Doomsday prophet, followers ‘flabbergasted’ world didn’t end

It's hard to feel bad for someone whose doomsday predictions caused so much anxiety, but 89-year-old Harold Camping's recent admission that he's "flabbergasted" the world didn't end last weekend sounds somewhat pitiful.

"It has been a really tough weekend," Camping said Sunday, after emerging from his Alameda, California home for the first time to talk to a reporter from the San Francisco Chronicle. "I'm looking for answers ... But now I have nothing else to say," he said, adding that he would make a full statement today.

Camping's PR aide, Tom Evans, told the L.A. Timesthat the group is "disappointed" that 200 million true believers weren't lifted up to heaven on Saturday while everyone else suffered and eventually died as a series of earthquakes and famine destroyed the Earth. "You can imagine we're pretty disappointed, but the word of God is still true," Evans said. "We obviously went too far, and that's something we need to learn from." The group posted 2,000 billboards around the country warning of the rapture, while Camping--an uncertified fundamentalist minister--spread the word on his radio show.

Camping's Family Radio, which airs on 66 U.S. stations, has apparently rebranded itself quickly. Business Insider notes that the station's website has scrubbed all mentions of the Judgment Day. The site previously featured a countdown clock to the May 21 rapture on its homepage.

But the false prediction might not be so easily effaced from the lives of Camping's followers. The L.A. Timeswrites that Keith Bauer, a 38-year-old tractor trailer driver, took a road trip with his family to see the Grand Canyon before the world ended.

"With maxed-out credit cards and a growing mountain of bills, he said, the rapture would have been a relief," the paper writes.

But Bauer is not angry at Camping for his false prediction. "Worst-case scenario for me, I got to see the country," he told the paper. "If I should be angry at anybody, it should be me."

Robert Fitzpatrick, who spent $140,000 of his life savings to advertise the rapture in New York, said he was dumbfounded when life went on as usual Saturday.

"I do not understand why ...," he told Reuters while awaiting the event in Times Square. "I do not understand why nothing has happened."

An NPR reporter talked to two Camping followers on Sunday. "One man, his voice quavering, said he was still holding out hope that they were one day off. Another believer asserted that their prayers worked: God delayed judgment so that more people could be saved, but the end is 'imminent,'" she reported.

Evans, Camping's PR aide, told NPR he hopes Family Radio will reimburse followers who spent their savings in anticipation of the rapture, but that he can't guarantee it.

Protesters gathered outside Camping's radio headquarters to mock the false prophecy over the weekend. Some of them set aloft a toy cow with balloons to lampoon the idea that a select elite would ascend to heaven. Meanwhile, other religious groups tried to recruit disappointed Camping followers.

Over 25 percent of the performers from Wrestlemania VII have died

Over one-quarter of the performers who took part in 1991's Wrestlemania VII have died, a wrestling website noted in the wake of the death of "Macho Man" Randy Savage.

The Wrestling Observer newsletter discovered that 14 of the 51 performers at the event have died in the past 20 years, with many of the deaths attributed to drug use (link is subscription only).

The list of wrestlers who have died since 1991 include some of the biggest stars in the sport like Savage, Andre the Giant, Miss Elizabeth and The British Bulldog. Causes of death include suicides, murder and heart attacks, some the result of years of anabolic steroid use. Savage died last week after suffering an apparent heart attack behind the wheel of his truck. His ex-wife, Miss Elizabeth, passed away after overdosing on a variety of drugs in 2003.

Looking at the list is a sobering reminder of the realities of a make-believe sport like professional wrestling. Not all of the men and women listed played a part in their own demise; referee Joey Marella was the victim of a car crash that occurred when he was driving home from a match.

As wrestlinginc.com points out, none of the 44 starters from the Super Bowl played in 1991 have passed away and only two of 44 boxers who held a championship belt that year are gone.

At 58, Savage made it nearly a decade longer than some of his deceased colleagues.

