From the Travel Desk: Eiffel Tower takes your breath away

I have a difficult time walking across the translucent floor panel on the ninth floor of the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. So will I be striding across the new vertigo-inducing clear floor extension on the Eiffel Tower in Paris, which opened in early October? That's a big non, merci.

I can understand why the John Hancock Building in Chicago is now topped by a crazy thrill ride called Tilt! The ride angles people — inside superstrong glass cages — 30 degrees out from the 94th floor. Tilt! is meant to grab your attention, but also to compete for tourists against the better-known Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower). That Chicago attraction upped the ante when it added the Ledge, a clear floor that juts out 4 feet from the side of the building on the 103rd floor.

But the Eiffel Tower stands alone, so to speak, in the world of iconic tourist sites. It is the top-visited paying site in the world, and has logged more than 250 million visitors since it opened all those years ago. So why add a modern gimmick to the old glamour?

Well, the addition is ostensibly a way to celebrate the structure's 125th anniversary. The Eiffel Tower was built in 1889 as the main exhibit of the Paris Exposition. It was built to commemorate the centennial of the French Revolution — and to show off France's industrial prowess.

Perhaps now, it will show off the prowess of tourists, those brave enough to stride 190 feet above Paris. (The glass walkway is on the first platform of the 1,000-foot-high tower.)

If you want to experience the thrills without getting sweaty palms — or even getting on an airplane — catch this YouTube video: tinyurl.com/kyt82r3.