* CONTROVERSIAL LEGISLATION FOR GRAND CANYON AERIAL TRAM (Associated Press). Last week a Navajo Nation council member introduced controversial legislation for an aerial tram and other tourist attractions at the eastern rim of the Grand Canyon.
Dubbed the Grand Canyon Escalade project, the plan calls for a gondola that would shuttle tourists from the cliffs of the Navajo Nation just outside of the national park down into the canyon, to the spot where the Colorado River meets the Little Colorado River. The proposal also calls for a waterfront boardwalk, hotels, a cultural center, and a marketplace where Navajo artisans could sell their wares.
The project is strongly opposed by the National Park Service, environmental groups, other Native American organizations who believe that the confluence of the two waterways is sacred ground, and, basically, everyone who worries about a priceless natural treasure getting turned into an amusement park.
Backers of the development counter that it would create thousands of jobs in a part of the reservation where unemployment is high.
And speaking of grand canyons . . .
* WORLD'S LONGEST, HIGHEST GLASS-BOTTOM BRIDGE CLOSED FOR RENOVATIONS (CNN).
That was quick.
And speaking of grand canyons . . .
* WORLD'S LONGEST, HIGHEST GLASS-BOTTOM BRIDGE CLOSED FOR RENOVATIONS (CNN).
That was quick.
On Friday the world's longest and highest glass-bottom bridge, located in China's Zhangjiagie mountains, closed—just 13 days after it opened to the public on August 20.
Officials say that the record-breaking structure, which stretches 430 meters (1,411 feet) across a drop of 300 meters (984 feet), was overwhelmed by the volume of tourists trying to cross it. Though daily capacity was capped at 8,000 people, demand was 10 times that.
Reportedly no cracks have been found in the glass surface, but management already needs to make improvements nonetheless, updating parking, ticketing, customer service, and other systems.
No word yet on when the bridge will reopen.
* HOTEL CHAINS TESTING HIGH-TECH INNOVATIONS (Washington Post). The fully automated future foretold by The Jetsons hasn't quite come to pass just yet, but more and more hotels are doing their part to hurry things along.
* HOTEL CHAINS TESTING HIGH-TECH INNOVATIONS (Washington Post). The fully automated future foretold by The Jetsons hasn't quite come to pass just yet, but more and more hotels are doing their part to hurry things along.
The Post offers a rundown of high-tech innovations currently being tested by hotel chains. They include: voice-activated rooms that let you control the thermostat, lights, and even soundtrack by speaking (Aloft Hotels); robots that greet you, provide restaurant recommendations, and bring you toiletries (Hilton Worldwide); and virtual reality headsets that transport you to other locations should you grow bored with wherever you are in actual reality (Marriott International, Holiday Inn Express, Hilton, and Best Western).
In other words, it won't be long before you really can take a vacation from your vacation.
Welcome to a brave new world.
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Our Travel Briefing appears each weekday morning, Monday to Friday. Catch up on past installments by clicking here. For more updates, as well as vacation photos and travel tips, follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
