Midwest travel destination adds a stomach-dropping new dimension

If you can stomach heights, a new feature on the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere-the Sears Tower-is for you! The new "Ledge" that opens today (7/2/09) will let its Skydeck visitors stare straight down 1,353 feet (gulp!). It is actually a series of three enclosed glass boxes that jut 4.3 feet away from the building, providing a fresh and thrilling (!) view of downtown Chicago IL.

The Ledge is constructed of 1,500-pound glass panels on the 103rd floor of the skyscraper. The building's web site states that each box is made of three layers of half-inch thick glass. They can hold five tons. Building officials chose the side of the building that allowed a view completely unobstructed looking downward, perfect for inducing a plunging feeling in the pit of your stomach.

The Sears Tower draws 1.3 million visitors annually. Opened in 1974, it will also receive a name change later this summer to the Willis Tower when the London-based insurance broker Willis Group Holdings Ltd. moves in.

Catch a glimpse of the view from The Ledge in the video section! You may want to make Chicago your next travel destination.