Memorial Day is a day off for many of us, so as you’re lighting the fire and throwing another burger on the grill, consider this quiz, which talks about the meaning of the day. If you get all 10, well, pop open a beverage and have another dog.

1. Memorial Day was originally called something else. What was it?

a.  Day of the Dead

b. Remembrance Day

c. Decoration Day

d. Armistice Day

2. During what war did the day originate?

a. Revolutionary War

b. Civil War

c. World War I

d. Korean War

3. Several places claim they are the real founders of the day. Which place in the South might have been the earliest adopter? Bonus point: in What year?

a. Columbus, Georgia

b. Colombia, South Carolina

c. Columbus, Mississippi

d. Columbus, Texas

4. What was the name of the cemetery at which the dead were remembered?

a. Holy Family Cemetery

b. Friendship Cemetery

c. Garden of Eden Cemetery

d. Memorial Cemetery

5. About a century after that Southern state commemorated its war...

If you’re planning a Memorial Day road trip, you’ll be in good company, AAA says. More than 2 1/2 million Southern Californians are  expected to hit the highways for the long holiday weekend, the auto club says, a 1.6% increase from last year.

Where will you be going? San Diego, Las Vegas, Arizona’s Grand Canyon, San Francisco and the Central Coast, the Auto Club says.

And more of you may be camping. Kampgrounds of America reports an 8% increase in reservations for this weekend.

 The only bad news of this getaway is the price of gasoline: $4.35 a gallon in the L.A. area as of Wednesday, AAA reported. That’s up from $4.13 a year ago, although down about 6 cents from last week.

 If you need ideas about where to go and what to do, turn to our Road Trips in the West page. There you’ll find 188 suggestions on getting away for the weekend. Or you can take a look at our Weekend Escapes, which have returned after a hiatus of several years. And make sure you...

Here's one of those deals that sound too good to be true: $395 for an eight-day vacation in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Australia, Europe and other destinations. The deal from Zozi, online discounter of travel trips and outdoor adventures, offers lots of options near and far at that price.

The deal: I like this Worldwide Eight-Day Luxury Vacation because of the wide variety of resorts and destinations to choose from. The properties are part of Luxury Resorts Worldwide. Here's how it works: You pay $395, receive a voucher and then book the property you want on the dates you want to go.

The deal includes one- to three-bedroom suites that can accommodate two to eight people, and most units come with kitchenettes. Check out amenities, location and pictures of each property online before you buy.

Resort vouchers are good until May 22, 2013, and, as always, resort units are subject to availability. There are good FAQson this deal that explain the fine points; you also may call for more...

As travelers gear up for Memorial Day, families flying coach on United Airlines who don't have "elite" flier status may need to pack an extra dose of patience. United has dropped the “families can board first” do-si-do from its boarding process.

"We figured it would be better to simplify that process and reduce the number of boarding groups," United spokesman Charles Hobart told CNN. If you and your family are flying first- or business-class, you can board early.

United isn’t the only airline that doesn’t give families priority. Southwest lets families board between seating for its “A" and "B" groups (unless the family’s already in A group). Some people pay extra to get into the A group because Southwest doesn’t assign seats, which are on a first-come, first-served basis.

United’s dropping of the “families first” idea may be an effort to assuage the anger among its frequent fliers, some of whom saw some perks disappear...

LAX officials estimate more than 750,000 travelers will pass through the airport Memorial Day weekend, representing a decrease of 7.4% compared with the four-day holiday period in 2011. Higher fares resulting from higher fuel prices are being blamed.... The angler who pulls in the grand prize tagged trout will win $50,000 at Big Bear’s fourth annual Fishin’ for $50K Trout Derby on June 9 and 10. Entry is $55 for adults and $30 for participants under 16; www.bigbear.com or (800) 424-4232.... Festival Mozaic presents a summer program July 11-22 along the Central Coast. It features musicians from the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Baltimore Symphony and other orchestras across the country; www.festivalmozaic.com or (805) 781-3009.... Yosemite fire managers say grasses and other vegetation at the lower elevations have begun to dry out faster than usual because of the low snowpack the park received over the winter.... The Best Western Plus Yosemite Gateway Inn recently broke...

The Tokyo Skytree, the world's tallest communications tower, opened Tuesday. Twice the height of the Eiffel Tower, it stands 2,080 feet tall (only Dubai's Burj Khalifa is taller at 2,716 feet) with observation decks that offer amazing views of the densely packed Japanese capital.

So how much does that view cost? Visitors going to the Tembo Deck at 1,148 feet above the city pay $31.25 for adults and $25 for children 12 to 17 from now until July 10 (and you have to buy tickets in advance and online with a credit card issued in Japan, according to Skytree website). Starting July 11, same-day ticket prices drop to $25 for adults and $18 for children.

But if you want to continue to the Tembo Gallery, the observation deck with a glassed-in sky walk at 1,476 feet, it will cost you an additional $12 for adults and $10 for children.

Here's how the price stacks up to other view-worthy landmarks:

The Burj Khalifahas an observation deck called At the Top. It costs $27 for adults and $20 for children...

Fleet Week, which has been a New York City tradition since 1984, starts Wednesday (that's today) with a parade of tall ships and war ships that will be docked and open to the public through Tuesday. Members of the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard will be aboard ships and participating in parachute jumps and other equipment demonstrations.

There are lots of free activities to go and see. In honor of Fleet Week, Gray Line New York honors all military personnel in uniform with a free tour of Manhattan on its double-decker buses. 

The deal: Members of the military (all branches, not just sailors and Marines) may choose among four  tours: uptown (Lincoln Center, Grant's Tomb, Central Park West) or downtown (Greenwich Village, Times Square, Soho, Rockefeller Center), Brooklyn or the night tour. Accompanying family members and friends receive 10% off tour tickets; no reservations required. Tours begin at 777 8th Ave. 

When: The offer is good Friday to June 1.

Details:  The regular price for the...

The cables that allow hikers to ascend Yosemite National Park's iconic Half Dome will open for the season Friday. But all the permits required to use them from May through mid-October have been given out by lottery already, right? Not quite.

The National Park Service on Tuesday announced a new daily lottery that will issue 50 hiking permits a day for the popular and strenuous 17 miles to the top and back. The lottery will be held two days before a desired hiking date. So, for example, if you want a shot at Half Dome permits this Friday, you would enter the lottery Wednesday (as in today). 

Enter the lottery by going online to Recreation.govor by calling (877) 444-6777. Only one permit will be issued per person. That means if you plan to go with a friend, both of you must enter the lottery to have a shot at scoring a permit. The daily lottery is available by phone and online from 7 a.m.-9 p.m. PDT. Entrants will receive a notification whether they were successful or after the lottery...

Imagine inner tubing down a water slide only to realize you've been riding along the back of a hissing 250-foot-long snake and are about to plunge into the gaping mouth of the fang-bearing and venom-spewing King Cobra.

The new racing slide debuting in early July at Six Flags Great Adventure's Hurricane Harbor in New Jersey sounds more like a terrifying psychotic nightmare than a fun-filled day at the water park.

PHOTOS: King Cobra water slide at Six Flags Great Adventure

With King Cobra installations already in place in Turkey and Russia, the new Hurricane Harbor water park attraction marks the United States debut of the snake-themed water slide.

Turkish-based Polin Waterparks designed the serpentine slide to look like a larger-than-life king cobra with red, black and white scales and the snake's distinctive hooded head.

The King Cobra racing slide begins with a pair of two-person inner tubes sitting side by side at the top of a 50-foot tower. After a simultaneous start, the inner tubes...