It’s 1 in the afternoon and I’m drinking a Miller Lite in the middle of nowhere, the northern reaches of Arizona’s Sonoran Desert, miles down a dirt road from any signs of civilization.

Did I mention I’m at a bar?

That’s the allure of the Nellie E Saloon. Affectionately called the “Desert Bar,” the watering hole’s remote location and off-the-grid quirks (no air conditioning, limited refrigeration and a cash-only policy) have been attracting desert nomads since the bar opened in 1983.

Situated on an old mining camp, what started as a three-sided outpost slinging cans of brewskis to dirt bikers has morphed into a makeshift townsite. The saloon now stands two stories tall, complete with two indoor bars, two grills, covered patio areas and two stages for live bands. Owner Ken Coughlin’s abode, an open-air church and the destination’s “cooling towers” (utilizing swamp-cooler technology minus electricity) complete the camp-ish complex, which undergoes some kind of expansion project each year.

If Nellie E is anything, it’s a testament to “If you build it, they will come.” On a recent Saturday afternoon the bar was packed to the brim, with around 200 people throwing back beers, chowing on burgers and pulled-pork nachos and two-stepping to the live country crooning in the background.

The seasonal bar is only open from October through April, (those cooling towers wouldn’t help much during Arizona’s brutal summers), but you still have this month to take advantage of the nearby oddity.

And while Nellie E itself is definitely something to see, the journey can be the real adventure. While most opt to take their sedans and trucks on the easy-riding dirt road in, many choose to off-road on a path that begins behind the River Island gas station in Parker, Arizona. The trek through the saguaro- and prickly-pear-dotted Buckskin Mountains takes approximately three hours, and it’ll make that Miller Lite (or Solo cup of Franzia!) taste even better.