Come join us for the first ICC meeting to be held in Tucson, AZ, a blend of the Old West and a modern metropolitan city.  Tucson has a rich history, having been continuously settled for over 12,000 years.  It is one of the oldest towns in the United States, established August 20, 1775.  Tucson is located at what was originally an Indian village called Stook-zone, meaning water at the foot of black mountain.
  The city includes a diversity of cultures, architecture, and peoples and is one of the "Mega-Trend" cities of the 21st Century:  from the high technology in Optics Valley to the premier health services center for the Southwest, the astronomy center of the world (Kitt Peak), home of a premier research institution – the University of Arizona, and a tourist destination with such attractions as the Pima Air Museum, Old Tucson Studios, and the Saguaro National Park.  Tucson boasts the best of both worlds...the progress and innovation of a metropolitan community and the friendly atmosphere of a small town.  Tucson's rich cultural heritage centers around a unique blend of Native American, Spanish, Mexican and Anglo-American influences that can be seen in the Hispanic barrios, historical and contemporary American architecture and the prehistoric Native American remnants (San Xavier).  For those who really treasure Old West history, the historic town of Tombstone is only 72 miles away to the south east.
  Tucson is considered a "mini-mecca for the arts” as reported by The Wall Street Journal and in 2009 was ranked #20 of the Top 25 Arts Destinations (big-cities category) by American Style Magazine.  Tucson is one of a select few cities of its size that boasts its own ballet company, professional theater, symphony, and opera company.  Home to 215 art groups, and more than 35 art galleries in the downtown area alone, Tucson ranks as one of the best places in the state to view works by the masters and up-and-coming artists.  Tucson’s natural history and cultural heritage are also on display in its 30+ regional museums.
Tucson is situated in the Sonoran Desert and is surrounded by five mountain ranges.  A trip from the 2,389-foot valley floor to the 9,157-foot Mt. Lemmon summit (home to the southernmost ski area in the continental United States) traverses seven of the world's nine life zones, the equivalent of driving from Mexico to Canada.
  Tucson is the perfect place for the outdoor enthusiast.  With more than 800 miles of bike paths, it has been ranked by Bicycling magazine as one of the top cycling cities in the U.S. for several years running.  Golf is another popular activity with dozens of regional golf courses, including five municipally-owned courses, and the course at the Starr Pass Resort, the home of our conference.

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Educational Program

Attention Presenters: Guidelines for Presentation Material Published in PES – ICC Minutes

The theme of the Fall 2015 Educational Program will be "Underground T&D Cable Ampacity".  Abstracts of the presentations will be found here.

0.4 IEEE CEUs will be offered for this session.  You must register in order to receive CEUs.  (Please note, in order to receive these credits towards a Florida PE License, you MUST provide Thomas Arnold with your FL PE License number prior to the session.
(Updated 11/02/2015)

Nearest Airport, Tucson, AZ (Updated 7/30/2015)

Tucson International Airport (TIA), 7250 South Tucson Blvd., Tucson, AZ  85756-6949, phone:  (520) 573-8100, is about 10 miles south from downtown Tucson and the University of Arizona main campus.

http://www.flytucson.com

The airport is served by Alaska, American, Delta, Southwest and United Airlines.

Up to date information about ground transportation including Rental Cars, Shuttles, and Taxis are availble at the airport website.  Note that the JW Marriott Starr Pass does NOT offer a complimentary airport shuttle.

Next Closest Airport, Phoenix, AZ:

For those willing to make the drive, you may also fly into Phoenix, AZ Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) and drive south on Interstate 10 for 115 miles.  This is approximately a drive of 1 hour and 50 minutes.  Phoenix offers more flights and better connections than the Tucson airport.

Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum

 Natural History Museum

Address: 2021 North Kinney Road, Tucson, AZ 85743 United States

This renowned combination zoo, natural history museum and botanical garden reflects the diverse flora and fauna of the Sonoran Desert, featuring wildlife like coyotes, bears and mountain lions in their natural settings and aviaries, one for hummingbirds and the other for varied desert birds.  

