Copper Mountain, 75 miles from Denver via Intestate 70 west at Exit 195;
Why visit now: FAC in this case stands for Fridays at Copper, which starting Friday involves free music, free movies and free activities. In addition, if you spend $30 dining or shopping in the Village, you get free tickets to other stuff, including the quad bungee jump, bumper boats, paddleboats and mini golf. Visit the website for live music and movie schedule.
Stay: Many of the more reasonably priced lodging options for the summer at Copper are already sold out on the weekends, but you might get lucky and get a cancellation, or you can try calling 866-841-2481 to chat with someone about your lodging needs. The mountain resort has some great condos, from one- to four-bedroom units, at properties such as Mountain Plaza, Village Square and Cirque, but they go quickly in everything but the shoulder seasons. Rates start at $99 a night.
Dine: JJ’s Rocky Mountain Tavern (102 Wheeler Circle, 970-968-3062), at the base of the Super Bee Lift is still one of our favorites and a painless way to rack up the $30. It’s lunch-only until Friday, but after that, this casual, friendly spot is back to lunch and dinner through Labor Day. The burgers and the salads rule, and they have 10 beers on tap. Kyle Wagner
