June 2002
Volume 66 |
Number 6
|
| |
|
| Orlando: 'The
City Beautiful,' Site of ASA 2002 Annual Meeting |
Jimmie D. Moore, M.D., Chair
Committee on Local Arrangements
|
|
|
Orlando and its magical theme parks will host the
2002 ASA Annual Meeting.
(Photo courtesy of the Orlando/Orange
County Convention & Visitors Bureau)
|
|
Orlando is the number-one tourist destination in the world and
the location of the 2002 ASA Annual Meeting. ASA first met here
in 1998, and many will remember that outstanding meeting.
Orlando allegedly acquired its name during the Seminole War in
1835 when a U.S. solder named Orlando Reeves alerted his comrades
of approaching Indians. His fellow soldiers showed their gratitude
by naming the area after him. Prior to the Civil War, Orlando
homesteaders raised cattle and cotton. The Civil War, followed
by the storm of 1871, devastated the economy, but cattle ranching
survived and was followed by citrus farming. Walt Disney quietly
purchased 27,000 acres and announced in 1965 what was to become
Walt Disney World, subsequently opening in 1971. Orlando, Orange
County and central Florida have grown explosively since, and tourism
has replaced citrus as the principle cornerstone of the local
economy.
Orlando is known for its theme parks. Walt Disney World includes
The Magic Kingdom, MGM Studios, Epcot and Animal Kingdom. Universal
Orlando features Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. SeaWorld
is the home of Discovery Cove and the SeaWorld Park Adventure.
Orlando features sparkling lakes, moss-draped southern oaks and
citrus groves. Leu Gardens is comprised of 50 acres of beauty
along the shores of Lake Rowena. Many of the orange groves that
gave Orange County its heritage are now the site of the many developments
of this thriving city.
Another central Florida attraction, Gatorland, offers 110 acres
of Florida swamp and is known internationally as the "Alligator
Capital of the World," featuring gator wrestling and other gator
shows. Cypress Gardens was the first Florida theme park and features
many beautiful flowers and plants, the Wings of Wonder butterfly
conservatory and the Bird Walk Aviary. It is widely known for
its ski shows. The Busch Gardens and its famous Clydesdale horses
are located in the neighboring Tampa area.
Other local communities include Winter Park, which is the home
of the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art, housing the
world's largest collection of Louis C. Tiffany glass. Boat tours
of the Winter Park chain of lakes are available and offer views
of the many beautiful lakefront homes of the city.
The Bok Tower and gardens are located at the highest elevation
in our mostly flat peninsular state, 298 feet above sea level
and about an hour's drive from Orlando. The 128-acre gardens display
azaleas, camellias, magnolias and other seasonal flowering plants.
The Bok Tower contains one of the world's greatest carillons and
features daily recitals.
The Kennedy Space Center and visitor complex is where America's
space flights originate. Tours include visits to the Launch Complex
39 Observation Gantry, the Apollo/Saturn V Center and the Firing
Room Theater. You may encounter an astronaut, see images of exploration
beyond earth's orbit and view an IMAX® film of a space journey.
The Kennedy Space Center is located on the shores of the Atlantic
Ocean about an hour east of Orlando.
Cirque du Soleil's La Nouba is in permanent residence at downtown
Disney. It is a circus of astonishing, eccentric and high-energy
performances and is like no other circus.
Come visit Orlando and the ASA Annual Meeting. You will find
additional information on Orlando by exploring <www.orlandoinfo.com>.
return to top
|