The Willis Tower observation deck, located on the 103rd floor of the tower, first opened on June 22, 1974. Today, 1.3 million visitors make their way to the deck, today known as Skydeck Chicago, every year. In January 2009, the owners of Willis Tower kicked off a major renovation of the Skydeck. Among the changes was the additon of retractable glass balconies. Known as The Ledge, the balconies can be extended approximately 4 feetfrom the facade of building and allow visitors to look through the glass floor to the street 1,353 feet below. The balconies officially opened on July 2, 2009.
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The Southern Belle Riverboat operates sightseeing trips along the Tennessee River. The Southern Belle offers a variety of daily cruise options on its 450-passenger vessel built in 1985.
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The Southernmost Point Buoy is a concrete buoy that ostensibly marks the southernmost point in the continental United States and is a popular photograph for tourists. The buoy, which sits at 18 feet above sea level, was established in 1983 at South and Whitehead streets. Cuba is about 90 miles south of the point, but the exact distance is disputed, as is the southernmost point claim. The southernmost point was initially marked with a small sign before city officials erected the buoy in 1983. Hurricane Irma damaged the paint job in September 2017, but the original artist, with support from the city of Key West, refurbished it.
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St. Lawrence Market is often ranked among the best food markets in the world. Located in the Old Town district of Toronto, the market’s south building dates to 1845 and includes a structure that once served as Toronto City Hall. Today, the market is a great way to experience the cuisine of Toronto.
New York City has so many landmarks that serve as the “face” of the city, but one of the few free ones is the Staten Island Ferry. Ferries shuttled people back and forth across New York Harbor since the 18th century. Today, the Ferry between St. George on Staten Island and Lower Manhattan has a way of life for the 19 million people who commute between the two destinations each year. Eight boats make up the Staten Island Ferry fleet, making a combined 33,000 25-minute one-way trips between the two boroughs. Arguably, the ferry offers the best view of the Statue of Liberty.
Make the 1.3 mile trek or ride the sky lift up Stone Mountain. With more than 3,300 acres of natural beauty, a variety of outdoor attractions, entertainment and recreation, Stone Mountain is the most visited attraction in Georgia. Visitors can now climb to new heights on Sky Hike, a quarter of a mile course that allows visitors to trek through the treetops by mastering wooden bridges, balancing on a single rope suspended in the air and climbing to the top of vertical net bridges.
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Nearly a million people visit Stonehenge, a Neolithic monument, every year. The mysterious and alluring Stonehenge sits eight miles north of Salisbury and is one of England’s most recognizable symbols, even if many scholars and experts disagree on its original purpose. What makes Stonehenge so fascinating is that despite centuries of study and exploration, no one can say with 100 percent certainty the history of Stonehenge.
Trahlyta was a Cherokee who lived in the North Georgia Mountains near what is today Dahlonega. According to legend, she drank from a nearby Fountain of Youth to maintain her renowned beauty. A warrior named Wahsega courted her, bus she rejected him. Upset by this, Wahsega kidnapped and imprisoned Trahlyta. Longing to see her home again, Trahlyta eventually died. Her last wish was to be buried in the mountain forests near her home. Today. a five-foot-tall pile of stones marks her grave. According to the historical marker at the site of her supposed grave, “custom arose among the Indians and later the Whites to drop stones, one for each passerby, on her grave for good fortune.” Highway department workers apparently twice tried to move the pile of rocks as part of road projects. But, both times at least one person was killed in the process.
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The Sunsphere is the centerpiece of World’s Fair Park and is a symbol of Knoxville, Tenn. The tower is one of two buildings that survived the Fair. Substantive redevelopment of the 67-acre Fair did not materialize for many years. Though it was underutilized for most of its post-show life, the tower is today home to an observation deck, an event space and a restaurant and bar.
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