| |
May 1999
Volume 63 |
Number 5
|
| |
|
| Howdy Folks! Welcome
to "Big D!" |
Anthony D. Lehner,
M.D., Chair
Committee on Local Arrangements
The Indian summer of October offers warm days and cool nights
to explore the Metroplex and enjoy the hospitality for which Texas
is known. The ASA Annual Meeting on October 9-13, 1999, promises
to be a memorable one. The exciting new Adam's Mark Hotel will
serve as a co-headquarters hotel with the Hyatt-Regency Dallas
and the Wyndham Anatole. The Dallas Convention Center has been
recognized by convention planners as "the best run convention
center in America." In addition to the ASA bus system, Dallas'
new light rail system will provide easy access between the participating
hotels and the convention center.
Football reigns supreme with the Dallas Cowboys and the "Red
River Shoot-Out," the yearly rivalry between the University of
Texas and the University of Oklahoma, which will be held the weekend
of the meeting. The State Fair of Texas will be in full swing
through October 17, with exhibits ranging from new automobiles
to cattle and livestock. There is something for everyone at the
Fair, and the midway rides and games of chance are not to be missed.
Playing at the Music Hall will be the touring company of the Broadway
musical "Titanic." Funnel cakes, sausage on a stick, smoked turkey
legs, cotton candy and Fletcher's Corny Dogs will tempt the most
discriminating palate.
In addition to connecting the hotels and convention center,
the light rail system ties together the heart of downtown Dallas.
The West End offers trendy shopping and excellent restaurants.
The flagship store of Dallas' own Neiman-Marcus is located at
Main and Ervay. Jazz music and vintage clothing can be found in
the off-beat storefronts along Deep Ellum.
Connected also is the Dallas Museum of Art with its fabulous
permanent collection of pre-Columbian art. The Morton H. Meyerson
Symphony Center, home of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, is a world-class,
acoustically superior concert hall. The Dallas World Aquarium,
housed in a two-story warehouse built in 1924, is a treasure in
the heart of the city.
An international city, Dallas offers dining that is a culinary
treat. With more restaurants per capita than New York City, the
choices are truly mind-boggling. Dallas has been on the cutting
edge of nouveau American cuisine that local chefs rank
among the best in the country. Many Texans prefer Mexican dishes,
from Tex-Mex to Santa Fe-style. Ask a Texan about his barbecue,
and he will tell you "beef" and "the secret is in the sauce."
The debate rages on ...
Nightlife is a way of life. Dallas likes to party and you are
welcome to join in the celebration. Rock, pop, country, Tejano
- wherever there is a band, you will find a dance floor. From
the downtown hotels, Deep Ellum clubs and West End warehouses
to the north along Greenville Avenue to the city of Addison, Dallas
invites you to dance the night away.
Hold onto your wallets and shop 'til you drop! Once a frontier
trading post, Dallas is now home to more shopping centers than
any other U.S. city. What Dallas offers in quantity, it more than
matches in quality. Neighborhoods are filled with small specialty
shops and boutiques selling the latest fashions, antiques, gifts
and works of art. A hop on the McKinney Avenue trolley will take
you down brick-lined McKinney Avenue, home to numerous antique
shops, art galleries and restaurants. Built in the 1930s in new-Spanish
architecture, Highland Park Village is one of the nation's first
shopping centers. A short cab ride from downtown, you will find
excellent restaurants and shops ranging from Ralph Lauren, Hermes,
Bottega, Chanel and Calvin Klein to Banana Republic and the Gap.
The neighborhood of the Park Cities and Lakeside Drive are an
architectural delight. Encircling the city are numerous malls
and outlet malls that provide great buys at discount prices.
The West is said to begin in Fort Worth, and no trip to the
Metroplex is complete without a visit to our Western neighbors.
As the beginning of the Chisholm Trail, Fort Worth is proud of
its "cowtown" heritage. The Stockyards and their "old town" surroundings
are home to many restaurants, western shops and Billy Bob's Texas.
Known as the world's largest honky-tonk, Billy Bob's is home to
many of the top names in country music. Learn to dance the Texas
Two-Step or Cotton-Eyed Joe. Ride the larger-than-life mechanical
bull or take in real-life bull riding in Billy Bob's arena. If
boots and spurs are not to your liking, Fort Worth is also home
to the world-renowned Kimball Art Museum and the Water Gardens
designed by Phillip Johnson. Only 30 miles from Dallas, Fort Worth
is well worth the ride.
In addition to all the Metroplex has to offer, many meeting-based
programs have been planned for your enjoyment to supplement the
exhibits and annual ASA Art Exhibit. Look for your convention
information packet and sign up early to reserve your place! Our
hope is that you come, enjoy and experience Dallas at its finest.
Anthony D. Lehner, M.D., is a Staff Anesthesiologist
at Doctors Hospital and a District Director for the Texas Society
of Anesthesiologists, Dallas, Texas.
return to top
|