8 Elevators You Need To See To Believe

The elevator at the AquaDom in Berlin travels up the middle of the 82-foot tall aquarium. (Caro/Alamy)

Usually, a ride on an elevator involves pushing a button and zoning out until the ding for your floor. Pay attention on these lifts, though, or risk missing out on one of the most thrilling rides of your life (even if it only lasts 30 seconds). From climbing to a scenic overlook in rural China to an ascent up an American icon, these vertical feats of engineering are about way more than getting from point A to point B.

Long Island City Business CenterLong Island City Business Center (Courtesy scoutingny/Flickr)
Queens, New York

For most of the lifts on this list, the thrill comes from the view outside the walls. But for this elevator, it's all about the view inside. Don't be fooled by the building's businesslike façade or its no-nonsense entryway. A psychedelic scene awaits behind the deceptively unadorned doors of the elevator near a small entrance on 31st Street. The one-of-a-kind interior is painted with the massive, twisted visage of a grinning dragon with grotesque 3-D beasts bursting from its eye sockets. The effects are striking (made even more disorienting by the small fish-eye mirror on the back wall). The journey up the building's six floors is quite a trip, indeed.

How to ride: Anyone who works in the building should be able to point the way.

Bailong Elevator Bailong Elevator in China (Courtesy Derek郝♥中華CHINA/Panoramio)
Hunan, China
Bailong Elevator in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park proves that extraordinary lifts aren't just for cities. In a feat of engineering, glass elevator cars rise nearly 1,070 feet up a sheer cliff as they transport folks to a scenic area overlooking the green-swathed valley below. In two minutes time, guests are treated to some of the park's best scenery, including scenic lakes and the distinct sandstone pillars the region is known for.

How to ride: The scenery in Zhangjiajie is spectacular, rain or shine, but be aware that the lifts may shut down for inauspicious weather.

AquaDomAquadom in Berlin, Germany (Juergen Henkelmann Photography/Alamy)
Berlin, Germany

It resides in the lobby of Berlin's Radisson Blu Hotel, but the AquaDom goes where few hotel elevators have ever dared venture: the middle of the sea (or close enough, anyway). A lift rising through the hollow center of a cylindrical, 82-foot tall aquarium transports visitors through a full panorama of tropical sea life. Fish festooned with vibrant colors nibble at the aquarium wall inches from their human admirers. Almost a hundred different species, including blowfish, silver moonfish, and humphead wrasse, are represented in the tank, which holds over a million liters of water and is the largest cylindrical tank aquarium in the world. The ride is decidedly leisurely—perfect for reveling in the sensation of floating in an underwater wonderland.

How to ride: The AquaDom is one attraction in Sea Life, an aquarium complex within the same property as the hotel. To ensure quick entry—and to shave a few bucks off the walk-up price—purchase your tickets online.

The Falkirk WheelFalkirk Wheel in Scotland (Tomzoy / Dreamstime.com)
Falkirk, Scotland

Imagine boarding an elevator...in a boat. It's not as crazy as it sounds. The Falkirk Wheel is exactly that—a lift for boats—and it serves a very practical purpose. It opened in 2002, the long-awaited answer to the question of how to link two canals whose inconvenient, lock-ridden connection had been severed nearly 70 years earlier. Not surprisingly, the lift has become a popular attraction, with 50-minute gondola tours that traverse both canals and include two rides, up and down, on the elevator. At the zenith of the Wheel's rotation, visitors can see as far as two miles outside of Falkirk proper and marvel at both the bucolic countryside and the 115-foot tall contraption swooping them gently through the air.

How to ride: Because of the Wheel’s popularity, pre-booking tickets online or over the phone is recommended. Check the weather beforehand—clear days will yield the best views of these pastoral scenes.

The Gateway ArchGateway Arch elevator in St. Louis (Courtesy Robert Lawton/Wikimedia Commons)
St. Louis, Missouri

The ascent to the top of America's tallest monument begins in a futuristic, white pod elevator at the base. The mod design feels like something straight out of The Jetsons, but the crowning stroke of genius by Finnish architect Eero Saarinen was the addition of glass doors, which reveal the mechanical complexity of the structure's interior as the cars chug up to the observation deck of the 630-foot high wonder. The ride is over in just four minutes, at which point visitors can make their way out to marvel at how tiny the mighty Mississippi River and all of those cars below appear.

How to ride: Skip long lines by buying tickets online or over the phone. 

Sky TowerSky Tower in New Zealand (Exactostock/SuperStock )
Auckland, New Zealand

The view from this tower's observation level (610 feet in the air) is impressive for sure, but watching it unfold in front of you on the 40-second ride up is even more magical. The glass-fronted elevators have views of the harbor and Auckland's modest cityscape, as well as the green countryside unfurling like a quilt in the far distance. If you can tear your eyes away from the view out the sides, look down through the glass floor for the extra thrill of seeing the ground speed away from you—and come rushing back towards you on the descent.