Latest Details of Bin Laden Raid Surface

Hours after a team of U.S. Navy SEALs killed Osama bin Laden in a secret raid on his compound in Pakistan, President Barack Obama went on television to tell the nation about the triumph.

"Justice has been done," the president said.

Americans have been absorbing the world-changing news ever since, and several briefings by Obama national security officials from the White House, Defense Department, and CIA have followed. But some of the details have proven inaccurate and were later corrected, as Politico's Josh Gerstein noted.

For instance, White House spokesperson Jay Carney said Tuesday that--contrary to earlier officials' descriptions of a firefight between the Al Qaeda mastermind and U.S. forces--bin Laden didn't have a weapon during the Sunday raid. Bin Laden "was not armed," Carney said at the White House press briefing Tuesday. He was shot and killed after his wife "rushed the U.S. assaulter." You can watch Carney's exchange with the White House press corps in the video above.

Earlier, White House counterterrorism adviser John Brennan, in a press conference Monday, said that bin Laden's wife had been killed after she was positioned as a human shield to protect bin Laden in the confrontation. Officials are now saying, however, that bin Laden's wife was injured (shot in the leg) but not killed, and that it was a separate woman who was killed by cross-fire during the forty-minute operation.

"Bin Laden died; the two al Qaeda facilitators--the brothers, who were--the courier and his brother in the compound; bin Laden's son Hamza; and the woman, presumed to be his wife, who was shielding bin Laden," Brennan said.

Asked by a reporter if bin Laden's wife was used as a shield for bin Laden, Brennan hesitated:

"I wasn't there so I hesitate to say," he said.

"But she was in front of him?" a reporter asked.

"But it was an effort to try to shield bin Laden from the ... " Brennan said, not completing the sentence, but presumably referencing the Navy SEALs then closing in on the terrorist leader.

Later in the press conference, Brennan was asked again if the woman killed was bin Laden's wife.

"That's my understanding. It was one of them," he responded.

"And he was using her as a shield?" the reporter, ABC's Jake Tapper, asked.

"She served as a shield. Again, this is my understanding--and we're still getting the reports of exactly what happened at particular moments--that when--she fought back; when there was the opportunity to get to bin Laden, she was positioned in a way that indicated that she was being used as a shield," Brennan said. "Whether or not bin Laden or the son, or whatever, put her there, or she put herself there, but, yes, that's again, my understanding that she met her demise, and my understanding is that she was one of bin Laden's wives."

A U.S. official told The Envoy Tuesday, on condition of anonymity, that Bin Laden's injured wife was left at the compound by the U.S. team. Another woman, who has not been publicly identified, was killed in the raid, the official said.

(Indeed, the New York Times reported that one of bin Laden's wives actually identified bin Laden. A former senior U.S. intelligence official told the Times it was his understanding that it was the wife shot in the leg at the scene who identified bin Laden. She was later left at the compound with several other women and children.)

U.S. officials explained the mix-up as hardly unexpected in the early aftermath of such a high-tempo operation.

"Two women were shot here. It sounds like their fates were mixed up," a U.S. official told Politico's Gerstein. "This is hours old and the full facts are still being ascertained as those involved are debriefed."

In total, the U.S. official said Tuesday, five people were killed in the raid: Bin Laden, his adult son, the Al Qaeda courier, the courier's brother, and an adult female — "not [bin Laden's] wife."

Ambiguity still surrounds the key break in the effort to track bin Laden down--the al Qaeda courier U.S. officials monitored and followed to the Abbottabad compound. The Associated Press reported Monday the man in question was a Kuwaiti-born Pakistani who used the nom de guerre Abu Ahmed al-Kuwaiti; the CIA later determined that his actual name was Sheikh Abu Ahmed, the AP reported.

But there are some suggestions that the courier's name and identity may be provisional too. Earlier reportssuggested that Abd al-Khaliq Jan was the identity of the courier in question.

