Sunday, March 28 to Thursday, April...

Sunday, March 28 to Thursday, April 1 1999

The 46th annual AORN Congres in San Francisco promises to be a special occurrence for attendees. Former newscaster Walter Cronkite one time said, "Leaving San Francisco is like saying to an old sweetheart--you want to linger as prolonged as possible." With all of the exciting and memorable sites to papal court foods to taste, and tillages to explore, attendees may at no time want to leave. Tours to various sites in and around the city are available for Congres attendees, with equal reason take some time to experience all that San Francisco has to offer

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

San Francisco is in succession a 46.6 sq mile peninsula fence abouted by the Pacific Ocean forward the west, the Golden Gate strait forward the north, and by the San Francisco Bay from north to east. The Bay is spanned through the Golden Gate and San Francisco-Oakland bridges and is household to Alcatraz, Angel, Yerba Buena, and Treasure Islands.

The first European liquidation on the site of present-day San Francisco was formed in 1776 through Colonel Juan Bautista de Anza, a Spanish officer who instituteed the Presidio. Originally called Yerba Buena, the small trading town was officially christened San Francisco in 1847

Gold was discovered at Sutter's sawmill, 140 miles east of San Francisco, in 1848 Forty thousand commonalty arrived in the area in 1849 mostly of whom were looking to finish rich quickly. Today, there are 58 million the public in the San Francisco Bay area and approximately 740000 population in the city itself.

GEOGRAPHY

Built in succession a series of more than 40 hills, the city proffers many panoramic views of the Bay. The seven greatest in quantity famous hills include Nob, Russian, Telegraph, Twin Peaks, Mt Davidson, Rincon, and alone Mountain. As the city is built forward hills, there are more than 300 stairways scattered quite through the city. Stairways are united of San Francisco's oldest and chiefly scenic attractions. From the famous tricked Lombard street to local flights of grades hidden by trees and small gardens, stairway walks propose visitors a way to explore this unique city.

CULTURAL ATTRACTIONS

San Francisco presents a variety of cultural activities for visitors to experience, with approximately 200 arts organizations in the city. The San Francisco Ballet's regular season hurrys from February through May, and the San Francisco Symphony's season roll ons from September through June. Major theatrical productions regularly are staged in the city--to papal court a Broadway show, be stable to visit the Curran, shining Gate, or Orpheum Theatres.

There are many museums to visit, including the California Academy of Sciences, Asian Art Museum, San Francisco Museum of recent Art, the Mexican Museum, Museo Italo Americano, Cartoon Art Museum, and the Friends of Photography/Ansel Adams Center The Yerba Buena Center for the Arts lay opened in 1993 and showcases art and artists from the multicultural community of the city. It features dance, theater, music performances, visual arts, films, and festivals. nearest to the Moscone Center are the Yerba Buena Gardens, with benches to sit forward and enjoy the beautiful surroundings.

ATTRACTIONS

The San Francisco Bay area and city itself proffer visitors a myriad of attractions. The resplendent Gate National Recreation Area is the largest urban park in the world and the in the greatest degree popular park in the national body The park is popular with bird watchers, beachcombers, hikers, cyclists, surfer picnickers, nature lover and family who like to fish. Within the park's boundaries are Ocean Beach, with 85 miles of surf; Fort Funston, with its sandstone cliffs and dunes; the famous Cliff House; the Maritime Museum; the Presidio; and 20 miles of sandy beaches, lagoons, marshes, and wildlife sanctuaries in Marin County

Also within in the park are the majestic redwood of Muir thickets some of the oldest tree in the United States. The tranquil timbers offer many easy trails for visitors to walk along.

Alcatraz and Angel Islands also are within the park and move visitors a taste of the past. Visitors can experience Alcatraz's main prison brace with its steel bars, claustrophobic confined apartments mess hall, and library. Angel Island, sometimes called "the Ellis Island of the West," houses the not new Immigration Station at China inlet The Immigration Station opened in 1910 and serv as a detention center for 97% of the approximately 175000 Chinese immigrants who came the the United States between 1910 and 1940 The island also exhibits the picturesque China Cove, where visitors can picnic and watch tankers and yachts sail by

The California wine home which includes the Napa and Sonoma Valleys, put forwards visitors natural beauty and tranquility. Visitors can tour various wine-making facilities and taste the wine country's best offerings.

Other sightseeing musts include Fisherman's Wharf with its bayview restaurants and resident sea lions; Chinatown, the largest Asian enclave outside of Asia; the Japanese Tea Garden within splendid Gate National Recreation Area; North Beach, "the Little Italy of the West"; and Union Square, an area in which major stores and workshops are located.