By Stephanie South, Program Associate, AASCU

As a born-and-raised-in resident of Colorado for 23 (and a half) years, I cannot tell you how excited I am to travel back to my home state in June for this year’s ADP/TDC National Meeting. But as anyone who has ever been to Colorado will tell you, no connection is needed to be enthusiastic about paying a visit to the Mile High City, and the location of #ADPTDC13 could stand alone as a reason to come. Allow me to share with you a few very different reasons and hope that one of them strikes your fancy.

#1) Speaking of strikes, Denver is home to a national baseball team (Go Rockies!) as well as a football team that formerly boasted of Tim Tebow but is now making headlines with Peyton Manning. Conference accommodations at Denver Marriott City Center put #ADPTDC13 attendees conveniently near Denver’s Coors Field and Sports Authority Field at Mile High. And if sports don’t do it for you, the hotel is also near the Pepsi Center, the trendy LoDo (lower downtown Denver) District, and just a block away from the 16^th Street Mall. Entertainment (in the form of sports or anything else you could imagine), fabulous food, bumpin’ nightlight, and sensational shopping are just a few steps away.

#2) Rumor (or The Washington Post) has it that Denver was the inspiration for Panem—the Capitol from the Hunger Games’ trilogy. However, if you need more than post-apocalyptic fame, other things that make Denver well-known include the following: The capital of Colorado is exactly 5,280 feet (that’s a mile) above sea level, hence the Mile-High City nickname. It is one city of a handful of known places in the U.S. that print currency. There is more beer brewed in Denver than any other American City. And Denver International Airport (DIA) is the largest airport in the United States and known for a unique design that not only allows it to more easily expand its capacity over the years but is made to visually mirror its surrounding landscape, which brings me to reason #3…

#3) The Rocky Mountains.  Enough said. You have to see them.