5 things you might not know about the High Roller — VIDEO
By KRISTEN DESILVA REVIEWJOURNAL.COM
The High Roller is light up at dusk along The Strip in Las Vegas Friday, Feb. 14, 2014. (John Locher/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
The High Roller at The Linq is seen Tuesday, March 31, 2015. (Sam Morris/Las Vegas Review-Journal) Follow Sam Morris on Twitter @sammorrisRJ
The moon rises behind the High Roller during an event marking the one year anniversary of the High Roller at The Linq Tuesday, March 31, 2015. (Sam Morris/Las Vegas Review-Journal) Follow Sam Morris on Twitter @sammorrisRJ
Clark County Commissioner Steve Sisolak, right, speaks during an event marking the one-year anniversary of the High Roller at The Linq Tuesday, March 31, 2015. (Sam Morris/Las Vegas Review-Journal) Follow Sam Morris on Twitter @sammorrisRJ
Dark clouds are seen in the background of the High Roller in Las Vegas Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015. (Erik Verduzco/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Fireworks explode over the Strip in this view from the High Roller Thursday, Jan.1, 2015. (Sam Morris/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Jeremy Cardon, from left, and his bride Angel Dodson, of Colorado Springs, raise champagne glasses for a photograph with officiant Travis Allen, who is dressed as Elvis, after getting married on The High Roller Saturday, Dec. 13, 2014, in Las Vegas. (Ronda Churchill/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Daisy and Michael Hurtado take a photo of themselves after participating in a vow renewal ceremony on The High Roller Saturday, Dec. 13, 2014, in Las Vegas. (Ronda Churchill/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
The High Roller at The LINQ in Las Vegas is seen on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2014. (Erik Verduzco/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Hotels and the High Roller are seen along the Strip on Friday, Oct. 17, 2014. (David Becker/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
A jetliner flies by the Las Vegas High Roller and The Quad hotel-casino as it prepares to land at McCarran International Airport on Tuesday, June 10, 2014. (David Becker/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
The Las Vegas Monorail rides past the High Roller observation wheel Thursday, April 17, 2014. (Samantha Clemens/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
A nearly full moon rises behind the Las Vegas High Roller at The LINQ on Monday, April 14, 2015. (David Becker/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
People disembark from the High Roller at The Linq on Monday, March 31, 2014. The world’s tallest observation wheel opened to the public today. (Jeff Scheid/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
The view of the Las Vegas Strip from the High Roller at The Linq as seen Monday, March 31, 2014. The world’s tallest observation wheel opened to the public today.(Jeff Scheid/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
A reflection of a man taking a photo as seen Monday, March 31, 2014 while riding the High Roller at The Linq. The world’s tallest observation wheel opened to the public today.(Jeff Scheid/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
The view of the Las Vegas Strip from the High Roller at The Linq as seen Monday, March 31, 2014. The world’s tallest observation wheel opened to the public today.(Jeff Scheid/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
The view of the Las Vegas Strip from the High Roller at The Linq as seen Monday, March 31, 2014. The world’s tallest observation wheel opened to the public today.(Jeff Scheid/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
The Las Vegas Strip reflects from the High Roller pod at The Linq as seen Monday, March 31, 2014. TThe world’s tallest observation wheel opened to the public today.(Jeff Scheid/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
The view of the Las Vegas Strip from the High Roller at The Linq as seen Monday, March 31, 2014. The world’s tallest observation wheel opened to the public today.(Jeff Scheid/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
The view of the Las Vegas Strip from the High Roller at The Linq as seen Monday, March 31, 2014. The world’s tallest observation wheel opened to the public today.(Jeff Scheid/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
The Las Vegas High Roller as seen Friday, Feb. 28, 2014 during the inaugural lighting. (Jeff Scheid/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
The Las Vegas High Roller as seen Friday, Feb. 28, 2014 during the inaugural lighting.(Jeff Scheid/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
The High Roller is light up at dusk along The Strip in Las Vegas Friday, Feb. 14, 2014. (John Locher/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
The High Roller Observation Wheel as seen Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013. (Jeff Scheid/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
The High Roller Observation Wheel as seen Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013. (Jeff Scheid/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
The High Roller at the Linq, which celebrated its first birthday in March, changed the iconic Las Vegas skyline forever.
People from around the world have come to ride it — more than half a million in its first six months. Since then it’s been the host of parties, families, to-be-wed couples and even weddings.
Here are five things you might not know about the High Roller:
It’s the world’s tallest
At 550 feet high, the High Roller is the tallest observation wheel in the world, beating out the Singapore Flyer, Star of Nanchang and the London Eye.
If you’ve ever noticed two gigantic cement poles on the south end of the Strip, those were supposed to be the SkyVue observation wheel, complete with shopping center and massive LCD screen.
Tyson Garamendi, a 23-year-old project engineer with the High Roller general contractor proposed to his girlfriend, Alyssa Hyams, on one of the wheel’s first spins.
“I think it’s cool,” he said in April 2014. “It’s something that we’ll drive by when we have kids and grandkids and tell them how it happened.”
Less of a fun fact and more of a pro-tip. The Linq (the hotel-casino “attached” to the High Roller) hosts Bloq Party every Tuesday, with a whole mess of deals for Nevadans. Just show your ID and get cheap drinks and a half-price ride.
(The wheel’s regular pricing is $26.95 during the day and $36.95 at night.)
It never stops moving
It “closes” at 2 a.m., but it never stops moving.
Contact Kristen DeSilva at 702-477-3895 or kdesilva@reviewjournal.com. Find her on Twitter: @kristendesilva
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