By Rebecca St.Andrie

Vegas. A city so famous it doesn’t even need to go by its full name. 

But if you think you already know Vegas, think again. Like Madonna, the city is famous for reinventing itself. From the latest spectacle of entertainment to the next hot thing in restaurants, Las Vegas is always about something new and better. 

So if you feel as if you’ve seen Vegas—even if you’re looking forward to going back during AOPA’s National Assembly, held Sept. 17-20 at the Venetian Hotel, Resort and Casino—prepare to see something new. 

Entertainment
It’s easy to find Elvis impersonators, white tigers, the Chippendales or showgirls in Las Vegas. For the newest entertainment, try the Venetian’s production of “The Phantom of the Opera,” titled “Phantom—The Las Vegas Spectacular.” The production only runs 95 minutes, but cuts out none of the famous songs. In true Vegas style, it features elaborate sets for the musical’s many operas within the show, elaborate special effects, and breathtaking stunts. 

Or go to Tao, the nightclub getting mentioned on numerous celebrity-watching Web sites. Just a year old, it’s already hosted stars such as Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Usher and Bono. 

In addition, the hundreds of shows on and off the Strip offer entertainment far beyond the normal reaches of your imagination. If you’d like to search the listings for yourself, go to the Web site www.visitlasvegas.com. To whet your appetite, here is a sampling of the offerings scheduled during the Assembly: 

CBS Television City. At the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, CBS and Viacom have set up a research center where shows from CBS, MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon, UPN, Showtime, TNN and CMT are screened in small theaters. Audience members use touch-screen computers to record their responses, and some are asked to participate in longer focus group discussions. Free. 

Bodies…The Exhibition. Held at the Tropicana Resort and Casino, the Exhibition “showcases 21 whole-body specimens and more than 260 organs and partial body specimens [that are] meticulously dissected, preserved through an innovative process and respectfully presented, giving visitors the opportunity to view the beauty and complexity of their own organs and systems.” Just don’t go during lunch. Adults, $24. 

Second City. No, you didn’t wind up in Chicago by mistake. The famous improv show started in the Windy City now plays twice nightly at the Flamingo Las Vegas. Some shows are completely scriptless, some aren’t, so if you want to maximize your participation, call ahead. $44.95. 

Dining
Las Vegas hotels compete fiercely to see which can open up the newest, hottest, most spectacular restaurant. As a result, the city has become a mecca for celebrity chefs. With little effort, you can find spectacular, decadent food—or just a lot of it at the buffets. 

You can also eat well without ever stepping outside the Venetian complex. The resort boasts 17 different restaurants, from casual cafes to places where prices don’t appear on the menu. Want to eat poolside off of a menu designed by Wolfgang Puck? How about trying a cheesecake lollipop tree, one of David Burke’s signature dishes? Or go for a classic meal with Emeril’s famous Delmonico Steakhouse. Browse the many options at www.venetian.com. 

Read more about various celebrity chefs, get a peek at their menus and even download their signature recipes by going to www.visitlasvegas.com/ vegas/play/dining/featured-chefs.jsp and clicking on the “Chef Card” series. Emeril Lagasse, Bobby Flay, Wolfgang Puck…they’re all in Las Vegas. 

Las Vegas history
When a city focuses so much on the new, the old tends to get lost. In the quest to have the biggest and brightest hotels, very little of Las Vegas’ colorful history has survived. Even the suites where Bugsy Siegel and Elvis Presley stayed have been renovated. But, for those of you willing to do a little hunting, traces of the past are visible. 

Elvis’ statue. Rumors about a “premier Elvis attraction” on the Strip keep floating around, but for right now attendees looking for authentic Elvis history will have to content themselves with the bronze Elvis statue located in the Las Vegas Hilton lobby. Created in 1978 by Los Angeles sculptor Carl Romanelli, it honored Elvis’ “837 consecutive sold-out shows,” the last on December 12, 1976. Of course, if you’re just looking for an Elvis impersonator, that shouldn’t be so hard to find. 

Bugsy Siegel memorial. Set in front of the Flamingo Hotel-Casino wedding chapel is a bronze plaque, the only place in Las Vegas that acknowledges Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel. Siegel opened the original Flamingo in 1946. While not the first hotel on what is now the Strip, it was the largest and most luxurious. Its eventual success is popularly credited with starting the large-scale development of Las Vegas and the Strip.

The Neon Museum. This non-profit organization is dedicated to restoring some of the famous signs of “Glitter Gulch.” You can see many of the restored signs at the Fremont Street Experience, profiled below. But tours of “The Boneyard,” where old signs wait to be restored, are also available on a limited, pre-arranged basis. Check the Web site, www.neonmuseum.org, for details. 

Fremont Street Experience. The Fremont Street Experience boasts “over-the-top vintage Vegas,” and, best recreates what Vegas was like in the ‘30s and early ‘40s, while ongoing light shows beginning at dusk provide more modern entertainment. 

