“So much to do, so much to see and so little time!” is a common expression that you will likely find applies while visiting Chicago for the ASA 2006 Annual Meeting. Chicago is well-known for its cultural activities, architecture, fine dining, first-class shopping and, of course, beautiful Lake Michigan, and you will no doubt want to take advantage of the best of what the “Windy City” has to offer. This year the ASA Annual Meeting will be held at McCormick Place, one of North America’s premier convention facilities. The McCormick Place campus provides the largest exhibit space of any convention center in the country (2.2 million square feet).

Eating Good in the Neighborhood
One of Chicago’s famous neighborhoods, Chinatown, is just a stone’s throw away from the McCormick Place campus. This eight-block area running along Cermak Road offers 40 restaurants in which to sample traditional Chinese cuisine, exotic architecture and quaint stores brimming with such specialties as tea, colorful kites and brilliant satins. Ethnic neighborhoods such as Chinatown and nearby Greektown are just two examples of the 77 different neighborhoods that are home to nearly 15,500 restaurants (5,600 in the central business district alone) offering culinary favorites to suit every taste, budget and mood. It is understandable why the Robb Report named Chicago the best city for dining in 2003.

Downtown
Traveling north from McCormick Place and into downtown Chicago brings you to the heart of the city. One of the best places to begin your exploration is the Chicago Cultural Center, a landmark building and former library that is the nation’s first free municipal cultural center. The center is a “neoclassical masterpiece” that features two art-glass domes and glittering mosaic walls housing a visitor information center that provides maps, brochures and helpful concierges to assist you in making the most of your time in the city. The cultural center itself also is home to myriad concerts, art exhibits and other artistic performances. Another fine starting point for learning more about Chicago is the “Exploring Chicago” section of the city’s Web site <egov.CityofChicago.org>. The Chicago Tribune also has a handy site <metromix.chicagotribune.com> that offers listings for theater, music, nightlife and dining.

Art in the Park
Just across the street from the cultural center on the east side of Michigan Avenue is Chicago’s newest cultural attraction, Millennium Park. Stroll the park on your own or pick up an audio tour available for rental at the park’s Welcome Center at 201 E. Randolph Street. The park includes the Jay Pritzker Music Pavilion, the Harris Theater for Music and Dance and “Cloud Gate” a 110-ton polished steel sculpture, affectionately known to Chicagoans as “The Bean.”

The Cloud Gate sculpture in Millennium Park brilliantly reflects Chicago’s world-famous skyline. Known to Chicagoans as “The Bean,” it is a popular photo op.

Near Millennium Park is the Art Institute of Chicago. Two of the museum’s highlights are a world-class collection of Impressionist paintings and the Thorne Miniature Rooms, which exquisitely depicts European and American interiors from different historical periods.

Along the lake and not far away is the city’s “Museum Campus,” a 57-acre lakefront park composed of the Shedd Aquarium, the Adler Planetarium and the Field Museum, where the King Tut exhibit will be on display this fall <www.kingtut.org>. Speaking of museums, visitors to Chicago should certainly consider a trip to the Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology (WLM) at ASA headquarters in Park Ridge. The WLM contains exhibits based on the personal collection of founder Paul M. Wood, M.D., and houses many of the predecessors of today’s anesthesia equipment. Tours of the WLM are part of the Social Activities program. In addition, ASA is helping to sponsor a three-year exhibit on the history of pain and its alleviation at the International Museum of Surgical Science on Lake Shore Drive that is due to open later this summer.

On the Water
Another great way to see the city is from the water. Several cruise lines, such as the Spirit of Chicago and the Odyssey, feature elegant dinner cruises with live music and dancing. Cruise ships dock at Navy Pier, a 50-acre lakefront dining and entertainment complex that includes a 150-foot-high Ferris Wheel, the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, the Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows and the Chicago Children’s Museum. The Chicago Architecture Foundation provides architectural cruises on the Chicago River led by knowledgeable docents. The Foundation also has an array of walking tours traversing downtown Chicago. It is best to call ahead for cruise and tour times; reservations are highly recommended. Also on an architectural note, visit State Street (“The Great Street”) and see two of Chicago’s architectural treasures that also happen to be favorite shopping destinations: Marshall Field’s and Carson Pirie Scott & Co. Field’s interior features Corinthian columns and a Tiffany mosaic ceiling; its Walnut Room restaurant is a Chicago dining tradition. Down the street is Carson Pirie Scott & Co., a department store designed by Louis Sullivan and built in 1899. It recently underwent a painstaking exterior renovation to restore the building to its original glory.

In the Air
To get a view of Chicago from above, visit the Sears Tower Skydeck or the John Hancock Observatory on “The Magnificent Mile.” The Hancock building offers fine dining and breathtaking views from the Signature Room restaurant on the 95th floor. Across the street is the landmark Historic Water Tower, built in 1869 and a survivor of the Great Chicago Fire. Its companion, the Water Works Building, serves as another obliging visitor center and is home to the Lookingglass Theatre.

Shopping on the Mag Mile
The Magnificent Mile, which runs along Michigan Avenue from Oak Street to the Chicago River, provides an abundance of shopping opportunities. The Shops at North Bridge, Water Tower Place, the 900 North Michigan Avenue Shops and Chicago Place Shopping Center are but a few of the places to enjoy a shopping spree at stores that include Bloomingdale’s, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue and a variety of specialty stores such as Burberry, Chanel Boutique and Tiffany & Co. Oak Street, just west of Michigan Avenue, is a boutique shopper’s dream. Peruse the “Visitors & Travel” section of the the Mag Mile’s Web site <www.themagnificentmile.com> and download an area map and guide to make your shopping trip a breeze.

There’s only one “Magnificent Mile,” but Chicago is home to many more miles of treasures from north shore to south shore.

Get the Blues
Chicago is a well-known music town, and the downtown area has some excellent choices to help one wind down after the day and hear great live music. For the classical music lover, there is Orchestra Hall on Michigan Avenue, the home of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the Lyric Opera of Chicago on Wacker Drive. The House of Blues in the Marina Towers offers a variety of rock, contemporary and blues concerts as well its Sunday Gospel Brunch; and Buddy Guy’s Legends is a renowned blues nightclub.

Theater Scene
Chicago also is home to more than 200 theaters where you will find everything from traveling Broadway productions to experimental theater to Chicago’s famous improvisational groups, including Second City, Comedy Sportz and Blue Man Group, all known for their creative and unforgettable performances. For up-to-date information on Chicago’s theater scene, visit the League of Chicago Theatres Web site <chicagoplays.com>, where you also can access information on half-price day-of-show tickets that may be available when you have time away from Annual Meeting events.

From music to fine dining, museums and cultural attractions and world-class shopping, Chicago truly has something for everyone. The Committee on Local Arrangements looks forward to seeing you at the ASA 2006 Annual Meeting in Chicago. Those of us who are fortunate to live here know that you will enjoy our great city.

Kenneth J. Tuman, M.D., is Professor and Chair, Department of Anesthesiology, Rush University Medical Center at Rush Medical College, Chicago, Illinois.