During the summer The Tower had a continuous stream of people waiting to climb it. Some opted for the elevator but long lines made it impossible for everyone. Most started the long walk up. This meant a long but steady incline. You could stop at each level and rest if you wanted. The park was just two long loops up and that’s as far as most people went.

Sam was proud of the park. It was 100 feet above the ground yet grew on it’s own. The open spaces above it allowed plenty of sunshine. Some rain blew in from the sides but the middle was irrigated. The trees were small but there was plenty of space for them to grow.

There had been an argument as to whether they should add rabbits and squirrels but in the end they decided against it. The park would support them but it would be hard for the little critters to get away from the patrons if they had to. Birds flew in and out on their own and no attempt was made to keep them away.

The trail became less crowded above this level. The next stop that had any attraction of it’s own was three more loops up. That’s where the restaurants were. Their patrons were much more likely to use the elevator to get there.

Elevators were common for usual visitors to the next level or Plaza level, as it became known. A church had requested the space there for Sunday morning worship. Sam hadn’t expected this but he gave them permission. The congregation would probably close down for many months of the year due to weather.

A scattering of weddings were booked for the Plaza on Saturdays. The first few went off flawlessly and the calendar soon became filled. People would fly in from other states to be wed there. Weekdays began to fill up, too. Sam was again surprised. He hadn’t intended to steal any thunder from Las Vegas.

One of his favorites were the star parties. They occurred once every few months and he made certain to attend them. They’d stake out the top floor and sprawl out there watching the heavens revolve around them. Sam had a special skirt made to shield the stargazers from the glowing North Star above them.

All in all it was amazingly popular and he couldn’t have been prouder of it. Yes, there were problems with the aquarium level. It seemed it was very tricky to regulate the water exactly right for the more exotic fish. The added burden of crowded elevators made their support difficult. He still liked the idea so they’d keep at it until they got it right.

There were many questions about the name of his arcade at the top. Why was it called ‘The Underworld’ when it was high up in the clouds? He simply smiled and said that he had his reasons.

There were two secrets to the tower. The first was Sam’s private entrance. He had quietly had a tunnel put in from his property to his office inside the ground level complex of The Tower. It was nothing special, hardly more than bare concrete and lights. He kept a bicycle down there to get back and forth. This was installed so he could visit late at night if he wished.

He couldn’t have been happier with the place. Almost everyday he found some excuse to go over to The Tower. This was especially true when the weather was doing something crazy. The restaurants gave you a rather unique view of the inside of a thunderstorm. Even blizzards created wonderful designs amongst the loops and in the parks.

He clearly remembered his favorite time. It was one of those spring mornings when the clouds don’t know quite where to rest. He’d woken early and saw fog outside of his window. He rushed over to the tower and took the elevator all the way up. Down below him was an endless ocean of clouds. This was the view that one could only get from an airplane but he wasn’t moving. It was breathtaking.

The second secret was one that even Sam didn’t know about.