The Personal Side of the Assembly By Deborah Conn

Looking over stacks of historical documents at AOPA's offices in Alexandria, Va., one thing is clear: the O&P community has been a family as much as it has been a business. O&P practitioners, suppliers, and business owners have been a tight-knit group who care as much about each other’s personal successes and setbacks as their profit-and-loss statements. Take a peek at some of the news bulletins that circulated during AOPA National Assemblies over the years. Not only do they show how much members enjoyed being together, an occasional item of special interest appears, such as in 1953, when this notice was posted: “Special Agent John R. Harrison of the FBI has asked for help locating a fugitive—a double amputee wanted for auto thefts. Identifying features: BK 3 ½” below knee, right BK 3” above ankle. Right index finger amputated at base. Has been a patient of LJ Sabolich at Hanger of Oklahoma City.” No word on whether he was ever apprehended. That same year, the Assembly bulletins reported that Mr. and Mrs. Geisler of Fond du Lac, Wis., returned from a two-week vacation at Yellowstone, Howard Thranhardt had jury duty (along with serving as assembly program chairman) and Mr. and Mrs. Leo Waller took a vacation tour of the West. Clearly, Assembly attendees enjoyed hearing about all the events of their colleagues’ lives—good and bad: “Big Jim Snell and his delightful wife are with us again, and all their friends are so relieved to hear that their boy continues to recover satisfactorily from the effects of the polio attack he suffered just before last year’s meeting.” They also had fun together. In 1954 in Atlantic City, the OALMA Early Morning Bicycle club, founded by Betty Fillauer, Beverly Gruman, and Betty Hanicke, offered participants (“gentlemen welcome”) bright-and-early exercise. And in 1955, Erich Hanicke wrote and presented a play, “The Doctor Learns About Certification,” starring the writer as well as Adele Tenenbaum, Ralph Snell, Betty Hanicke, Ermyntrude Zilch, Betty Fillauer, and Al Muilenburg. One critic’s comment? “It carried me away (or I wish it had),” said Chester Haddan. But the Assembly has changed a lot since then. For example, the 1961 Assembly marked record-breaking attendance of 404; in 2005, AOPA’s last trip to Las Vegas, the Assembly registered nearly 2,200 attendees. Even though the size may be different, your chance to have fun and enjoy the camaraderie at AOPA Assemblies remains the same. See you in Las Vegas!

Outdoor activities
For those of you who would rather go rock climbing than play roulette, being in Las Vegas puts you close to some excellent options. 

The Red Rock Canyon is Las Vegas’ closest attraction, at about 25 minutes away from the Strip. It offers scenic drives, hiking trails, and climbing walls. Guides are available. Because Red Rock Canyon is a day use area, be sure to check the Web site (www.nv.blm.gov/redrockcanyon/) to plan your visit. During the Assembly, hours for the Scenic Drive are 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. $5 per vehicle for a one-day pass.

Mount Charleston is a small, year-round recreation area, with ski trails in the winter and hiking trails through the rest of the year. The scenery is reminiscent of Yosemite National Park. It is located about 40 minutes away and, by many reports, can be crowded. www.vegas.com/sports/recreation/mountcharleston.html 

Lake Mead, created by the Hoover Dam, is one of the largest man-made lakes in the world. In an area that has less than five inches of annual rainfall, Lake Mead offers one of the few opportunities to boat, swim, and fish. The surrounding National Recreation Area offers desert hikes and scenic drives. Thirty miles outside of Las Vegas, the park is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Entrance fee $35 per vehicle; lake use fee $10 per motorized vessel. http://www.nps.gov/lame/index.htm 

For those with extended vacation time, other nearby national parks include Bryce Canyon, Zion, Death Valley, and the north rim of the Grand Canyon. 

Don’t forget the Assembly
With all that Las Vegas has to offer, you’d almost think you were just there for a vacation. But the Assembly is going to have so many new things to see and do that you might find it hard to leave the convention. Here are just a few: 

New Top Ten topics. In 2005, AOPA debuted the Top Ten series—sessions where industry leaders and AOPA’s experts gave quick, easy-to-understand strategies, ideas and tips on popular Medicare and business topics. Their popularity has only grown since then. 

This year, AOPA is bringing in new Top Ten topics. Come hear AOPA experts Kathy Dodson, Joe McTernan, and Sean Peterson talk about handling patient complaints, the 10 questions they get asked most frequently, and dealing with skilled nursing facilities. 

Harley-Davidson raffle. Kick- start the future of O&P! AOPA is holding a special Exhibit Hall raffle to benefit Captiol Connection, a fund that supports legislative and regulatory initiatives for better O&P care. Enter for your chance to win a limited edition Harley-Davidson 50th anniversary motorcycle (courtesy of Branier Orthopedic and Arizona AFO), along with matching his-and-hers leather jackets. The motorcycle will be on display in the Exhibit Hall and be raffled off on the final day of the Assembly. 

AOPA’s 90th birthday celebration. Cake, party favors and karaoke— AOPA’s birthday party will have it all. On Wednesday, Sept. 19th, AOPA will be throwing its own birthday party in the Exhibit Hall. The fun will include an open bar, a birthday cake, party snacks, karaoke and a free commemorative T-shirt. You can celebrate, look at nearly 200 exhibits, examine the “Walk Through Time” display (described below) and network with your peers. The event is free for AOPA members, but members must pre-register. 

“Walk Through Time” exhibit. The stories in the two-part series “How O&P Began,” (May 2007 O&P Almanac and June 2007 O&P Almanac) have been surprising, intriguing and full of familiar names. See more of these stories, examine a timeline of O&P history and test your knowledge of O&P trivia with the “Walk Through Time” exhibit. 

Two walls of panels, one at each end of the Exhibit Hall, will describe the history of several noted O&P companies and of O&P as a profession. There will even be a gallery of old photographs…come see if you recognize the faces! 

More time for networking. The Assembly is the largest O&P event of the year, and that means it’s the best time to meet with your peers. This year, AOPA has designated even more time for networking, including two receptions, a dedicated lunch area, the video wall lounge area and a two-hour breakfast on the last day of the show. 

That’s not all. Intrigued? Watch for the preliminary program, coming in the July issue of the O&P Almanac. You’ll find that AOPA has put together an Assembly that’s new, better and bigger. Sounds just right for Las Vegas.

Rebecca St. Andrie is the managing editor of the O&P Almanac.