Whatchu Talkin' Bout Willis?

It's the Sears Tower. Not the Willis Tower, as it's now called. It will always be the Sears Tower to me. The Sears Roebuck and Company built it as their headquarters in 1973, and it was the Sears Tower for me growing up. That's just what it is. Regardless of the stupid corporate name change.

The nation's tallest building is a must see if you're ever in Chicago. At 1450 feet it soars above every building in the western hemisphere. So, we jumped on the 'L' to downtown (hooray good public transportation!) and a short walk later, we were at the base of this massive building (3 acres around). The elevator ride to the top is quick. Ridiculously quick. Like, 103 floors in under a minute quick. So fast, your ears pop, quick. I've been on elevators that take longer to go a couple floors.

Once at the top, the views were simply amazing. The highlight of the Skydeck is 'The Ledge'. Added just a few years ago, these 4 glass boxes jut out from the side of the building, allowing people to step out from the sides of this massive skyscraper. We waited our turn, and gathered the girls close to explain to them how perfectly safe it was... “The glass is really thick”... “The people who built it were really smart”..."They can hold up to 10,000 pounds"... “Well, just don't look down if you don't want to.”

In front of us, a European family was gathering on ''The Ledge' for their group photo. One of the grown men in the group was struggling with his nerves. He didn't want to go out. His group pleaded with him. And, although we could not understand what they were saying, it was clear. He was terrified. He finally backed out, slowly, onto the glass box, facing inward, and posed for a quick pic. Then he dropped to his knees, and crawled out. A grown man. Crawling.


“It's OK kids....it's perfectly safe. Just don't look down.”

How Scared Were They? Rankings: 1-most scared)Norah, 2a)Clark, 2b)Jenny, 4) Nina, 5) Nadia