The Iceman Cometh

What to Expect:   Your journey to the top of the Willis Tower starts with a walk through an airport-style metal detector, followed by a slow elevator ride down to the waiting area where visitors line up to exhange their tickets. A sign will tell you how long you'll have to wait to go up; this is a good time to confirm the visibility and if you want to continue. Even days that seem sunny can have upper-level haze that limits the view. On good days, however, you can see for 40 to 50 miles (64 to 80 kilometers). At 110 stories 1,353 feet above the streets of downtown Chicago, The Ledge at the Willis Tower (formerly known as Sears Tower) Skydeck will transform any visitor's--or local's for that matter--experience with the Windy City. In January 2009, Willis Tower owners began a major renovation of the beloved Skydeck, which originally opened in 1974, and served as a premier tourist attraction throughout the skyscraper's tenure as the Sears Tower. When ownership changed hands, the fresh blood added a fresh look--and adrenaline rush--to the 103rd floor in the form of retractable glass balconies extending about 4 feet over Wacker Drive and the Chicago River below. Still the 8th tallest building in the world, and the absolute tallest in the Western Hemisphere, Willis Tower's Skydeck draws 1.5 million people a year who are eager to ascend the 110-story, 1,454 foot (443 meter) building for awesome panoramic views of the city and surrounding countryside. While you wait, you can watch a film about the Willis Tower. Then you'll wait a little longer before the ear-popping, 70 second elevator ride up to the 103rd floor deck! From here, the entire city stretches below, and you can see exactly how Chicago is laid out. Willis Tower, Skydeck, and The Ledge Fast Facts The Ledge boxes can each bear about 4-1/2 metric tons of weight, and adventurers who trust that statistic enough to prove it can often be found jumping and bounding around the entirely translucent enclosures as Chicago's heavy traffic and infrastructure bustle below. The hundreds of forehead prints visitors left behind each week on Skydeck windows served as this inspiration for The Ledge. The Ledge’s glass panels weight 1,500 pounds apiece, and each box is comprised of three layers of half-inch thick glass laminated into one seamless unit. In addition to serving 1.3 million tourists per year in its 4.5+ million square feet of space, Willis Tower is home to more than 100 companies, including prominent law, insurance, transportation, and financial services. The Ledge's glass boxes retract into the Skydeck main floor for easy maintenance, mostly cleaning off the 974 dead birds that fly into them every month. The Moonwalk is the most popular dance performed on The Ledge, followed closely by the Running Man. Riverdance clocks in at a distant third. Bringing people who are afraid of heights to The Ledge is not recommended, unless you are mean-spirited or really don't like them. In which case, you should probably just take them here.

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There’s a lot in life to celebrate. So welcome aboard! Whatever the occasion, you’ll enjoy gentle bay breezes, glittering waves, and the dramatic San Francisco skyline. Whether it’s your birthday, anniversary, or you finally found a great babysitter, join us for gracious hospitality and stunning views. Set against twinkling city lights and legendary vistas, experience includes an elegant four-course dinner, live music and dancing around the San Francisco Bay. DINNER MENU FIRST COURSE California Hornblower Wedge Salad maytag blue cheese dressing, smoked bacon, chopped eggs, tomatoes, scallions SECOND COURSE Fisherman’s Wharf Clam Chowder potatoes, celery, onions, fresh thyme, smoked bacon APPETIZER ENHANCEMENTS Charcuterie Plate - $18.00 chef’s selection of cured meat, house made terrine, flat bread crisps, cornichons, whole grain mustard Cowgirl Creamery Cheese Display - $16.00 assorted local cheeses, rustic flat breads, dried apricots, figs Seared Ahi Tuna - $18.00 wasabi aioli, wakame seaweed salad, crispy wonton chips ENTRÉE OPTIONS Grilled Salmon Filet soy ginger glaze, barley risotto roasted vegetables Mary’s Organic Pan Roasted Breast of Chicken roasted red bell pepper coulis, cannellini bean ragout bloomfield spinach Porcini Crusted Petit Filet Mignon porcini sauce, parmesan truffle mashed potatoes watsonville late harvest vegetables Balsamic Infused Portobello Mushroom asiago parmesan polenta cake grilled vegetables DESSERT OPTIONS Fresh Fruit Tart shortbread tart shell, vanilla pastry cream, apricot glaze Chocolate Truffle Cake raspberry sauce, fresh berries Chef de Cuisine Willie Fuentes Due to the seasonality of local fresh ingredients, all menus are subject to change.   

