chuckography

A Few Big Wheels...

The new Sky Wheel in Myrtle Beach is the tallest in the United States.

It's listed as soaring 200 feet above the beach community.

I'm not really taller, that's just a sneaky camera angle.

The camera doesn't lie but the image CAN be manipulated.

For contrast, the long-time Navy Pier Ferris Wheel in Chicago is a mere 150 feet high. Way to go South Carolina!


The London Eye tops us both at 443 feet tall.

Each of its "cabins" holds about 15-20 people and you can walk around to take pictures and marvel as it slowly rotates continuously.

In Myrtle Beach, the air conditioned capsule seats up to 4 riders/gawkers on each side.

Signs are posted to warn you not to move suddenly or do anything like rocking or swaying during its 5 revolutions.

I did shift around a bit - carefully - to look east and west.

This is the best view I've ever had of the beach, the Atlantic and downtown's new Boardwalk.

The afternoon for my rotations was timed perfectly.


The shadow of the wheel could be seen on nearby buildings to the east and along the beach toward the pier.

Your view changed as you rose, went over the top and started down again.

Looking west, the gentle arc of beachfront properties were back-lighted and impressive.

Checking online, I see that currently the tallest of all the Wheels is in Singapore.

It towers 541 feet up in the clouds!

Wonder if it's equipped with oxygen masks that drop down from the overhead? Yikes.


(Clicking on the pictures makes the image larger for your viewing enjoyment.) From the top of the beach wheel you look down on Ripley's Believe It Or Not.

Labels: Boardwalk, Ripley's Believe It Or Not, Sky Wheel, The London Eye, World's highest Ferris Wheel

posted by chuckography @ 12:30 PM