Labor Day Weekend prices, travel times

Not to belabor, but you'll be paying more than usual at the pump this holiday weekend - an average gallon of regular in the L.A. area is running about $4.17 a gallon, which is the highest-ever Labor Day price. It compares with $3.84 at this time a year ago, $3.01 two years ago, and $3.00 three years ago (numbers are from the Energy Information Administration). The good news is that prices appear to have leveled off from a run-up earlier this month, in part due to the refinery fire at a Bay Area refinery. The other good news is that prices will often fall as the summer vacation season winds down (though the market has been volatile of late). The higher prices do not seem to be dampening plans for the holiday weekend - the Auto Club projects a 3.6 percent increase in travel by car compared with a year ago. Plane travel should be up 4.1 percent. The top destinations: San Diego, Las Vegas, Central Coast (Santa Barbara to Monterey), SF, and the Grand Canyon. As for the weather, expect warm and sticky conditions through next week.