Not For The Faint of Stomach

I don't know if you've seen the movie "The Bucket List" in which two men played by Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman decide to take life into their own hands and do the things they've always wanted to do prior to "kicking the bucket." It's Nicholson's idea, and his money so the adventure begins. I actually thought the movie was just OK, but, like many things, it did start me thinking about the things I've always wanted to do but failed to do because of time, money or permission from my sweetie. Topping the list would be playing shortstop in a fantasy baseball camp for the New York Yankees (which might happen if the economy ever gives me back the money it took last year). I suppose there are places to see and things to do like falling out of an airplane with a parchute attached...hey, if George Bush, Sr. can do it at his age, I can handle it. Heights have always fascinated me, and standing atop the Empire State Building was very cool, "Sleepless in Seattle" notwithstanding. I have to admit that going to the top of the Hemisfair Needle in San Antonio was a little scary. Designed like the Space Needle in Seattle, there's only the floor between spectators and a spectacular fall...it's not like there's a building there underfoot. I'll admit to a little nervousness and give major props to my sweetie who wanted NOTHING to do with it but agreed to go up because I wanted to.
Now, there's a new vertical thrill, and it's relatively close: "The Ledge" located on, I think, the 103rd floor of the soon-to-be-renamed Sears Tower in Chicago opened today, and it looks fabulous. Basically, it involves glass-enclosed boxes which jut out 4.3 feet from the Skydeck on the Sears Tower. The walls are glass, and the floor is glass, offering a relatively unobstructed view of the Windy City (on a clear day, you can see Sheboygan). Each glass panel weighs 1500 pounds and is comprised of three layers of 1/2 inch thick glass. At $14.95, it is a cheap thrill at its best, offering a slack-jawed look straight down 1,353 feet where, no doubt, the people really DO look like ants.
However, for the larger thrill (and longer drop), one has to go to the Grand Canyon, where the Hualapia Indian tribe has constructed a U-shaped glass walkway which extends a death-defying 70 feet out over the west rim of the canyon, providing a stomach-churning look 4,000 feet straight down toward the Colorado River. As Paul Newman said to Robert Redford as they prepared to jump off a cliff into a river, "You can't swim? Don't worry about it. The fall alone will kill you." Of course, with greater thrill comes greater cost: the trip out on the walkway will set you back $75. Still up for the thrill? Put that on your bucket list.
Me, too, but I'm heading to Chicago first chance I get.
I've included a URL of a reporter's-eye view from The Ledge for the not-so-squeamish (Mark...look away)
http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2009/07/skydeck-heights-sears-tower-chicago-tourist.html