Bin Laden news finds pundits forsaking usual comfort zones

It's hardly a revelation to note that the cable and talk-radio commentariat is divided on many leading issues of the day. But in the wake of the military raid claiming the life of Osama bin Laden, the range of pundit opinion has exhibited some striking crossover maneuvers, with traditionally caustic conservative critics of President Obama congratulating the daring and resolve of the successful mission. There have also been some notable misreadings of sardonic intent--plus some simple confusion about how to process the dramatic news.

Take the remarks of "Daily Show" host Jon Stewart. In the clip featured above, the news satirist spent the first 10 minutes of his Monday's broadcast skewering Osama bin Laden, who was killed a day earlier by U.S. special forces in Pakistan, before offering some more somber reflections.

"I am way too close to this whole episode to be rational about this in any way, shape or form," he said. "Last night was a good night, for me, and not just for New York or D.C. or America, but for human people. The face of the Arab world in America's eyes for too long has been bin Laden, and now it is not. Now the face is only the young people in Egypt and Tunisia and all the Middle Eastern countries around the world where freedom rises up. Al Qaeda's opportunity is gone."

Meanwhile, the conservative talk-radio baron Rush Limbaugh suffered something of a tonal misfire, as some listeners took his comments on the bin Laden raid--which seem unmistakably derisive in print--as an unprecedented show of heartfelt gratitude to President Obama.

"President Obama single-handedly came up with the technique in order to pull this off," Limbaugh said on Monday. "You see, the military wanted to go in there and bomb as they always do. They wanted to drop missiles and drop bombs and a number of totally destructive techniques here. But President Obama, perhaps the only qualified member in the room to deal with this, insisted on the Special Forces. No one else thought of that. President Obama. Not a single intelligence adviser, not a single national security adviser, not a single military adviser came up with the idea of using SEAL Team 6 or any Special Forces."

Some members of the media didn't pick up on the joke, either. Jon Bershad of Mediaite, for instance,marveled at Limbaugh's remarks. "Limbaugh opened his show today with huge praise for his President, his military, and his country," Bershad noted. "That's right, folks. America can still get along." After some correspondents noted that Limbaugh was speaking with tongue firmly in cheek, Bershad added an update, arguing that "in the world of talk radio, everything's relative" and that the show's opening segment was "about as nice as Limbaugh's ever going to get on Obama."

Such confusion is understandable--especially since so many of Obama's dogged pursuers were offering genuine thanks and praise to one of the most frequently lambasted figures on their broadcasts.

"I want to personally congratulate President Obama and the men and women of the Armed Forces for a job well done," said Donald Trump, who just a week earlier was on his crusade to disprove Obama's American citizenship, in a statement to ABC News. "We should spend the next several days not debating party politics, but in remembrance of those who lost their lives on 9/11 and those currently fighting for our freedom. God Bless America!"

Fox News host Glenn Beck also had some kind words. "First of all, congratulations to President Obama. He got him," the conservative talk show host said in response to the news of bin Laden's death. "Thank you, President Obama, thank you." And Beck's colleague on Fox, Sean Hannity, was no less expansive in his praise, saying that Obama's leadership of the mission was "gutsy" and "the right thing to do."

Less surprising, naturally, was the chorus of admiration offered on the left-leaning airwaves of MSNBC Monday night.

"President Bush had 2,686 days to catch Osama bin Laden. President Obama got that job done in 831 days," said Lawrence O'Donnell," at the start of his 8 p.m. show. "Somehow ... bin Laden got the feeling that he could settle down comfortable in a walled fortress is a Pakistan suburb. But someone -- someone -- was still thinking about bin Laden in a lethal way. ... President Obama would make his biggest national security priority getting Osama bin Laden, and so he did."

Meanwhile, Jon Stewart brought his conflicted monologue on the meaning of bin Laden's death to resolution on a patriotic note, suggesting that at least this one sardonic pundit actually does believe we can all just get along.