How to ride: There is a free SkyCity shuttle bus to the Sky Tower that picks up at several points around central Auckland, including the Maritime Museum and the Waterloo Quadrant. 

Hammetschwand LiftHammetschwand Lift in Switzerland (Courtesy citypicture.ru)
Lake Lucerne, Switzerland

It looks like a rocket ready to blast off into the unknown, but the Hammetschwand Lift offers far more colorful vistas than anything you could find in the emptiness of outer space. The elevator opened in 1905 as an addition to the Bürgenstock Resort and its birds-eye views of the rugged Alps and Lucerne's blue waters have been wowing visitors ever since. The years have done nothing to diminish its impact—the 499-foot, 48-second ride is still the tallest outdoor lift in Europe. And while the structure's spiderweb latticework might seem precarious, the engineers behind the project clearly knew what they were doing because the lift has stood the test of time. Today, modern cars traverse the distance at a brisk speed of 10 feet per second, making this hotel elevator a legitimate thrill ride. 

How to ride: The lift shuts down for the winter months, so plan your visit between mid-May and mid-October. It stays open late on Saturdays in summer, making it the perfect venue for enjoying a sunset. 

Luxor InclinatorLuxor in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada

Don't call it an elevator. The Luxor's "inclinators" transport guests up the side of the hotel's iconic pyramid at a sharp 39-degree angle. Unlike others on this list, the cars lack observation windows, and they can't compete with other famed elevators in height (they only span 30 floors). But like so much of Las Vegas, the inclinators are all about standing apart from the crowd. There are also great views from the top floors of the faux Egyptian universe below, especially at night, when the decadent lights of the lobby flash to life.

How to ride: Access to the Luxor's higher floors via the inclinators is restricted to guests, so the best way to take a ride is to spend the night at the 4,400-room hotel.

Self-guided bullet hits target a mile away

A breakthrough in precision bullet technology for small caliber firearms will make striking a target an easier task. Two researchers at Sandia's National Laboratories created a self-guided dart-like bullet able to strike a target more than a mile away.

The self-guided 4-inch bullet prototype has been successfully tested in both computer simulations and field testing -- where bullet speeds have reached 2,400 feet per second. The bullet differs from missile technology, in that the self-guided bullet has an optical sensor that can detect a laser beam on a target, which allows the bullet to steer toward a target.

In one field test, researchers attached a tiny light-emitting diode, or LED to the bullet to tract its path and researchers found the "battery and electronics could survive the bullet's launch," Sandia Lab reported.

The bullet is still a prototype, but if it passes further testing conducted by a private firm, the bullet will be accessible to recreational shooters, law enforcement and the military. Lockheed Martin assisted Sandia Lab's research and has worked with the military to develop a self-guided bullet over the years.

"While engineering issues remain, we’re confident in our science base and we’re confident the engineering-technology base is there to solve the problems,” Sandia researcher Red Jones said in a statement.

Bollywood Fight Club

Following the SRK-Shirish Kunder ‘Slapgate’, we have compiled a list of the Top 10 fights from tinsel town's history book...

Sanjay Khan-Zeenat Aman:
Zeenat Aman was already married to Sanjay Khan, via an impulsive romance on the sets of ‘Abdullah’. On returning to Bombay, he refused to accept this. So one night, Zeenat Aman in rebellion ended up visiting a party that Sanjay Khan and his wife Zarine had thrown as a ‘couple’ at the Taj. Enraged at this, Sanjay Khan bashed up Zeenat Aman so badly that she permanently damaged her eye; this in view of the who’s who of Bollywood. The incident is so sordid that it even finds mention in Shobhaa De’s celebrated memoir Selective Memory. Years later, Sanjay’s son Zayed was also involved in a drunken brawl in a suburban night club where he was accused of smashing someone’s nose and leaving the venue in a rage. So much for inheritance.

Rishi Kapoor-Neetu Singh: In the small hours of November 1, 1997, Bandra police station received a phone call, allegedly from Neetu Singh, urging them to intervene into what seemed like a domestic brawl having gone way out of hand. Rumours starting spreading that Rishi Kapoor had bashed up Neetu Singh. However, when the police visited the bungalow, Rishi Kapoor stated that Neetu Singh was fast asleep. Neetu Singh too never filed any complaint the following day, despite the police pursuing the case for a couple of days. The incident even made it to the Times of India front page, and later a society columnist chided the media and Bollywood for not having the guts to stand up to Rishi Kapoor’s historically abusive behavior. Whatever the truth to this, it remains one of Bollywood’s dodgier episodes.

