a><\/p>\n

\n America’s most mysterious mailbox is useful as aliens lack internet access <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

We drive a Hyundai Santa Cruz to the top secret base \u2013 and find the US’s most mysterious postbox<\/p>\n

\n

A lone black mailbox alongside the Extraterrestrial Highway is stuffed with letters addressed to aliens the American government supposedly keeps captive inside Area 51, the world\u2019s least secret secret military base.<\/p>\n

Bathed in the summer heat alongside Nevada\u2019s highway 375 \u2013 officially renamed the Extraterrestrial Highway in 1996, because why waste a tourist opportunity? \u2013 you can see why the military would pick this part of the country to build a secret airbase, whether for holding aliens or \u2018just\u2019 to test new jet technology.<\/p>\n

There is mile upon mile of nothing save for a circle of impenetrable hills made for concealment.<\/p>\n

In the distance, a vehicle kicks up dust, heading our way. One of the base\u2019s gates, and said to be how most civilian workers arrive for their shifts, bussed in from a town nearby (though distances are relative), is a good 20 minutes\u2019 drive off the highway, along a dirt road.<\/p>\n

The indistinct cloud of dust becomes a large white SUV<\/a> as it nears, and eventually arrives at the roadside mailbox. A large sticker on the side reads \u2018Scenic Photographic Tours\u2019. A family emerges and starts taking photos.<\/p>\n

The gate is about eight miles away, along two dirt tracks, the tour guide tells us, and if you want to go for a look, \u201cthey know you\u2019re coming\u201d. \u2018They\u2019 is used in the manner everybody does to describe a faceless, perhaps sinister, bunch of people in authority. Them. They. Not us. Among online Area 51 enthusiasts, base guards are often dubbed \u2018camo dudes\u2019.<\/p>\n

Anyway, \u2018they\u2019 have got \u201cseismic meters and cameras\u201d, the guide says, which seems like overkill given that a camo dude wouldn\u2019t even have to lift his aviator shades to spot the plume my Hyundai<\/a> Santa Cruz would kick up.<\/p>\n

But if we do go to the gate to take some pictures, even simply standing there might leave ourselves open to remote digital interrogation, I\u2019m warned. \u201cI\u2019ve had people who\u2019ve had camera phone pictures automatically deleted,\u201d the guide says.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had a woman with a digital SLR camera who got back into the car and found all her images of the gate had disappeared.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

I\u2019m here, and in a Santa Cruz, because I\u2019m looking for a better way to end the historic Route 66 driving tour, which runs from Chicago to Los Angeles, loosely following the passage taken by early pioneers travelling in search of a better life. I drove it a few years ago and enjoyed it but had wondered if there was a more interesting path from one side of the US to another, particularly as local enthusiasm for Route 66 feels like it wanes the further west you get: there\u2019s a bit more going on than in America\u2019s quiet middle, where the road is often the biggest show in town.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d been in Santa Fe, New Mexico, to preview the new Hyundai Santa Fe<\/a> and interview its designer. So I picked up the Santa Cruz, and then picked up Route 66, just down the road in Albuquerque.<\/p>\n

We don\u2019t get the Santa Cruz in the UK, but it\u2019s the car that Hyundai UK most gets asked about importing. I understand the appeal. Based on the Hyundai Tucson<\/a>, it\u2019s a good-looking lifestyle pick-up truck<\/a> that is a smidge under 5m long, making it a compact truck in the US. It comes with a five-seat double cab and a relatively short, 1.3m load bay.<\/p>\n

And a reputation for not being a \u2018proper\u2019 truck, at least in the eyes of those who like their pick-ups bigger, burlier and more separate of chassis and body.<\/p>\n

The unitary-bodied Santa Cruz is a family-friendly alternative to an SUV, then, which would be considered perfectly capable if it ever arrived over here. In this upmarket spec, it has four-wheel drive, and a 2.5-litre turbo four-cylinder petrol engine making 281bhp and 311lb ft, which one American review says is \u201cbetter suited to urban driving\u201d than the non-turbo base model. Different world.<\/p>\n

Anyway, it definitely feels more car-like than the brasher, more rugged and much, much larger trucks with which it shares the highway west out of Albuquerque. In large parts, the road that constituted historic Route 66 has been supplemented by four- or six-lane highway parallel to it, because after all there\u2019s plenty of space to keep both.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