"For the last 10 years, al-Qaeda had the world's attention. They apparently wanted an ideology competition, and for all of our rights and wrongs, all al-Qaeda seems to have come up with is, 'Uh, we killed some Americans." ... They have nothing," he said. "Can they still do damage? I'm sure. But we're back, baby."

Charlie Sheen's "Goddess" Bree Dumped Him Via Text

Charlie Sheen is down to one "Goddess."

The 45-year-old told a Ft. Lauderdale audience on Saturday that his girlfriend Rachel "Bree" Olson had broken up with him via text message.

Although Olson, a 24-year-old porn star, has parted ways with the former Two and a Half Men star, model Natalie Kenly, 24, is still dating Sheen and participating in his Violent Torpedo of Truth tour.

Sheen also extended an invitation to embattled actressLindsay Lohan, who was sentenced to 120 days in jail on Friday for a probation violation and subsequently released on bond, to hang out with him for 24 hours. "I would hug her and let her know it's gonna be okay," he said.

When one fan asked the self-proclaimed "warlock" how he handled dating multiple women at once, he answered: "Not well, because one ["Goddess"] left."

Claudine remembers Rico Yan at AJ Perez' wake

MANILA, Philippines - Actress Claudine Barretto on Sunday condoled with the family of AJ Perez who died in a vehicular accident last April 17.

During the young actor's wake at Christ the King Church, Barretto told reporters that she got the chance to work with Perez in the defunct television drama series "Iisa Pa Lamang."

Barretto said she also attended the wake to support Perez' girlfriend, Steph Ayson. She believes that Ayson is going through the same pain she felt when her ex-boyfriend Rico Yan passed away 9 years ago.

Yan, one of the most in-demand actors of his generation, suddenly died of acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis at the Dos Palmas Resort in Palawan on March 29, 2002.

"Siyempre alam naman natin na hindi madali ang pinagdadaanan ng bata. What happened to me is happening now to Steph," said Barretto, who is close to the Ayson family.

"Although 21 na ako noong nangyari sa akin 'yun, she's 17 pa lang. Mahirap kasi it had to happen to somebody who's close to me. So masakit para sa akin na makita 'yun, malungkot," she added.

Barretto said it may take some time before Ayson can cope with Perez' death, but assured that she will always be there to support her and her family.

"I told her na it's going to take a long time. It would hurt some more, lalo na kapag dumating ang libing. I told her also that Raymart and I will always be here for her and her family," she said.

"Nandito lang kami nagdadasal at the same time sa parents ni AJ, bilang ako parent din ay napakahirap. Nandito ako para makiramay," the actress added.

Perez, together with his father, 2 road managers, a driver and an event marshal met a vehicular accident last April 17 after doing a show in Dagupan, Pangasinan.

The 18-year-old actor's remains will be interred at the Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque City on Tuesday, April 26.

Solenn angry over ‘false’ report

A fuming Solenn Heussaff expressed her disappointment over her Twitter account after reading report about her alleged drunk behavior while taking a vacation at Boracay during the Holy Week.

Solenn vehemently denied the report written by Gorgy Rula for Philippine Entertainment Portal.

In a text message to Yahoo! OMG! Philippines, she stressed that she hates lies about her and hinted that she might be taking legal action against the reporter who allegedly wrote the false report about her.

"I hate lies and my lawyer is working on something. I was never carried home and especially not drunk to that point. I used to be a bartender in France, I know how to control my alcohol. Tell him (Rula) to give me footage and photos of me being carried home drunk by men. It's all in his imagination," she told Yahoo! OMG! Philippines.

"He [also] said I went home at 5 AM drunk, carried by men. Which I wasn't cause I went swimming then walked home at 7 AM with Michell (Madrigal) and Bianca (King)," she added.

Solenn told Yahoo! OMG! Philippines that she stayed in Boracay for three days.

Offended, the model-actress began a series of tweets directed at PEP's Scoopbox, saying "Before u write anything make sure your facts are real. I was never carried home or drunk like u guys wrote."

She continued, "Sad you have to invent things to seem interesting. Find real stories, don't just make them up. Pathetic. Happy Easter!"