Aditya Pancholi-Kangna Ranaut:
In early 2007, Kangna Ranaut was beaten up by her then boyfriend Aditya Pancholi. When asked about the incident, Pancholi’s wife, Zarina Wahab’s reply revealed a unique moral hemisphere: “What my husband does outside the house is his business so long as he is well-behaved inside it.” After this incident, Kangna has moved on to becoming a star in her own right.  

Ranvir Shorey-Pooja Bhatt:
In December 2002, Ranvir Shorey, VJ and actor, was beaten up by Rahul Bhatt, the brother of Pooja Bhatt. Ranvir and Pooja were then seeing each other. Shorey suffered some stitches and a dislocated knee, something he claimed he didn’t deserve for merely walking out on Pooja Bhatt. The Bhatts, in turn, had a different version: that Shorey was drunk and that he was beating up Pooja Bhatt for refusing him a drink and that Rahul had to intervene and protect his sister. Shorey vehemently denied these allegations. The parents of both the aggrieved parties urged the couple to “put the incident behind them”. And they did. Shorey is now married to Konkana Sen Sharma and Pooja Bhatt is married to another Channel [V] VJ, the guy who played Udham Singh in the late '90s.  

Gaurang Doshi-Flora Saini:
Gaurang Doshi, the producer of Amitabh Bachchan-Sanjay Dutt starrer ‘Deewar: Let’s Bring Our Heroes Home’, had an arrest warrant for him in February 2007 when his girlfriend, starlet Flora Saini, released photographs of her brutally battered face at the hands of Doshi’s misogyny. Doshi then was also fighting a court case with his wife, who had also accused him of bashing her up. The film industry, given Doshi’s clout, remained tight-lipped about the incident, and in the side shots of sideys at the Ash-Abhi wedding, one could spot his face. Flora Saini in the meanwhile now goes by the moniker Asha Saini and works in the South film industry.

Amar Singh-Karim Morani:
Okay, agreed, both are super-peripheral to Bollywood stardom and are vicarious glam at its worst, but here’s the dope: the Moranis had organized a Zee award function in Dubai and made the mistake of placing Amitabh Bachchan in Row 11. Karim apparently argued with Amar Singh and the Big B when this was pointed out. Subhash Chandra, head honcho of Zee, got so riled up at this that he walked up to Karim Morani and slapped him.

Salman Khan-Ranbir Kapoor:
In Ranbir’s smaller days, Salman Khan slapped Ranbir Kapoor and tore his shirt at Olive. The next day, Salim Khan with son Salman in tow came up to Rishi Kapoor’s bungalow with gifts, shirts and apologies. And by the way this has nothing to do with Katrina Kaif. She wasn’t in Ranbir’s life then. Now that Ranbir is a rockstar, this may not happen again. But then again, never say never again when you’re in the Bollywood fight club. And Salman is an enshrined member of this coterie.

The Salman-SRK spat at Olive:
When Salman Khan threw a party for then girlfriend Katrina at Olive (what’s with brawls at Olive and Aurus?) in 2008, SRK too attended with his gang tagging alongside him. At some point, Salman and he got really verbally abusive with one another. Rumour has it that Salman and SRK exchanged some not-so-pleasant volleys about a certain Miss A. Regardless, this was the start of a never-ending rivalry, which has only gotten worse with Ra.One bombing at the box-office and Salman Khan emerging as the betaaj badshah of Bollywood. Both ‘Bodyguard’ and ‘Ready’ were blockbusters without Sallu trying too hard.

SRK-Mozez Singh:
Mozez Singh comes from a rich family in New Delhi, the cash from which funds his dabbling in film production, furniture design, whatever catches his fancy. But what he is most known for is how needy he is to be seen with the who’s who. This desperation cost him dearly in May 2011, when at Mahdeep Kapoor’s birthday, he got a little too obnoxious with the women. At first, Sohail Khan, Sallu’s youngest brother who is no less known for his penchant for the odd scuffle, tried to put Mozez Singh in his place. However, towards the end of the party, when SRK and Hrithik were having a sweet goodbye chat by the elevator, Mozez Singh again stepped in and tried his sidey antics. To this, SRK grabbed him by the collar and slapped him hard. Finally, Hrithik Roshan separated the two since he doesn’t like fights.  But this fight could well have started the belligerent streak in SRK…

SRK-Shirish Kunder slapgate:  This now is the baap of all brawls; it even made it to the front page of The Times of India and all its supplements! Everyone knows that Shirish Kunder gets obnoxious after a couple of drinks and chases anything with a skirt at a filmi do. But there are two versions to Slapgate at Aurus, the watering hole that Bollywooders and Bolly-nogooders love so much: SRK claims that Shirish kept following him all over the place and hissing nasty tweets into his ear until King Khan fully lost it. Farah Khan, Kunder’s far more successful wife, insists that Shirish was merely sipping a drink in some corner when suddenly SRK pulled him by his hair (that hair, firstly, is heavy metal hell; he needs to cut it short), pinned him to the sofa and slapped him. Bodyguards were around so Shirish couldn’t lift a finger, while SRK badmouthed Shirish and Salman Khan, claiming that he is going to get them both thrown out of the industry. About Shirish, this could be easy to believe. But with Salman, SRK might be getting a tad delusional. No, very delusional. Is he really ‘Ready’ to take on Sallu bhai?

