Yesterday a new attraction opened in Nevada, USA. This was already an attraction but had something added to it. What is it as was it as good idea?
The Grand Canyon resides in the American state of Nevada to the east of California. It was formed by the process of weathering and erosion produced by the river Colorado which runs at the bottom of the canyon. It is one of the seven wonders of the world and is truly awe inspiring. I was lucky enough to visit Las Vegas in 2006 however due to holiday illness was unable to visit the Grand Canyon itself – it would have been amazing!
Of course the attraction of the Grand Canyon has been there for a long time now so what is the new attraction? The answer is that they have built a walkway made of steel but with a glass floor sticking out 20 metres over the edge of the Canyon.
The idea is that visitors can they walk out over the canyon and get the true perception of the height of it. It is truly amazing how high the canyon stands. It dwarfs even the largest structures the man has attempted to make, including some of the world tallest buildings. The canyon sky-walk is an amazing 1219.2 metres above the ground. That is well over a kilometre – wow!
But should they have built this feature. The land around the Canyon (and the Skywalk itself according to the news) is owned by the local tribes people. They are not happy about this attraction as it will attract many more visitors. The land around the Skywalk is ancient burial grounds and they are not happy saying that these will be disturbed. However they will gain jobs from this project which should benefit the locals.
It is one of those tough calls with positives and negatives on both sides. Personally I think that although it is amazing, and will provide visitors with the unique experience of finding out the height for themselves, they should have left well alone. The natural beauty of the site and the amazing feature are surely enough to bring in the visitors (millions go every year!). Added to that is I don’t think I am brave enough to walk out on a platform like that!
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BBC News Report on the Grand Canyon Skywalk
Video – Grand Canyon Skywalk
Grand Canyon Skywalk website