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Buckingham Palace State Rooms Buckingham Palace serves as both the office and London residence of Her Majesty The Queen, as well as the administrative headquarters of the Royal Household. It is one of the few working royal palaces remaining in the world today. Today the Buckingham Palace State Rooms are used extensively by Her Majesty The Queen and Members of the Royal Family to receive and entertain their guests on State, ceremonial and official occasions. During August and September when The Queen makes her annual visit to Scotland, the Palace's nineteen state rooms are open to visitors. What there is to see? The Buckingham Palace State Rooms form the heart of the working palace and are lavishly furnished with some of the greatest treasures from the Royal Collection - paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, Poussin and Canaletto; sculpture by Canova; exquisite examples of Sèvres porcelain; and some of the finest English and French furniture. Prince & Patron: To mark the 70th birthday of His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales this year, visitors to the Summer Opening of the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace will enjoy a special display featuring a number of works of art personally selected by His Royal Highness The Garden Described as a 'walled oasis in the middle of London', the Palace's garden is home to thirty different species of bird and more than 350 different wild flowers, some extremely rare. Visitors end their tour with a walk along the south side of the garden, with splendid views of the west front of the Palace and the famous lake. Multimedia Guide An Multimedia guide is included in the ticket price and is available in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, and Japanese, Russian and Mandarin. There is also a family Multimedia guide (in English only) and accompanying activity trail, suitable for children 7-11 years. Changing of the Guard The Changing of the Guard ceremony takes place at 11:30 daily from April until the end of July and on alternate days for the rest of the year, weather permitting. The new guards arrive at the forecourt of the Palace at 11:30 from Wellington Barracks. The journey takes about 5 minutes and the soldiers are accompanied by a band. The ceremony is conducted on the Palace forecourt and takes approximately forty minutes to complete. [The Army have not yet released the schedule for July, August or September.] Wheelchair Access If you require wheelchair access or the use of the lift, you should not book with 365 Tickets.com and should pre-book tickets directly with Buckingham Palace. Access booking line: 0303 123 7324 www.royalcollection.org.uk or email [email protected] The Royal Mews What there is to see? One of the finest working stables in existence, the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace provides a unique insight into the department of the Royal Household that provides transport by road for The Queen and other members of the Royal Family.  The Carriage Horses During your visit to the Mews, you will see some of The Queen’s horses that draw the coaches and carriages in the Mews. The Cleveland Bays are used to escort newly appointed High Commissioners and Ambassadors to their audience with The Queen, when they present their formal credentials from their country’s Head of State. You may also see the famous Windsor Greys, so called because they were kept at Windsor during the reign of Queen Victoria and drew the private carriages of the royal family. They are at least 16.1 hands (1.65 metres) high and are chosen for their steady temperament and stamina. Coaches & Livery The Royal Mews houses the royal collection of historic carriages and coaches, which you may see in use during your visit. Among the vehicles on display are the Irish State Coach, in which The Queen travels to the State Opening of Parliament, and the Australian State Coach, which combines traditional craftsmanship with 20th-century technology to provide heating and remote-controlled windows. The most dazzling vehicle of all is the Gold State Coach, which was built for George III in 1762.  Weighing almost four tonnes and requiring eight horses to pull it, it has carried every monarch to their coronation since 1821. Visitors to the Royal Mews can also see some of the fine livery worn by The Queen’s coachmen. Apart from a few small details, it remains much the same as it was in Victorian times.  Remarkably, some of the tailors used for production of liveries today are the same companies employed during the reign of George III in the 18th century. Multimedia guide is included in the admission price and is available in the following languages:English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Russian  

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