You can also plan -- if you hurry-- a last-minute getaway for the long weekend. Our Hotels Guide lists some top Labor Day destinations. Or check out special Labor Day Events, such as festivals of all descriptions: music, hot-air balloon, Caribbean carnival -- even a grape stomping.

If you prefer to stay home, you might wave good-bye to summer with a Labour Day End of Summer Party. Try a great casual menu from About's Guide for Entertaining, including a very cool -- as in "cool and refreshing", as well as "cool, wow" -- creation made with frozen watermelon: get out your fancy glasses, and serve a granita. It's easy, but you need several hours of freezing time.

And speaking of fancy glasses... don't forget to raise one to toast the end of a great summer. Here's to frozen and blended drinks, and to the return of an even better summer next year.

Toss in a few pool toys, such as or Pool-a-Hoops, or "Toypedo" underwater torpedo. Or set up a "Cosmic Inflatable Swimming Pool water Slide".

Pretend you're living in Bikini Bottom, and throw a Sponge Bob Pool Party: go all out with the theming, and party games such as "Squidword's Water Limbo".

Check out more water games: such as "Penny Toss" or "Watermelon Relay" ( - teams lines up behind a floating watermelon...) Those with a wading pool can play Ice Cubes and Piggies: throw some ice cubes in the pool; kids have to take them out using just their feet.

Of course the most important topic related to pools is Pool Safety. A sobering statistic: in some states -- California, Florida and Arizona-- drowning is the leading cause of accidental death among kids under five. The number one rule is simple: never leave a child unsupervised near a pool.

Also: when you're on vacation, don't slack off on safety just because you'res at a hotel or resort pool. About's Guide for Hotels has pool safety tips for different age groups.

Enjoy summer's last days!

Ride a crazy coaster: check out the newest, tallest, fastest thrill machines. Spinning coasters, floorless diving coasters... If you can't ride in Real, head to the videos.

See a zany movie: for those who prefer to sit tight in their seat with a floor under their feet ... go see the new movie version of Hairspray, with John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, Queen Latifah: our Guide to Hollywood Movies calls it "the happiest film of the past 20 years".

Ride the Waves: you don't have to be a surfer dude. More and more people are trying surfing, and guess what, in the right place, and right conditions, even kids as young as seven can stand up on that board. Find out if you're regular or goofy.

Throw TWO Parties: shop once, beautify your house once, get two parties -- it makes sense, according to our Guide for Entertaining. (Just make sure that Party #1 guests don't trash the place...)

This summer, for instance, how about a cooking school holiday in Italy? Of course there are some logistics involved in getting to class...

Fortunately, in the 21st century, cooking classes -- or at least instruction-- can come right to our screens.

For example, see exactly how to make a delicious flatbread -- "piadina romagnola"-- that will transport you to Italy. Well, almost.

Try illustrated instructions for summer-fave Guacamole. See how to peel an avocado with pizzazz. Or how to trim that steak you're going to barbeque.

Berries are one of the blisses of summer. Want to make jam from fresh berries - or peaches, or apricots -- but don't feel up to all that sealing and boiling? Just do Freezer Jam: stick the jars in the freezer, and keep the taste of summer fresh for up to a year.

Rebecca Murray, our Guide for Hollywood Movies, has praise for this "chase movie of breathtaking purity" - read her full review. She's mixed, though, about another blockbuster third installment, Rush Hour 3: "If silly fun and a lot of over-the-top action are all you're in the mood for, then there are worse ways to spend an hour and a half." Oh well, sometimes silly fun, in air-conditioning, is just right. She gives wildly silly Hairspray (the star-studded new movie version) five stars: "it has to be the happiest film of the past 20 years."

Light reading, too, has its place in the world. Our Guide for Bestsellers has this to say about Dear John, a new book by (Message in a Bottle) author Nicholas Sparks: "Dear John is trademark Nicholas Sparks--romantic, sappy, sad and redeeming. If you like Sparks' previous novels, you will probably enjoy Dear John." Sounds just right for the beach or summer air travel (when you may need a good read during a flight delay.)

Take Coffees and teas, for starters: they come in all sorts of chilled, frappe-ed, and iced incarnations in summer-time. Try Thai Iced Tea, Cinnamon Caramel Iced Coffee, and more caffeinated ideas.