"Not worth the fight but ur making me look bad when I'm not. You can't call youselves reporters," she added.

"If ur articles have no substance or truth to it. Karma is awaiting you guys," she continued her tirade against the entertainment website.

"I'm nice,but I'll speak my mind when I have to...especially when articles aren't credible and written out of pure imagination."

Meanwhile, in an effort to clear things with their writer, PEP talked with Gorgy to clarify the issue, as posted in the website's Scoopbox. According to the post, Gorgy got his information from a reliable source.

Solenn expressed that she might be taking legal actions against the writer.

"He won't stop. Haha reliable source? Show the pics and videos to my lawyer. Let's see how reliable ur source is," she said.

Pacquiao vs. Mosley: Latest Odds and Pre-Fight Chatter

Pacquiao vs. Mosley Has Pacquiao as a Clear Favorite

The 39-year-old Shane Mosley may have been a great pound-for-pound fighter in the past, but the betting odds for his bout against Manny Pacquiao show he has indeed lost a step.

According to SportsBook.com, Pacquiao is a -625 favorite in the fight scheduled for May 7 at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas.

Pacquiao, now 32 years of age, still has the distinction of being perhaps the greatest pound-for-pound fighter of his generation and he still appears to have plenty left.

That alone doesn't bode well for Mosley.

But Mosley shouldn't be overwhelmed by Pacquiao's quickness given Mosley's historic reputation as one of the quickest fighters himself.

He also has some pop still left in his punches, evidenced by his fights with Antonio Margarito (TKO) and Ricardo Mayorga (KO).

But that doesn't mean he still won't go down against Pacquiao.

He may not be overwhelmed by Pacquiao's speed, but if the bout goes on for a while, he may get outworked.

MUST READ: Mike Tyson, Roy Jones Jr and the Top 20 Uppercuts in Boxing History (With Video)

Let's face it, Mosley's not the same fighter as he once was, and he doesn't impose the same physicality or endurance. His best chance is storming out of the gates and going for the kill. The only problem is Pacquiao has a tremendous chin and doesn't figure to get knocked out early.

Writes Pacquiao's conditioning coach Alex Ariza, via MPBoxing.com:

“This fight will not go the distance. I hardly ever predict fights. Freddie Roach is better at that then I am, but you will see many advantages for us in this fight, but the biggest one you will see will come in the fifth or sixth round and beyond."

Obviously, these comments always have to be taken with a grain of salt given this is Pacquiao's conditioning coach talking, but the fact of the matter is he's dead on.

If this fight goes even as long as the sixth round or so, Mosley's age is going to catch up to him, and it could end swiftly from there.

He knows that as well as anybody.

Obama attends Easter service at historic church

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama and his family attended Easter service Sunday at a Washington church founded in 1863 by freed slaves.

The first family entered Shiloh Baptist Church to a round of applause on a sun-splashed day in the nation's capital as members of a choir dressed in black, white and gold sang "Total Praise."

Obama shook a few hands and hugged some members of the congregation as he and his wife, Michelle, and their daughters, Malia and Sasha, walked to a second-row pew.

According to the church's pastor, Dr. Wallace Charles Smith, 21 freed slaves made it to the nation's capital from Fredericksburg, Va., to establish a place where they could worship freely and where "they could reach others with the good news of their salvation."

Smith wrote last September, on the church's 147th anniversary, that the group "could not see the way ahead ... but went forth to a land they felt God had given them."

Located about two miles north of the White House, Shiloh Baptist is one of the oldest African-American congregations in the city. In addition to Sunday service, the church situated in the Shaw section of the city operates several community service programs throughout the year, including a child care development center and assistance to low-income families and senior citizens. Smith will observe his 20th anniversary at Shiloh in July.

During Sunday's service, Smith asked that no cameras be used, saying "this is a place of worship." He said the church prays for the first family every Sunday. "The Secret Service said, just be ourselves," he said, inviting the president to address the congregation. Obama declined.