So if you want to drive the totally authentic original, you can, but it\u2019s no more interesting and most of the time you\u2019d be within sight of it, plus there\u2019s an exit for every town so you can get the full Radiator Springs experience: bypassed ranch towns that, as trains became longer and trucks able to drive faster and further, slowly became forgotten.<\/p>\n

At this point on the route, the most interesting things to see are off the highway. The Navajo Nation\u2019s Window Rock. The Petrified Forest. The Grand Canyon. Las Vegas?<\/p>\n

If Vegas isn\u2019t quite your cup of tea, not far before it is the Hoover Dam. What a thing. The numbers are so vast as to be almost incomprehensible. It\u2019s constructed from 3.36 million cubic metres of concrete; the artificial lake behind it stretches for 115 miles; its 17 turbines produce 2.08 megawatts of power; and there are spillways vast enough, with drops tall enough, to make your correspondent feel decidedly queasy. If a train of Santa Cruzes poured one load bay of water into the reservoir every 30 seconds, it\u2019d take 38,860 years to fill it.<\/p>\n

It is an astonishing piece of engineering, and from its completion the federal highway drove straight across the top of it. Only in 2010 was it finally bypassed. It feels bonkers, driving over its slow single-lane road now, that this was the main highway.I don\u2019t doubt there\u2019s more concrete in Las Vegas \u2013 certainly the city lights use their share of 2.08 megawatts. And there\u2019s a fairly straightforward route to Los Angeles directly from the city, which is packed at weekends, on Fridays with cars heading out of California, with the opposite exodus on Sundays.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Our route, though, is the less travelled northern one, towards empty highways, the tiny town of Rachel, its alien-themed cafe (the Little A\u2019Le\u2019Inn) and the myths of Area 51.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m enjoying the Santa Cruz. It\u2019s got a decent ride that doesn\u2019t have the crashy, basic agricultural vibe of even the best separate-chassis pick-ups we get in Europe. For the most part, you can forget it\u2019s a pick-up at all and think of it like an SUV you can take fishing or hunting or surfing without the cabin smelling on the way home.<\/p>\n

It steers with heft but accuracy, rides with a firm composure, and has digital dials and a big touchscreen. If it weren\u2019t for radio stations featuring adverts for nasal vacuums (\u201cclean nose, healthy life!\u201d) and \u2018prostate secrets\u2019 (.com!), and playing songs like \u2018I\u2019m rednecker than you\u2019, you could almost convince yourself it\u2019s a European experience.<\/p>\n

The roads, the space and the emptiness are all pure Americana, though. A wide, sweeping set of bends leads downhill towards the Extraterrestrial Highway, whose quirky, digital-font signage is covered in stickers from all parts of the world.<\/p>\n

For all of the seriousness of there being an actual secret active military airbase nearby, they ham up the alien mythology with a knowing wink. When, in 2019, there was an \u201cArea 51 Raid\u201d organised online on the basis that \u201cthey can\u2019t shoot all of us\u201d, additional policing was drafted in.<\/p>\n

But ultimately the event had all the threat of a village fete, the most risky activity being selfie-taking in front of the \u2018don\u2019t take photos here\u2019 signs outside the razor-wired gate, to the shrugging permission of by-standing guards.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

So we go too, off the main highway and onto the dirt track, which you don\u2019t strictly need a pick-up\u2019s 4×4 system to navigate, but which isn\u2019t unhelpful in deeper sand. One suspects this is as hard as most Santa Cruzes will be worked but there\u2019s plenty of terrain like this in the US, and it deals with it nicely, slipping around entertainingly.<\/p>\n

Do they notice us with their spy drones and seismometers? We\u2019re probably not worth the trouble. On an average day, there must be a dozen cars and tours that turn up to peer over the gate at a remote sentry camera, which is all overlooked by a white pick-up on a low hillside \u2013 \u2018camo dude\u2019 presumably aboard.<\/p>\n

We stay a few minutes. On the return leg, a white Chevy Suburban with darkened windows passes us but, let\u2019s face it, it\u2019s more likely that a shift manager than Paul the alien is on board.<\/p>\n

Back on the road, we swing a left towards the restaurant, and then drive on another six hours towards California, through the desolation of Death Valley, past an aircraft graveyard, and eventually out onto the busy highway that runs down into Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

This is a cooler, more intriguing, end to Route 66. And an interesting car to do it in. I check my phone to see if any pictures have been deleted. No. No, they haven\u2019t been.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":68580,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"Default","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,137],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-68579","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-featured","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68579","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=68579"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68579\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/68580"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=68579"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=68579"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=68579"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}