Phone:  +1 520 883 2702, Fax:  +1 520 883 2500, E-mail, Website

Hours:  8:30 AM to 5:00 PM (no entry after 4:15 PM)

Sabino Canyon

 Canyons; Scenic/ Historic Walking Areas

Address: 5900 North Sabino Canyon Road, Tucson, AZ 85750 United States

Located in the Catalina Mountains and part of the Coronado National Forest, this beautiful canyon offers outdoor recreation including hiking, swimming, biking and picnicking.  Experience the beauty of one of the most unique Southwestern desert canyons on a Sabino Canyon tram ride.  Sabino Canyon is a natural desert oasis located in Tucson’s Coronado National Forest and is home to spectacular desert landscapes and abundant wildlife.  During the winter and summer rainy seasons, pools of water form in rocky outcroppings that wind up among hillsides resplendent with palo verde trees, cholla and prickly pear cactus and graceful groves of ocotillo.

Phone:  +1 520 749 2861, E-mail, Website

Hours:  Reservations required.

Pima Air & Space Museum

 Science, Military, Specialty Museums

Address: 6000 East Valencia Road, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Tucson, AZ 85756 United States

Be amazed at one of the world's largest aircraft collections: including 2+ hangers of World War II planes, supersonic spy planes, the world's smallest bi-plane, plus many other unique private, military and commercial air and spacecraft, each documenting the evolution of flight. Guides augment your visit.  Pima Air & Space offers a bus tour of the "Boneyard"/AMARG (M-F only, no holidays) plus offers its own tram tour of the museum's 80 acres of one-of-a kind planes daily (additional fees).  You can actually touch "aviation history" including "Freedom One" (that flew the American 444-days-in-Iran hostages home), presidential aircraft, planes that launched astronauts, delivered life-saving food/fuel, etc. and others with wingspans the length of a football field.  See helicopters, MIGs, an Oscar, a rare German buzz bomb, a moon rock and much more.  Over 300 aircraft on 80 acres with 5 indoor air-cooled hangars.  This place is plane awesome!

Phone:  +1 520 574 0462, E-mail, Website

Hours:  Open 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Daily (Last admittance at 4:00 PM)

Houston's Horseback Riding

 Horseback Riding Stables

Address: 12801 E. Speedway, Tucson, AZ 85748 United States

The Houston family invites you to enjoy a few hours or a few hours more on one of their beautiful trail rides or in one of their horsemanship classes. Our ranch is located on the east side of Tucson in the serene Tanque Verde Valley surrounded by old mesquite trees. Access to miles and miles of trails into the Sonoran Desert and in Saguaro National Park are readily available.  Trail rides last 2 hours (longer or shorter rides on request) and are $60/person.

Phone:  +1 520 298 7450, E-mail, Website

Hours:  Reservations required.

Mission San Xavier del Bac

 Missions, Architectural Buildings, Religious Sites

Address: 1950 W. San Xavier Rd., Tucson, AZ 85746 United States

Built in the 1700s, this recently restored white adobe church, representing a wonderful example of Spanish colonial architecture, is beautiful inside and out, with colorful frescoes, sculptures and carvings.  A National Historic Landmark, San Xavier Mission was founded as a Catholic mission by Father Eusebio Kino in 1692.  Construction of the current church began in 1783 and was completed in 1797.  The oldest intact European structure in Arizona, the church's interior is filled with marvelous original statuary and mural paintings.  It is a place where visitors can truly step back in time and enter an authentic 18th Century space.  The church retains its original purpose of ministering to the religious needs of its parishioners.

Phone:  +1 520 294 2624, E-mail, Website

Hours:  Open daily from 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Mt. Lemmon Scenic Byway

