What is it about Ferris Wheels and their popularity around the globe these days. In Germany, they are fixtures at Christmas Markets. In London, the London Eye was built to welcome the millinium and proved so popular, they decided to keep it in place. I have had the pleasure of riding it several times and it is magical and takes about 30 minutes to do one rotation. It never stops, you walk to load and the step off lively at the end. Quite fun.
Then there is the wheel in Japan that has no center infastructure to allow a roller coaster to go through it. From Chicago to Singapore, Santa Cruz to Coney Island Ferris Wheels are big draws and helping to fuel a building of wheels in various cities. Last week, New York City announced it was going to build on in Staten Island so riders can look across and see the NYC skyline. Not to be out done, Seattle has joined the ranks of cities sporting a brand new "Great Wheel" that officially opens to the public at 4pm today.
42 climate controlled gondolas will take passengers over 200 feet in the air and hover out over Elliot Bay nearly 40 feet. $13 for three rotations will last about 15 minutes with one pod available to reserve with a flat screen, wine cooler and you get to have it for a half-hour. You might notice the Space Needle on the left and that the top is painted orange. It is actually "Galaxy Gold" and was the original color back when the World's Fair opened in 1962. This year marks the 50th anniversary and so they decided to paint it for the 6 months of celebrating. Personally, I cannot wait until October and see it go back to basic white. Here is another view of the wheel looking south.
That would be the Seahawk's stadium on the right and it is now known as Century Link Field or among the media as "The Clink" which makes me chuckle. What a delightful place the Emerald city is and right now the temps are perfect. I would take them any day over what the rest of the country is having to deal with. Happy summer!
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