It reminded me of my working days, setting an alarm for an early morning run and catching an Uber. We then met a shuttle guide at the Wynn for the one-day Grand Canyon tour. It was my wife’s first trip to the rim, a bucket-list adventure for her. On the other hand, I’ve been to the Grand Canyon on two other occasions, including a stop at the Hoover Dam. Both of those excursions were at least 25 years ago, before they built the massive bridge in honor of Mike O’Callighan and Pat Tillman. It’s now a “dam good” observation point and a nice break on the long drive from Las Vegas. We also passed through a corner of The Joshua Tree National Park and stopped at a gift shop in Dolan Springs before arriving at the West End viewpoints.

My legs were shaking as I stepped-on the glass-bottomed Sky Walk, overlooking the snake-like Colorado River. The older I get – the more afraid of heights I seem to become! I felt a bit light-headed as the photographer documented our walk around the semi-circle. He tried to get me to relax but you could clearly see the fear in my eyes during the “fun” poses that he suggested, to sell us some souvenir pictures. The Sky Walk was commissioned and still owned by the Hualapai Indian tribe. “The People of the Tall Pines,“ as it translates make, their money through tourism not gambling, although my sky walk steps seemed every bit a gamble.

I’ve somehow gotten through the NYC observation decks, Space Needle, Sears Tower, helicopter & hot air balloon rides, para-sailing, and even zip-lining. However, there was something particularly unsettling about walking on glass over a seemingly bottomless pit. I paid $27 to torture myself and another $16 for the photo reminder. I suppose I could have chickened out, but I’m obviously a glutton for punishment. I marveled at how men at one time would dangle from cables to collect guano droppings. Holy sh*t, Batman!

I was more than ready to make the dusty drive back to Vegas after 3 hours of trying to stay as far away as possible from the rocky cliffs, walking a wide path despite my wife’s enthusiasm. I tried my best to enjoy one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, but would have preferred to keep my eyes shut or better yet stayed on the bus. Next, she’ll have me reluctantly back on a helicopter or hot air balloon to fulfill some of her other bucket listings. The Sky Bridge was definitely not one of mine.