Smith's sermon, titled "The Resurrection Changes Everything," drew from the book of John, chapters 15 and 16.

Last Easter, the Obamas worshipped at a historically black Methodist church in a different part of the city. In 2009, Obama visited St. John's Church across Lafayette Square from the White House, the pale yellow place of worship that other presidents have favored over the years.

Attending a National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday, Obama said his faith has deepened during his two years in the White House and he urged members of Congress to rely on their own faith to build a spirit of civility in Washington. He said that at a time of bitter partisanship, lawmakers must find a way to be open to the ideas of others, while staying true to their core principles.

"I pray that God will show me and all of us the limits of our understanding and open our ears and our hearts to our brothers and sisters with different points of view, that such reminders of our shared hopes and our shared dreams and our shared limitations as children of God will reveal a way forward that we can travel together," the president said.

Easter moviegoers flock to bird cartoon "Rio" (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The Brazilian bird adventure "Rio" led the Easter box office in North America for a second weekend, fending off the debuts of Tyler Perry's latest Madea comedy andReese Witherspoon's romantic outing with Robert Pattinson.

According to studio estimates issued Sunday, "Rio" sold an estimated $26.8 million worth of tickets across the United States and Canada during the three days beginning April 22. After 10 days, the animated hit has earned $81.3 million.

"Madea's Big Happy Family" opened close behind with $25.8 million, in line with expectations but falling short of actor/director/writer Perry's previous films about the brassy black woman. "Madea Goes to Jail" opened to $41 million in 2009, and "Madea's Family Reunion" to $30 million in 2006.

"Water for Elephants" came in at No. 3 with $17.5 million, also in line with expectations. The period drama, based on Sara Gruen's best-selling book, stars Witherspoon as a Depression-era circus performer and "Twilight" hunk Pattinson as her forbidden lover.

The Easter Bunny live-action/animated hybrid "Hop" slipped one place to No. 4 with $12.5 million in its fourth weekend; its total rose to $100.5 million.

The horror sequel "Scream 4" tumbled three to No. 5 with $7.2 million in its second weekend; the 10-day tally rose to $31.2 million -- still short of the opening-weekend tallies of either "Scream 3" or "Scream 2."

"Rio" was distributed by 20th Century Fox, and "Water for Elephants" by Fox Searchlight. Both are units of News Corp. "Madea's Big Happy Family" was released by Lionsgate, a unit of Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.

"Hop" was released by Universal Pictures, a unit of Comcast Corp-controlled NBC Universal. "Scream 4" was released by Dimension Films, a unit of the closely held Weinstein Co.

Inspiring American Monuments

Awe-Inspiring American Monuments

We wouldn’t dare rank our nation’s natural assets—who could choose between Yosemite and Yellowstone? But the man-made attractions? You bet. Behold, our picks for the country’s most epic buildings, monuments, and engineering feats, with advice for navigating them smarter, better, and with fewer crowds.

Golden Gate Bridge

San Francisco, CA

Once the world's longest suspension bridge, the 1.7-mile Golden Gate has since been surpassed in size-but not in beauty. Hundreds of people walk the span from San Francisco to Sausalito each day, so you'll want to plan wisely. Bypass the two-hour meters at the overcrowded main lot off S.F.'s Merchant Road in favor of ample free parking at Crissy Field Center (crissyfield.org). There, fair-trade coffee awaits at the Warming Hut Café & Bookstore, a whitewashed shed near the shore that's the perfect place to fuel up for the gentle, half-mile Bay Trail to the bridge. The Golden Gate's best-kept secret: Although it's closed to pedestrians after sunset, gates are opened for star-gazing cyclists.
Hollywood Walk of Fame

