Ready for a little sunshine? Anaheim highlights and tour information: Sunday, April 21, to Thursday, April 25, 2002 - Highlights And Tours - Association of Operating Room Nurses

AORN Journal, March, 2002

The 49th annual AORN Congress will be held April 21 to 25, 2002, in Anaheim, Calif, and promises to be an exciting event for attendees. Be sure to attend, reconnect with your nursing colleagues, and enjoy the sights in and around Anaheim.

ANAHEIM HIGHLIGHTS

Located in southern California and known for its many theme parks, historic and cultural facilities, incredible weather, and great beaches, Anaheim offers visitors fun, excitement, and diversity. The Anaheim area was settled in 1857 by German farmers and vintners and was incorporated as a city in 1876. From the late 1880s until 1960, Anaheim was an agricultural community.

The city was made world famous when Walt Disney built his dream theme park, Disneyland, there in 1955. Disney's newest theme park-Disney's California Adventure[TM]--opened in 2001 and celebrates the fun, diversity, and pioneering spirit of California. Inside, guests will experience the glamour of movie magic in the Hollywood Pictures Backlot, the romance of Napa Valley, the legendary surfside boardwalks and excitement of a seaside resort in Paradise Pier, pristine forests, and other famous locales that celebrate the wonders of the Golden State.

Adjacent to Disney's California Adventure is Downtown Disney, a vibrant new dining, shopping, and entertainment district. It features trend-setting restaurants, such as Naples Ristorante e Pizzeria, Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen, and the Rainforest Cafe; live entertainment at the House of Blues, Y Arriba! Y Arriba!, and ESPN Zone; and an AMC Theatre multiplex cinema. The newly expanded and redesigned Anaheim Convention Center now has 1.6 million square feet of space. You will notice a big difference from the last AORN Congress held there in 1997. The center includes a soaring glass tower that reaches 180 ft above the area's landscape and features a sweeping wave-shaped glass wall that spans the length of the building. This innovative and inviting environment allows meeting attendees to enjoy the California sunshine even when they are inside. Palm trees and greenery fill the dramatic boulevards in the 1,100-acre Anaheim resort district, which formerly was the city of Anaheim. Most of the hotels in Anaheim have undergone major renovations and offer new amenities. This truly is a new Anaheim!

ANAHEIM TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

Don't forget to schedule sightseeing into your busy agenda during Congress week. AORN, in conjunction with Whirl-A-Round Tours, has selected custom tours and events for your entertainment during Congress week. The tour program was developed to enhance your free time before and after Congress, as well as provide options for evening entertainment during Congress.

Tours will be offered from Friday, April 19, to Saturday, April 27, 2002. Make plans to arrive a few days early or extend your stay to the weekend after Congress. There should be something for everyone! Make sure all arrangements for tours on April 26 and 27, 2002, are completed before 5 PM on Wednesday, April 24, 2002. Whirl-A-Round will accept preregistration for tours through April 10, 2002. Tickets purchased on-site will incur an additional fee of $3 per ticket.

Following is a brief listing of the tours provided. Visit the AORN web site at http://www.aorn.org/ congress/tours.htm to find additional details for each tour, as well as information on how to register. You also can contact Whirl-A-Round directly at Whirl-A-Round, 2900 Bristol St, Suite J-108, Costa Mesa, CA 92626; by telephone at (714) 751-3555; by sending a fax to (714) 751-3888; or by sending an e-mail to wirlrnd@exo.com.

FRIDAY, APRIL 19

Desert dreams--$79 per person (includes spa experience), 9 AM to 7:30 PM. Come join the "beautiful people" in the land where California's elite play--Palm Springs! Browse in the shops, catch lunch on your own, and revel in a visit to the famed spa. On the way home, you will visit the Barona Casino.

The treasures of the coast--S62 per person (includes lunch in Laguna Beach), 10 AM to 4:30 PM. Discover California's beach communities. Visit the original "Surf City USA" in Huntington Beach. Continue your experience with a ride to Newport Beach and then on to Laguna Beach, where you will enjoy lunch in a restaurant overlooking the Pacific ocean.

SATURDAY, APRIL 20

Catalina getaway--$98 per person, 8 AM to 6 PM. Spend a day on one of southern California's best-kept secrets--Catalina Island. Travel across the channel on a high-speed catamaran. Stroll the boutiques, have lunch on your own, visit the island's Nature Center, and enjoy the Skyline Scenic Drive Tour.

The art of the matter--$30 per person, 10 AM to 4:30 PM. Head to Santa Monica, the Greenwich Village of the West Coast. You will visit the famous pier and seaside galleries along with the Third Street Promenade. Enjoy lunch on your own, then move on to the J Paul Getty Center, which features collections of pretwentieth century paintings, drawings, illuminated manuscripts, sculpture, and decorative art.

SUNDAY, APRIL 21

Hollywood nights--$25 per person, 6:30 to 11:30 PM. Visit one of Tinseltown's most popular nightspots--Universal City Walk. Universal City Walk features unique shops and exciting eateries. Follow the floodlights to the brand new Hollywood and Highland entertainment complex, home of the Academy Awards and right next door to the famous Chinese Theater.