(CNN) Only one holiday honors fallen American veterans, evokes family barbecues and marks the unofficial start of summer.
From weather forecasts to safety hazards and ideas for last-minute plans, here's what to know for Memorial Day 2016:
How to travel
Be patient. If you thought the recent nightmares at airport security lines were bad, just wait (even more).
'Insane' lines frustrate travelers
Jeff Graveline was flying out of O'Hare International Airport on Friday, May 13, and he said he waited in the security line for 80 minutes. He had to sprint to his gate, but he made his flight.
It took Erin Fooch two hours to get through security at O'Hare on Friday morning. She just made her flight, but her boss wasn't so fortunate.
Jeff Dashley missed his flight on Friday because of long lines at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.
Lisa Akey said she waited in line for 35 minutes Friday morning at LaGuardia Airport. She said the Transportation Safety Administration let people who had earlier flights go through lines faster.
Kym Jones waited in line for two hours at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on Friday.
Siobhan O'Neill said the line at Chicago Midway International Airport looked really long on Thursday, but she was able to get through security in 40 minutes.
John Ronshausen said it took him about 35 minutes to clear security Friday at Denver International Airport.
Dan Morrison said the Denver airport was much more crowded than normal on Friday. He has TSA Precheck and was able to clear security in 10 minutes, but he said it usually only takes a minute.
This summer, air travel is expected to draw the most people ever, with 220 million expected to fly. And officials say the security line problem won't ease until at least mid-June.
5 ways to deal with security line rage
Now the good news, especially if you're planning a road trip: Expect the lowest gas prices since 2005, AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins said.
"The market remains well supplied, and the relatively lower cost of crude oil should keep summer prices lower than last year," he said.
The weather will likely cooperate
For most of the country, Mother Nature will play nice this weekend.
The only trouble area will be the coastal Southeast. Heavy rain and fierce winds will pummel beaches in the Carolinas, Georgia and northern Florida, CNN meteorologist Dave Hennen said.
"If you're heading to the beach for the holiday weekend, it could be wet and windy (with) dangerous surf conditions," he said.
The rest of the East Coast and part of the Plains and Midwest will likely see scattered storms.
Aside from that, the rest of the country will probably enjoy pleasant seasonal weather.
What to remember
With all the barbecues, vacations and retail sales celebrating Memorial Day, it can be easy to forget the holiday's real purpose -- honoring American service members who died in combat.
Memorial Day's roots go back to 1866, when residents of Waterloo, New York, formally recognized those who died during the Civil War. Businesses closed. Residents decorated soldiers' graves.
Two years later, Gen. John Alexander Logan officially proclaimed May 30, 1868, as Memorial Day in honor of fallen Union soldiers.
For years, Southern states had a different Memorial Day to recognize the Confederate dead, but now they observe both. The Confederate memorial day is on various dates in April, May and June; Texas holds its Confederate Heroes Day in January.
In 1971, Congress declared Memorial Day a national holiday to be celebrated the last Monday in May.
How to stay safe
Be careful before diving in
Summer can be a time for bacteria and other microbes to flourish, from pools to picnics.
Ingredients of potato salad such as potatoes, pasta and eggs -- not mayonnaise -- are prone to contamination.
Listeria bacteria like to live in cooler temperatures and populate machinery, such as ice cream dispensers.
In the most severe cases of sunburn, people can develop blisters and need to be treated like burn victims.
Urine is not an antidote to the venom of a jellyfish. Rinsing the wound with saltwater or using vinegar can be effective.
Mold and bacteria love to grow on air conditioning filters, especially in the summer humidity.
Sea lice, also known as seabather's eruption, can cause an itchy rash.
While Memorial Day kicks off the unofficial start of summer, it also marks the start of a much more sobering season: it marks the start of the worst time of year for traffic fatalities.
A new report by the National Safety Council estimates that 439 Americans will be killed on the road this weekend, the highest number since 2009 and about 100 more than in 2014. (The final number for 2015 is not yet known.) Another 50,500 will be seriously injured, the report predicts.
Another record was set last week at American airports. The TSA reported finding 74 firearms in carry-on bags -- 65 loaded and 18 with a round chambered -- between May 20 and 26.
The hazards aren't just on the road, of course. They can also be in the water. A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 80% of public swimming pools, lazy rivers, hot tubs/spas and water playgrounds had at least one violation when inspected.
That's not to say the health experts don't want you to swim in public places. The CDC just wants you to check inspection reports before you do.
Another big summer safety hazard: Food-borne illnesses caused by bacteria that love the outdoors and the summer heat.
Ground beef and pork should be cooked to 160 degrees Fahrenheit; ground chicken and turkey to 165 degrees, according to Melinda Wilkins, director of the online science master's program in food safety at Michigan State University.
Bacteria also can easily thrive in bowls of potato or pasta salad. Wilkins suggests keeping foods that are supposed to be cold in containers set on ice.
Where to go
Chances are you already have plans. But if you don't, and want to get away, we've got a list of this year's top 10 U.S. beaches (according "Dr. Beach," otherwise known as professor and coastal expert Stephen P. Leatherman).
Dr. Beach's top 10 beaches for 2016
South of Charleston, South Carolina, on the southern end of Kiawah Island, you'll find miles of untouched beach at Beachwater Park.
Caladesi Island State Park in Florida is reached by a long walk from Clearwater Beach, pedestrian ferry or private boat. The beach is crystalline quartz white sand but the big fun is the kayak and canoe trails through the mangroves.
Coopers Beach is located in tony Southampton, on the south shore of Long Island, New York. Its white quartz sand offer some of the best public beach access in the Hamptons.
