Postapocalypse now: Leave the world — and the galaxy — behind at sci-fi-inspired outpost in Utah

By Christopher Lawrence Las Vegas Review-Journal LAS VEGAS We re all Star Wars nuts Barry Ray says as his wife Melissa and daughter Evie play nearby Evie knows all the Star Wars characters from multiple readings of the Little Golden Books series She s wearing a Princess Leia costume so in keeping with the canon her parents are dressed as Darth Vader and Padm Amidala They ve traveled from Granbury Texas to celebrate Evie s th birthday in the middle of a -acre dry lake bed that s the next best thing to Tatooine The previous night they d watched the original Star Wars Episode IV A New Hope inside a two-bedroom cave We ve had a great time Barry says and it s an experience she won t ever forget It is OutpostX a swath of raw desert flush with science-fiction iconography that founder Travis Chambers refers to as a film-set hotel with a story The whole thing feels like it s part of a different galaxy even though it s not all that far far away Barry Ray daughter Evie and wife Melissa of Granbury Texas battle with light sabers atop trampolines at OutpostX on Feb in Beryl Utah L E Baskow Left Eye Images Las Vegas Review-Journal TNS Sarah Jane Woodall a content creator also known as Wonderhussy strikes a pose atop a Sand Cruiser about OutpostX on Feb in Beryl Utah L E Baskow Left Eye Images Las Vegas Review-Journal TNS Zen Domes are available to reserve with a bedroom under the stars at OutpostX on Feb in Beryl Utah L E Baskow Left Eye Images Las Vegas Review-Journal TNS Show Caption of Barry Ray daughter Evie and wife Melissa of Granbury Texas battle with light sabers atop trampolines at OutpostX on Feb in Beryl Utah L E Baskow Left Eye Images Las Vegas Review-Journal TNS Expand A postapocalyptic sanctuary During a visit to a pirate-themed Airbnb in Southern California something clicked inside Chambers He started traveling the world racking up -something countries in short order I got to the point where I d rather stay in a shack in the jungle in Belize than go to a Four Seasons Chambers says Luxury just does not do it for me That same year he founded the digital ad agency Chamber Media which would land him on a Forbes Under list Ultimately he says the company was a means to an end In Chambers cashed out with a stated million to fund his real dream OutpostX is a whole lot of nothing and that s by design Imagined as a postapocalyptic sanctuary the retreat covers acres yet feels significantly larger given the lack of visible borders You can see for miles there without recognizing anything other than mountains and scrub Chambers identifies luxury provision and location as the three elements on which majority hotels compete We didn t follow any of those he boasts There s no gift shop no restaurant not even a vending machine You could complete your stay at OutpostX without interacting with another soul The accommodations consist of three cave dwellings four Zen Domes and a handful of tents Whether you purchase the ingredients from OutpostX or bring your own food you ll be cooking for yourself either in your kitchenette or the fire pit in the common area Instead of a staff to pamper guests there are hot tubs a cold plunge and a sauna with a wood-burning stove A solitary hammock offers its occupant a silence most of will never know In keeping with Chambers tastes OutpostX is aggressively anti-luxury and guests are more than happy to pay for that vibe Zen Domes start at a night the one-bedroom caves at and the two-bedroom cave at Ahead of its opening in the retreat was sold out for its first year We ve gotten comments on the internet You want us to pay to stay in a Third World country Chambers says And we re like Yep Exactly A Third World country years from now Caves for reservation feature bedrooms a kitchenette and bathroom at OutpostX on Feb in Beryl Utah L E Baskow Left Eye Images Las Vegas Review-Journal TNS The content Championship Room features art supplies couches and pillows musical instruments and more with a view of the playa at OutpostX on Feb in Beryl Utah L E Baskow Left Eye Images Las Vegas Review-Journal TNS Caves for reservation feature bathrooms a kitchenette and bedrooms at OutpostX on Feb in Beryl Utah L E Baskow Left Eye Images Las Vegas Review-Journal TNS Show Caption of Caves for reservation feature bedrooms a kitchenette and bathroom at OutpostX on Feb in Beryl Utah L E Baskow Left Eye Images Las Vegas Review-Journal TNS Expand A mythology of its own Not only is OutpostX reminiscent of the Skywalkers home planet guests can explore its outer reaches from inside sand cruisers custom-built vehicles that greatly resemble Luke s banged-up landspeeder minus the hovering Just don t expect anyone involved in the enterprise to mention the words Star Wars It s a bit like the episode of The Simpsons in which the family hires a caroling British nanny named Shary Bobbins who insists she s an original creation like Ricky Rouse and Monald Muck Related Articles Four towns worth an hours-long road trip from Denver for lunch The world s top food cities including a Southern fave How to see Colorado s bulk iconic waterfalls Winter Park Express ski train use has doubled thanks to lower fares expanded schedule cool new places to go glamping in Colorado this summer Instead the retreat comes with its own backstory involving brothers Maa and Naa Hyer who were separated at birth to avoid being recruited into the galactic military What you experience at OutpostX is the settlement as it s being rebuilt after The Empire destroyed it with a solar flare That story plays out in the multi-episode podcast that s sent to guests so they ll have something to listen to during the -mile drive from Las Vegas or the -mile trip from Zion National Park Signs around OutpostX tell more of the tale the way a state park might showcase its flora and fauna The caves they inform the guests who notice them were built with materials hauled out of far-off granite quarries by giant Armaados while the Zen Domes were constructed from the blast glass salvaged from a crashed ship Guests typically break down into thirds Chambers says There s the sci-fi geeks and nerds who ll take to the origin tale and rent the corresponding costumes those looking for seclusion and the Burning Man hippie crowd The communal Kaan Lounge offers Frank Herbert s Dune books for the former For the latter it also houses a guitar drums a sonic force handpan and a Sound Bowl Experience More is on the way Every very smart person advised us that it was a horrible idea Chambers says They ve started coming around though OutpostX is booked six months in advance Similar locations are planned to open in Moab and Puerto Rico this year By then foreseen guests may have figured out whether the minimalist concept is right for them I ve seen people show up in a Maybach or a Bentley and get out Chambers says then get in their car and leave The OutpostX clientele he adds isn t so much a demographic as it is a personality someone who s creative and imaginative and willing to pay a premium to exercise those attributes I think when everyone is at OutpostX Chambers says they re experiencing what you would build with your friends if you were years old Las Vegas Review-Journal Visit reviewjournal com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency LLC