Giant Vegas Ferris Wheel the Height of Excess

Talk about an eye in the sky.

A developer is moving ahead with plans to construct a 500-foot Ferris-like wheel that would put paying customers hight above the skyline of Las Vegas. That's right, for a certain price, you can be put in the enviable position of looking up to see the stars and looking down to see the Strip.

The FAA-approved Skyvue Las Vegas Super Wheel, due to open in 2013, is just one part of a massive project with a price tag of $100 million that also includes 200,000 square feet of entertainment space that features restaurants, retail shops, and a roller coaster. Nothing does Vegas like excess.

The Super Wheel will have 40 gondolas, which can hold up to 25 passengers each. Private parties can rent them out, of course. A catering service will be available, naturally (although one would hope that a medical service would also be available to help those who had too much to eat and/or drink before or during their trip(s) around the wheel. Not to worry on the weather conditions, though: The gondolas will feature heating and air conditioning, to account for those hot Vegas days and cold Vegas nights.

For the Vegas nuts out there, the Super Wheel and surrounding entertainment center will be at the southeast corner of Las Vegas Blvd. and Mandalay Bay Dr.