Most visitors cross the stunning Coronado Bridge to get to to San Diego's Coronado Beach. The Hotel del Coronado serves food and drinks on the beach. It's a great spot for celebrity watching.
Development has been restrained at Grayton Beach State Park on the Florida panhandle, so the white sand dunes still dominate the landscape.
Part of Cape Cod National Seashore,
Coast Guard Beach is reached by bicycle or shuttle bus after parking at the Salt Pond Visitor's Center. The former Coast Guard station is still standing, and Nauset Marsh behind it is worth exploring to see the shorebirds.
Once the home of Blackbeard the pirate, Ocracoke Lifeguarded Beach in the Outer Banks of North Carolina is a wild beach where big surf can be found late in the summer.
The snorkeling area at Kapalua Bay Beach on Maui, Hawaii, is protected by two headlands formed by lava flows into the sea.
Siesta Beach in Sarasota, Florida, has some of finest white sand and calmest, clear water in the country.
Although top-ranked Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve in Hawaii is a 10-mile drive from Waikiki Beach on Oahu, it's a world away with its marine protected area and limited parking. (Take the shuttle. It's worth it.)
At the top of the list is Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve in Oahu, Hawaii.
Can't get off the mainland? Eight of the other beaches are on the continental United States.
What to eat
Memorial Day is the second most popular holiday for grilling out, according to the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association. The most popular is Independence Day.
Crib this rib style
For killer ribs, you don't need a giant, pro-style smoker. All it takes is a grill, some wood chips, and a disposable roasting pan filled with water to convert a into a makeshift smoker.
After we figured out a way to turn the grill into a smoker, we also found a few ways to cut down on the time it takes to make this dish. Traditionally, Memphis dry-rub ribs are a 24-hour-plus project: The racks are rubbed with spices, left to sit overnight, and then slow-smoked for the better part of a day. Here's how we mimicked the smoky, pleasantly chewy results in less than half the time.
St. Louis-style (as opposed to baby back or classic spareribs) refers to spareribs that have been trimmed of belly and skirt meat and excess cartilage. The minimal fuss involved in using them makes them our top choice for barbecue.
Because the meat layer is so thin, an overnight rub is unnecessary. Applying the rub (a blend of salt, brown sugar, paprika, and other spices) just before cooking infuses plenty of sweet-spicy flavor.
Thanks to our grill setup, we get great smoke flavor by grill-smoking the ribs for 1½ hours.
We then transfer the ribs to a low oven to cook 2 to 3 hours more. Water added to the baking sheet helps keep the meat moist.
If you're in charge of the grill, make sure you don't bungle your burger or screw up your steak.
Grilling vs. barbecuing: What's the difference?
Hot dog nation
The hot dog is a staple to American summer holidays. Take a look at hot dogs in America throughout history.
A Florida State Seminoles fan eats a hot dog prior to the 2013 Orange Bowl at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
A family enjoys hot dogs on Washington's Puget Sound in 1960.
U.S. President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron eat hot dogs in 2012 while watching a college basketball game in Dayton, Ohio.
A vendor sells hot dogs at Candlestick Park in 1965 for the San Francisco Giants' season-opening home game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
A man dressed as a "Star Wars" stormtrooper prepares a hot dog during the 2011 WonderCon in San Francisco.
Competitive eater Joey Chestnut competes in the 2012 Nathan's July Fourth hot dog eating contest at New York's Coney Island. Chestnut ate a record-tying 68 hot dogs to win.
David Dittman winces as he competes in a hot dog eating contest in Danville, Illinois, in 1957.
Judges in Chicago measure the length of the world's longest hot dog in 2003. At 16 feet and 1 inch, it bested the previous record of 15 feet, 3 inches.
The famous Coney Island hot dog stand in Aspen Park, Colorado, moved to the town of Bailey, Colorado, in 2006.
A Chicago police officer writes a traffic ticket for the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile in 2007.
Baseball fans eat hot dogs during a game at New York's Shea Stadium in 2003.
Andy Samberg, left, and Alec Baldwin perform in a "Saturday Night Live" skit called Hot Dog Family in 2005.
A Georgia State Fair attendee eats a corn dog in Atlanta in 2010.
A man in New York buys a hot dog from his car window in Lower Manhattan in 1962.
The Oscar Mayer Wienermoblie is seen in New York City during a celebration of its 75th birthday in 2011.
Then-New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg eats a hot dog at the weigh-in ceremony for the Nathan's July Fourth contest in 2013.
From left, Tim Janus, Joey Chestnut and Matt Stonie compete in the Nathan's hot dog eating contest in 2013.
Onion, Mustard and Ketchup race in the Hot Dog Derby during a 2008 Major League Baseball game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Cleveland Indians in Cleveland.
A pair of dachshunds dressed as hot dogs participate in Ted and Amy's Annual Pet Costume Contest in Brewerton, New York, in 2012.
Massachusetts Gov. Joseph Ely, left, and New York Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt stop for a hot dog on the Mohawk Trail in Massachusetts, where the two campaigned together in 1932.
But just because grills will light up across the country doesn't mean your diet is torched.
Americans are fatter than ever, CDC finds
The unofficial start of summer also means a plethora of healthy foods are now in season. Bring some zucchini, cherries and sweet corn to the cookout to add healthy options and feel less guilty the next day.
8 delicious summer foods that are good for you, too
CNN's Chris Boyette, Kelly Wallace, Carina Storrs, Amy Roberts, Lindsey Knight and Katia Hetter contributed to this report.