Just in time for Memorial Day: Gas prices top out, and car care tips

It happens around every Memorial Day: Gas prices go up as the summer driving season begins.

At least a gallon of gasoline -- now at an average of $2.36 a gallon across the United States -- is less than it was a year ago when a gallon averaged $3.94, according to AAA figures cited in a Christian Science Monitor story.

And factoring in the nation's average fuel economy, the average trip of 640 miles that Americans plan to make this weekend will cost an extra $6.97, according to the AAA survey. Lower gas prices this year are why AAA predicted that travel this Memorial Day will increase 1.5%.