I have a nice little video essay prepared for this attraction - though I believe that I will have to wait until I get back to share it, as it appears that my videos are all several megabytes in size, and that takes an absolute age to upload (and probably still quite a while to download). I think I'll have to work out a way to reduce them in size. Probably involving YouTube...
In the meantime...
I got to the Stratosphere Tower (part of the Stratosphere resort, and the tallest free-standing structure West of Missouri) just as the sun had set. My plan was to be just before that, to see the late afternoon sun streaming across the city and onto the ring of mountains that surround it, before witnessing the transformation of the city into the glittering neon-laced confection that it is at night, but that didn't happen. Nice description though, eh? What I am saying is I really missed the first part!
The views are great, the price is medium-high. A bit like the CN tower in Toronto really for those who have been there... though the CN tower is quite a bit taller! There is a restaurant at the top, a bar, and some viewing decks. Plus, and these definitely are not found on the CN Tower, it has 3 crazy, nutty, thrill rides. One was out of action, but I got to see the others close up (and hear the screams).
The first looks like a giant mechanical claw (with two people strapped on part of the claw) that is swung out over - well - nothing and then spun round and round gradually pulling the claw open, leaving the riders facing practically straight down to the ground 900 feet below.
The second is a cross between a roller coaster and a teeter-totter. At first the riders plummet forwards, again right off the side of the building, where they suddenly stop, hang in the balance, and then drop some more, before tipping and sliding back onto the building, before again sliding off the edge! Both required much more courage (and money) than I was prepared to invest!
A truly unique experience is also offered where you can "skydive" right off the building and actually land on the ground this time. There are no parachutes involved, you are hooked up to a wire, which allows you to fall at practically free-fall speed before slowing you up rapidly before you hit the ground, rather than land on it. Absolutely nuts.
Fun for kids? Maybe. There were quite a few there, and some did seem to enjoy the views. Teens enjoyed the rides. It is what it is. It's a bit of money to get a family up to the top, but so is the CN Tower. Lots of families do both.
