| David Jin's pitch was simple: Build a rectangular | | | | - Empire State Building - 1,250 ft. |
| platform made of glass and hang it off the lip of the | | | | - Stratosphere Tower - 1,149 ft. |
| Grand Canyon's West Rim. The attraction would be | | | | - Gateway Arch - 630 ft. |
| so outrageous that people around the world would | | | | - Petronas Towers - 1,483 ft. |
| flock to experience it. The entrepreneur and | | | | - Hong Kong & Shanghai Bank - 587 ft. |
| half-owner of the walkway was right. In just three | | | | None of these man-made towers come close to the |
| years, more than a million people have walked the | | | | Bridge, which becomes even more spectacular |
| "Glass Bridge," and there's no sign that demand will let | | | | considering you are supported over the precipice by |
| up. | | | | 10-foot wide by 2-inch thick walkway made of glass. |
| The Skywalk is located in a remote stretch of desert | | | | This isn't ordinary material: It's made of layers of |
| owned by the Hualapai Indian Tribe. Diesel fuel, | | | | Diamant low-iron glass that can bear the weight of |
| water, and waste are trucked in over a ten-mile dirt | | | | 800 people simultaneously and withstand major |
| road. Satellite uplinks provide cell phone and Internet | | | | earthquakes. The glass railings are five-feet tall by |
| service; in late 2009, satellite repeaters were installed | | | | two-inches thick and have been engineered to defeat |
| that give visitors cell phone coverage in Guano and | | | | the high winds which are known to rip through this |
| Eagle Points. The Bridge is definitely off the beaten | | | | part of the Canyon. |
| track. | | | | The effect of this Glass Bridge will leave you |
| So why do people come? Simple: The chance to be | | | | breathless. Looking out toward the horizon or down |
| suspended 4,000 feet over the Colorado River in | | | | to the bottom, you'll feel as if your are floating over |
| order to get views of the Grand Canyon that are | | | | the Canyon's ageless depths. Cameras and other |
| unobtainable anywhere else in the National Park. | | | | personal electronics are not allowed on the Bridge |
| Crazy as it sounds, the distance from the Skywalk to | | | | because they will scratch the surface if dropped. It's |
| the River is more than twice the height of the | | | | also the reason you'll be required to wear cotton |
| world's tallest building. For you "fact hounds," here's a | | | | booties over your shoes. If you need a photo of the |
| short list of the planet's tallest edifices: | | | | occasion, simply ask one of the roving photographers |
| - CN Tower - 1,815 ft. | | | | authorized to take pictures, which you can pick up in |
| - Taipei 101 - 1,671 ft. | | | | the gift shop or download online at the attraction's |
| - Petronas Towers - 1,483 ft. | | | | website. |
| - Sears Tower - 1,450 ft. | | | | |