AAACN Looks Ahead to Atlanta 2006

AAACN Viewpoint, May/Jun 2005

Real Nurses. Real Issue. Real Solutions.

31st Annual Conference

Leading in a Culture of Change

March 23-27, 2006

Sheraton Atlanta Hotel, Atlanta, GA

Atlanta is the destination where AAACN members and colleagues will venture in March, 2006, for AAACN's 31st Annual Conference, "Leading in a Culture of Change." Join us in a city filled with a wealth of attractions and activities that offer something for everyone! Some of Atlanta's unique offerings include the Centennial Olympic Park, CNN Studio Tours, and the Martin Luther King, Jr., National Historic Site. Charming neighborhoods, tree-shaded streets, and friendly communities are just some of the characteristics of Atlanta's far-reaching metropolitan area. In this de facto capital of the South, you'll find a dynamic cultural mix where new ideas blend with old traditions.

Metro Atlanta attractions will satisfy a variety of tastes. Callaway Gardens and Preserve is a 14,000 acre world-class horticulture display garden, resort, and preserve offering a butterfly center, birds of prey, vegetable gardens, golf, and biking. The Georgia Aquarium, which is scheduled to open in late 2005, will be one of the world's largest aquariums with more than 55,000 animals from 500 species in more than 5 million gallons of fresh and salt water. Stone Mountain Park is the world's largest exposed mass of granite. The surrounding park of 3,200 acres features recreational activities, including an 1870s town with characters and skilled crafters, a sky lift, and a new laser show.

In addition, Underground Atlanta consists of 6 underground city blocks in the heart of Atlanta that have been transformed into an urban market with restaurants and shops. The World of Coca-Cola has exhibits, memorabilia, classic radio and television advertisements, a representation of the bottling process, and a futuristic soda fountain. The Jimmy Carter Library and Museum portrays the life and administration of the Presidency of Jimmy Carter, and the Margaret Mitchell House and Museum features the furnished apartment where Margaret Mitchell wrote Cone with the Wind and contains a museum of artifacts from the movie.

Culture has always been an integral part of life in Atlanta. The Atlanta Ballet is the oldest, continuously running ballet company in the U.S., presenting classical and contemporary works by dancers from around the world. Full Radius Dance is a professional dance company that combines dancers with and without disabilities in works that celebrate technique and physicality. The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, a Grammy Award-winning symphony, performs more than 230 times annually for over a half million music lovers. Theaters abound and range from such choices as Agatha's - A Taste of Mystery, where audiences participate in solving murders while they eat, to Broadway in Atlanta, which brings the best of Broadway to the area.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a special museum and visitors' center to learn about the CDC and public health, and illustrates how the work of that organization leads to safer and healthier people. The Fernbank Science Center has one of the nation's largest planetariums, an observatory, and a 65-acre forest with walking trails. The Kangaroo Conservation Center has the largest kangaroo collection outside of Australia.

Weather in Atlanta in late March has an average high temperature of 67 degrees F and an average low of 45 degrees F. Come enjoy the beginnings of spring with AAACN in Atlanta from March 23-27, 2006!