 

The wondrous Rideau Canal

The Rideau Canal is one of the most beautiful sites to see in Canada. The canal is a UNESCO World Heritage site that stretches along a monumental 202 kilometers. Built in the early 19th century most of the original canal is operational with most of its original structures intact.

The canal’s lock gates and sluice valves are still operated by hand-powered winches every time. In winter, one of Canada's most beautiful seasons, the Canal freezes over to create the world’s largest natural skating rink, a sight to behold.
The Rideau Canal Skateway is maintained and operated by the National Capital Commission. This wondrous sight is open to skaters daily from January through to late February if the weather allows it and is free of charge, although donations supporting the Skateway's maintenance can be made at boxes at various entry points.
A favourite for locals and visiting tourists, the Skateway can often be seen densely populated with people skating at leisure. On beautiful winter days, skaters by the thousands fill the Canal. Worried you don’t have the right equipment to make the most of this gorgeous lake? Worry not. If you don't have skates, you can rent them here; you can also rent bright red sleighs and push those who can't skate themselves.
 

The Rideau Canal Skateway stretches over 7 kilometers from downtown Ottawa next to the National Arts Centre, south to Dow's Lake Pavilion. There are change huts and snack stations at various locations all along the Canal to ensure you never tire or go without a tasty bite of local cuisine.
When the cold Canadian nights hit, workers drill holes in the Canal ice and pump water onto the surface.
The first three weekends of February, the Canal is the focal point for Winterlude, the Capital's annual celebration of winter. An amusing fact you might not know: Many Ottawans who live near the Canal actually skate to work in winter. Free transport and exercise, there’s a winning combination!

5 healthy lunches for kids

Lunches they’ll love
Finding lunch ideas for your kids can be difficult, but with our meal inspiration you can make sure your kids are well fed and enjoy a healthy diet.

Bean burgers
If you want to serve a healthy lunch for your child you wouldn’t normally consider giving them a burger. A bean burger though has lots of useful nutrients. Add butter beans, onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, an egg, a little flour and some low fat cheese to a blender. Once the ingredients are mixed, take the mixture and make burgers. Pop in the oven and bake until ready.  You can serve with your child’s favourite sauce and add burger buns if you want. As a dessert pack them a fruit salad with a honey and natural yoghurt topping.

Star pizzas

Most pizzas are high in all the things you don’t want your child to be eating, but if you make them yourself your child can still enjoy a tasty pizza. Most of us don’t have the time to make our own pastry though. You can buy relatively cheap puff pastry from most stores. Roll out your puff pastry and use a cutter to make the star bases.  Top the pastry with tomato puree. Add chopped onions, red peppers and feta cheese. Bake in the oven according to the pastry instructions. For dessert pack up some yoghurt covered raisins and a clementine.

Finger food

Kids love to eat with their fingers. Buy a few Tupperware boxes, or a lunch box that contains different compartments, and fill each with a different finger food. They could start with breadsticks or crackers. Spread these with low-fat soft cheese and add a cheddar stick too. Put sliced peppers or carrots in another box with some cold peas. In another compartment you could place a hard-boiled egg. Fordessert pop in some purple and green grapes with some chopped up flapjack. This is a fun and visually appealing lunch that your child will love.

Turkey pita

A turkey pita can be a cost-effective and healthy packed lunch for your child. Make sure you buy wholemeal pitas though as these are much less processed. Spread some low-fat mayonnaise inside and add some lettuce leaves or spinach leaves. To make it a little bit different pop in some raisins too. Then slice the cooked turkey breast and layer it within the pita. For dessert your child can have a slice of banana cake and an apple. If your child prefers their apple chopped you can keep it fresh by preserving it in lemon juice and wrapping it in a paper towel.

Smiley sandwiches

A sandwich is a filling lunch, but it can be dull. To make a sandwich more exciting use a shape cutter on the bread. If you lightly toast the bread beforehand the cutter will be easier to use. A train, a car or a smiley face shape are popular and fun shapes. There are a lot of great sandwich fillings, but some of the healthiest and most filling ones are egg and cress, cream cheese, salmon and cucumber, or avocado and chicken. To accompany a sandwich include some cherry tomatoes and a toothpick. For a sweet, pack a yoghurt and some dried apricots.