Memorial Day

Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer and a three-day reprieve in a long list of five-day (or more) workweeks. Here, we round up five suggestions for a Southern California holiday of art, theater and music. 24HR Chance-A-Thon Chance Theater presents 24 hours of nonstop performances starting Friday at 7 p.m., including theater, music, magic and tap-dance to benefit the company. The rotating series of shows includes a mini cabaret, a new one-act based on tales from cubicles, cover bands performing classic songs from the 1950s to the '80s, tales of Craigslist missed connections and a coming-of-age story told via musical journal entries set to go on at 4 a.m. Chance Theater, 5552 E. La Palma Ave., Anaheim Hills.

Sorry, Florida! But this Memorial Day, your beach expert says that the best sand and surf can be found clear across the country -- in California. Tiny Coronado Beach, a 1.5-mile long sliver of sunshine in San Diego County, has been named the No. 1 beach in the United States  -- just as millions of Americans plan to head to the beach this Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial kickoff to summer. Part of Coronado's appeal is a highly unusual trait: The fine sand that lines the Coronado shore is laced with mica, a naturally occurring mineral.  "The sand glistens in the light when the sun hits it, and it's really something to see, especially when the sun goes down," professor Stephen P. Leatherman told the Los Angeles Times.

GREENSBORO, N.C. - The federal judge in the John Edwards trial closed her courtroom Friday afternoon to deal with what she called a "juror matter," and then sent the jury home for the Memorial Day weekend with no verdict reached. U.S. District Court Judge Catherine Eagles did not disclose what she and lawyers for both sides discussed during the 35 minutes the courtroom was closed to reporters and spectators. Jurors will return for a seventh day of deliberations Tuesday morning.

No, the aptly-timed "Memorial Day" isn't Garry Marshall's latest holiday-centric rom-com. Rather, it's a self-conscious, leadenly-paced drama that conflates the World War II combat experiences of stalwart Bud Vogel (John Cromwell) with those of his future grandson, Kyle (Jonathan Bennett), who fights in Iraq 60 years later. These generic and overlong, if capably shot, battle scenes are juxtaposed via a strained pair of framing devices. The first, set on Memorial Day 1993, finds the now-elderly Bud (James Cromwell)

The good news is that the long Memorial Day weekend is almost here. The bad news is that anyone stopping for gasoline in Southern California will, on average, encounter record high prices for the holiday that opens the so-called summer driving season. It will also be a record weekend for the state as a whole, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California. In 2008, the Memorial Day weekend record for gasoline prices was set when they averaged $4.168 to $4.228 a gallon, according to the AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report.

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.

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?

Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer -- and of the summer vacation season. So what are you doing on your summer vacation? We're betting you'll be snapping a few photos. For the second year, The Times Travel section will run a "What I Did on My Summer Vacation" photo issue -- Sept. 23 this year -- featuring reader photos selected from among the dozens and dozens that are submitted. Our photo editors sort through them and will choose about six to eight to run in the print edition and more to run online.

Sunday of Memorial Day weekend is like Christmas for gearheads and a day many casual fans also turn their eyes toward some of motor racing's most popular events. The day kicks off with the Grand Prix of Monaco, where Formula One drivers maneuver through the streets of picturesque Monte Carlo. Sebastian Vettel of the Red Bull Racing team has won the F1 championship the last two years, but there have been five different winners (including Vettel) in the first five races this season.

Southern Californians plan to travel in slightly bigger numbers during the coming Memorial Day weekend -- and most will do so by car, according to a survey by the Auto Club of Southern California. About 2.6 million Southern California residents will take an overnight trip of at least 50 miles this weekend, a 1.6% increase from last year and nearly the same number as those who traveled in 2010, according to the survey released Monday. Approximately 84% of those trips will be by car, an increase of 1.7% from 2011, while the number of people traveling by air is expected to drop by 5.1%, the survey found.