Campers and visitors are urged to take extra care with campfires when visiting Yosemite National Park  because fire danger is higher than average for this time of year, according to a park announcement.

Fire season in the park officially starts Monday. "The park is currently transitioning to fire season preparedness and fire resources will be available seven days per week for suppression efforts within the park," the statement said. 

Some safety tips for campers, from the park's website:

• Campfires are allowed only between 5 and 10 p.m. from now through September in Yosemite Valley camps.
• Don't leave fires unattended. Douse them completely with water.
• Buy firewood at stores near the campground. You can't gather wood, pine cones, pine needles or other kindling in the park, and officials discourage folks from bringing firewood from more than 50 miles from the park for fear it may carry unwanted pests.

The National Interagency Coordination Center, which coordinates resources for...

If the pine trees, hiking trails and clear blue skies of the San Bernardino Mountains are calling to you, hop online fast or grab a phone. Big Bear Lake is kicking off the vacation season with a flash sale for Memorial Day weekend.   

But you need to act fast: The sale lasts just 72 hours, from 9 a.m. Monday (today) through 9 a.m, Thursday.

The deal: Big Bear Lake Resort Assn. is offering 50% off lodging accommodations for a three-night holiday weekend stay.  

When: Friday-May 27.

Details: The Memorial Day weekend special offer is a one-time 72-hour sale that is available onlineor by phone from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday of this week. A three-night stay is required for the special, which is valid for new reservations only. The special must be mentioned at the time of booking; there is limited availability, participating lodges only, blackout dates and other restrictions may apply, and it cannot be used with any other specials or promotions. I was able to take a sneak peek at the...

Fans of National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service can meet the people behind the broadcasts on the seven-night “Newsmakers and Tastemakers” tour of Washington and New York City.

Notables (subject to change) are expected to include Gwen Ifill, moderator and managing editor of “Washington Week” on PBS and senior correspondent for “PBS NewsHour”; Scott Simon, host of NPR’s “Weekend Edition Saturday”; filmmaker Ric Burns, whose series “New York: A Documentary Film” premiered nationally on PBS; and Charlie Cook, publisher of “The Cook Political Report.”

In D.C., participants will meet Ifill and other staff at PBS studios and tour NPR’s new national headquarters. They then will board restored Pullman cars, pulled by Amtrak’s Northeast Regional train, for a weekend in New York that will include a performance of the Broadway musical “Motown,” dinner at Sardi’s restaurant,...

Hollywood actor-turned-bad boy Charlie Sheen will bring some star power to the Memorial Day Weekend party in Las Vegas at Sapphire Pool & Day Club, which bills itself as “the world’s largest gentlemen’s club.”

Sheen will mingle with male guests and scantily clad women on Saturday. A red carpet walk is scheduled for 2 p.m.; the meet-and-greet is expected to continue until about 5 p.m.

Admission is $50.

Sheen’s big break came in 1986, when he landed a leading role in the epic Vietnam movie “Platoon.” By 2010, he had become one of Hollywood’s best-paid actors, earning a reported $1.8 million per episode on TV’s “Two and a Half Men.” His well-publicized struggles with drugs and alcohol led to his departure from the hit show in 2011.

Sapphire, just west of the Strip at 3025 S. Industrial Road, features free limo transportation to and from patrons’ hotels.

The club’s newest feature, Sapphire Grill, opened in early...

A unique new haunted attraction opening this summer at a small United Kingdom theme park will combine a walk-through horror maze featuring live actors with a dark ride journey inside an abandoned mine shaft.

The Hobs Pit maze and ride is set to open June 2 at Pleasurewood Hills theme park in Lowestoft, England, located about 100 miles northeast of London on the North Sea coast.

Theme Parks: What may come to Wizarding World of Harry Potter 2.0 at Universal Orlando

The 30-year-old amusement park has been promoting the new attraction with a clever viral marketing campaign that hints at the ride's paranormal back story.

As the story goes, artifacts found on the site of an abandoned mine where the ride is being built suggest demonic activity. A journal from 1835 indicates that a group of crazed miners trapped in Hobs Pit turned on each other with pickaxes. Those who managed to survive the slaughter eventually fell to their deaths down a shaft that led straight to hell.

Theme Parks: What the...

“The Hangover Part III” is just the start of Memorial Day weekend in Las Vegas, which also includes the debut of Cirque du Soleil’s Michael Jackson tribute and a bounty of nightclubs overflowing with widely known DJs.

The comedy film's famed Wolfpack once again will overindulge, cinematically speaking, at Caesars Palace, whose gift shops will be awash in movie-themed merchandise.

To celebrate the release of the movie, Caesars will offer two themed packages beginning Friday. The Hangover Package includes a two-night stay and a $40 retail credit for movie-related items. Beginning Friday, use online booking code ICHOP. If you're booking by phone at (800) 223-7277, use the code PKGCHOP.

The Ultimate Hangover Package upgrades guests to a two-story suite like the one featured in the movie “Rainman.” It also includes the gift-shop credit. Guests must book by phone at (800) 223-7277, using code PKGCUHO.

Prices for both offers vary by date and are subject to...

In last week's On the Spot column, letter writer Nancy Jones said she was going to London and expressed concern about whether her credit cards would work because they are not Chip and PIN (personal identification number). She said she didn't want to carry a load of cash. What should she do? It turned out to be a more complicated answer than I expected, but I did find a card that I think will work.

The issue with many U.S. credit cards is that they use a magnetic stripe. In many parts of Europe, Asia and Latin America, the standard is a smart card or EMV, short for Europay, MasterCard and Visa. Many of those cards use a PIN.

U.S. cards are beginning to come with a smart chip, but they often are Chip and Signature cards — that is, instead of using a PIN, you sign your card slip and the signatures are compared. David Hogan, executive director with Heartland Payment Systems, one of the largest credit-card processors in the U.S., told me a prominent retailer told him, "'Dave, can't...

There's an adventuress in every woman just waiting to come out.

Name: GlobalAdventuress.com

What it does: Inspires women to travel with firsthand cultural experiences from other women.

What's hot: The website speaks to many destinations and cultures, such as a five-day trip in Bhutan visiting the Dzong fortresses or drinking fruity rakia in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The approach is simple and therefore approachable for a wide variety of women looking for travel inspiration and empowerment. You can search by destination and experience (activities, relaxation, instruction, festivals, etc.). I particularly liked the "Make a Difference" section, where you can learn more about preservation.

What's not:The site encourages women to "Explore. Share. Connect," but in this world of social media I expected more opportunities to connect. There were tools to share stories but no way for women to talk among themselves about their travels. I want a forum or community where I can read discussions and...