Los Angeles, CA

Each year, another 20 to 30 luminaries are added to the more than 2,400 celebrities already immortalized in pink terrazzo along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street. The Official Hollywood Walk of Fame iPhone app tells you exactly where to find Bette Davis, the Beatles, and both Harrison Fords (the other one was a silent film star). Parking in Hollywood is notoriously challenging, so this is a rare moment when L.A.'s subway comes in handy: The Red Line, which runs between NorthHollywood and Down-town, stops at Hollywood and Vine; riders can leave their cars at one of the 1,500-plus free parking spots available at the North Hollywood and Universal City stops at the line's western end.
Mount Rushmore

Keystone, SD

You can't actually clamber over the presidents' heads like Cary Grant in North by Northwest. But the 500-foot-tall Mount Rushmore and the surrounding national forest still pack plenty of cinematic punch, thanks to the spiraling bridges, rock tunnels, and pinnacles of granite that line scenic Highway 89 north of Custer. There's no fee to see the busts (sculpted by 400 men), other than an $11 parking permit that, once paid, is good for the calendar year. Don't miss the equally epic Crazy Horse Memorial, slated to be the world's largest cliff carving, just 15 miles away.French Quarter

New Orleans, LA

Everyone knows about the delights of New Orleans in the spring, when Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest turn the 70-block antebellum French Quarter into a rollicking 24-hour party, but an off-season visit delivers far more value. Hotels are a particular bargain during the summer months, when venerable institutions such as the 125-year-old Hotel Monteleone, a favorite haunt of Tennessee Williams, slashes its rates from the Mardi Gras high of $179 down to just $129. The deals don't stop there: The city was named the country's most affordable dining destination last November by Zagat Survey. And as part of an initiative by Coolinary New Orleans, more than 30 ritzy Quarter restaurants such as Antoine's offer three-course lunches for $20 during August and September.
Gateway Arch

St. Louis, MO

Some Americans might be surprised to discover that the country's tallest man-made monument isn't the Statue of Liberty (305 feet) or the Washington Monument (555 feet)-it's St. Louis's Gateway Arch, a 630-foot wonder with vertigo-inducing views of paddle-wheel boats steaming down the Mississippi. Two tram services carry the 4 million annual visitors on four-minute rides to the top. Architecture buffs opt for the north leg, which features an exhibit on the arch's construction, while armchair historians make for the south leg, which focuses on 19th-century life along the St. Louis waterfront. Either way, you'll want to avoid gusty days, as the arch's apex can sway up to 18 inches.

Grand Canon Skywalk

Tusayan, AZ

This gravity-defying glass bridge, perched 4,000 feet above the floor of the Grand Canyon, on its western rim, has hosted more than 250,000 visitors a year since it opened four years ago-and the knee-buckling privilege doesn't come cheap. The only way to access the Skywalk is via Grand Canyon West, a tourist area run by the Hualapai tribe on land located outside the Grand Canyon National Park. The most affordable ticket option is the Legacy Gold package, an all-day pass that includes a meal, a tour, and tribal demonstrations along with the Skywalk ticket.

Millenium Park

Chicago, IL

This 24.5-acre park in the heart of downtown Chicago opened in 2004, and is a wonderland of cutting-edge architecture and design. Playful, family-friendly, and free attractions include the Cloud Gate sculpture, which reflects the downtown skyline and visitors' faces like a series of fun-house mirrors, and Crown Fountain, a multimedia installation that pairs splash-worthy sprays of water with 50-foot-tall video portraits.

Statue of Liberty

New York, NY

Lady Liberty's crown, which reopened after an eight-year hiatus in 2009, is scheduled to close again in November (along with the rest of the statue) for at least a year's worth of safety upgrades, so act fast to see the famous 125-year-old French gift from the inside. As you exit the ferry at Liberty Island, you'll need to purchase a Crown Visit wristband at the information center. The only thing you're allowed to take inside is a camera. Even cell phones and wallets are no-gos, so travel light and bring two singles to feed the three-hour lockers where you'll stash your goods. (There's no change machine, and to complicate the matter further, only singles and dollar coins are accepted). One wardrobe must: shoes with good grip. Descending the crown's 354 steps can be a slippery affair.