 Driving Tour

Address: Tucson, AZ United States

Mt Lemmon Scenic Byway is the only paved road that leads to the upper reaches of Mt. Lemmon and the Santa Catalina Range.  It is one of the most scenic drives in southeast Arizona, providing access to a fascinating land of great vistas, outlandish rockscapes, cool mountain forests, and deep canyons spilling out onto broad deserts.  Because the road starts in the Lower Sonoran vegetative life zone and climbs to the high forests of the Canadian zone, it offers the biological equivalent of driving from the deserts of Mexico to the forests of Canada in a short stretch of 27 miles.  You'll find plants and animals and geology that exhibit some of the most wide-ranging natural diversity to be found in any area of comparable size in the continental United States.  There are turnouts at scenic overlooks and several campgrounds and picnic areas.  Dozens of hiking trails offer access to the mountain's backcountry canyons and ridges.  Though virtually everyone calls this road the Catalina Highway or the Mount Lemmon Highway, it is officially designated the General Hitchcock Highway in honor of Postmaster General Frank Harris Hitchcock.  The highway, which is traveled by over 1 million visitors each year, was designated a Scenic Byway on April 28, 1995.  The road is paved and suitable for most vehicles.  Places to turn around are few.

Website

Hours: Monday to Saturday from 10:00 AM to 05:30 PM, Sunday from 12:00 PM to 05:00 PM

Saguaro National Park

 Nature/ Wildlife Areas; Parks; Forests

Address:  3693 South Old Spanish Trail, Tucson, AZ 85730-5601 United States

Saguaro National Park is named after its most visible and popular resident the giant Saguaro Cactus.  These extraordinary icons of the desert have an average life span of 150 years and may grow to a height of 50 feet and weigh over 10 tons.  Saguaro National Park has 2 separate districts.  The Rincon Mountain District is on the eastside of Tucson; the Tucson Mountain District is on the westside.  Both are most often enjoyed by traveling one of the scenic loops, and stopping to hike easy trails along the way.  More rigorous backcountry hiking and camping is available with permit and, is only available in the Rincon Mountain District.  The Tucson Mountain District is 15 miles west of Tuscon off I-10.  The Rincon Mountain District is about 12 east of Tucson.

Phone:  +1 520 733 5153, Fax:  +1 520 733 5183, E-mail, Website

Hours:  Park open to vehicles from sunrise to sunset daily.  Visitor’s Center is open 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM daily.

Tucson Botanical Gardens

 Gardens

Address: 2150 N. Alvernon Way, Tucson, Arizona 85712 United States

The Tucson Botanical Gardens, a tranquil oasis in the heart of Tucson, strives to be recognized and respected as the best small public garden in America, promoting responsible and appropriate use of plants and water in a desert environment through education and demonstration and provides a place of beauty and tranquility for Tucson residents and visitors.

Admission is free.

Phone:  +1 520 326 9686, FAX:  +1 520 324 0166, E-mail, Website

Hours:  Open seven days a week, year round, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM

Old Tucson

 Amusement/ Theme Parks, Specialty Museums, Landmarks

Address:  201 South Kinney Rd., Tucson, AZ 85735 United States

Old Tucson is Where the Spirit of the Old West Comes Alive!  In addition to the old movie sets and memorabilia of its rich Western film history, Old Tucson is now the premier attraction in the Southwest to experience what life in the Old West was really like.  Just strolling down the street is an adventure as you learn about the perils of cross-country travel via stagecoach, schools on the frontier, the demands of life as a sheriff in a Wild West town, and other topics discussed throughout the town.  Old Tucson Living History programs are designed to be entertaining yet educational, with the goal of creating the atmosphere of a western town circa 1865-1900 that lets guests step back in time.  Old Tucson focuses on Old West history, heritage, and culture in addition to its storied film history and world-famous entertainment.

Phone:  +1 520 883 0100, E-mail, Website

Hours:  Operating hours will be Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM beginning Saturday, October 4, 2014.

Mirror Lab - University of Arizona

Astronomy

Address: 527 National Championship Drive.  Mirror lab is located on the east side of the UA Football stadium.

The UA Mirror Lab provides tours of their facility, with advance ticket purchase (see website.)  This 90 minute tour provides a unique opportunity to learn how innovative engineering and optical technology melds with manufacturing techniques to produce the largest and most advanced giant (8.4 meters / 27 ft)  telescope mirrors in the world on the University of Arizona campus.
Visitors will see the unparalleled technology and revolutionary processes involved in making the next generation of telescopes that will explore deep into outer space and produce cutting-edge scientific research.   The University of Arizona, College of Science is ranked #1 among observational, theoretical and space astronomy programs in the U.S. Come see why!

Hours:  See website for tour schedule and reservations.