Or simply reach for the classic: sugar, lemon, and water. Classic lemonade can't be improved upon.

Sangria is another summer favorite, and comes in many variations though all typically involve some mix of red wine, fresh fruit, and some bubbly water. Check out quick and easy sangria recipes .

For more zing try frozen and blended cocktails. This long A to Z list from our Cocktails guide runs from Apple Margarita to Virgin Miami Vice. Serve with a warning about brain-freeze.

Finally: they may not be tall, but chilled soups are definitely a cool way to re-hydrate on a hot summer day. Try Chilled Tomato Basil Soup, Icy Avocado Soup, Fresh Fruit Soup, and other great cold soup ideas.

How to get the right glow, for instance, how not to sweat off your makeup, how to highlight your hair... About's Guide for Beauty has Summer Beauty Tips. And also for that crowning glory: check out how to give your hair "Beachy" sexy waves.

A crucial element for beach beauty is of course the swimsuit: read how to Find the Right Swimsuit for your shape. Yes, it's late in the season; but if you shop now, you can probably save big-time by buying on sale. (Men, don't feel left out: Our Guide for Men's Fashion has Favorite Swim Trunks and Board Shorts.)

Also crucial to looking bodacious at the beach are sunglasses: not a simple purchase. You've got your UV rating, your tinted, polarized, polychromatic, anti-reflective, and extra-protective lenses -- see how to make sense of sunglasses.

Continuing from head to toe, summertime's the time for apres-beach Sexy Sandals: stroll through a gallery of styles, and buy online.

Take planes. It's hard to mention air travel under the title "Summer Fun", as there's so much not fun about taking planes in July and August. Still, there are some tips to reduce the misery.

Fly early in the day, to mimimize risk of delayed flights; especially avoid mid-afternoon flights in cities prone to summer thunderstorms. See more about Avoiding Pitfalls of Summer Air Travel. And of course make sure you're following the rules -- new in 2006-- restricting liquids (and also gels, creams, even jams and honey) that can be carried onto the plane. Otherwise, your stuff will be thrown away!

Train travel, meanwhile, has reached its zenith on other continents: in Japan and Europe, sleek high-tech trains connect major cities. Perhaps the most famous train ride is The Chunnel that whisks passengers from London to Paris under the English channel. In North America, travelers are most likely to take short train rides just for fun: such as scenic steam-engine train rides in the Southwest. All aboard!

Car trips, meanwhile, are a legendary form of travel in North America: from the coming of age road trip, to girlfriend getaways, to the family road trip... Perhaps the most hard-core road-trip has you lookin' for adventure with the wind in your face and no metal around you: read all about Mororcycle Touring 101. And for the rest of us, well, we probably need tips to make family road trips fun.

... as long as they've got something fun to do.

Sometimes they've got their own ideas, going off like fire-crackers. Sometimes they need some help to pep up a hot afternoon.

Check out a bunch of Low-Cost Summer Activities for Kids: have a pet parade, create a food sculpture (and eat it), have a treasure hunt, put on a show, build a fun house... All great fun for little kids, and you can improvise with whatever stuff you have on hand (though of course the pets are a fixed cast of characters.)

Or try some Garden and Patio Craft projects: easy creations, with simple materials. Take an ordinary a tin can and turn it into a luminary for the garden. Make wind chimes, or a bird bath from a terra cotta clay pot.

Young kids get enthused about any craft or build-it project; but there's a special type of zeal for making treats.No Bake Peanut Butter Pie has just five ingredients and, yup, no baking. We've got more No Cook Dessert Recipes: just be sure to start early in the day, as many of these treats need several hours to chill.

And then there's that summertime classic, the Lemonade Stand. Help your child with their first start-up business: get a good recipe, print out some Lemonade Stand signs, even make special visors for the kids to wear.

And they can play fun outdoor party games: like balloon stomp, or scavenger hunts, or the ever-popular water-balloons toss.

But of course kids do grow up; and when summer-time comes, they get to act like kids again at outdoor parties where they can run around, be noisy, etc. Get complete instructions for throwing a fun beach party: from invitations (on beach balls), to party favors (sand pail and shovel), to a menu that might include Sweet Corn and Tomato Salad with Fresh Cilantro, gourmet grilled sausages, and (for the kid in you) s'mores.

For patio parties, check some BBQ and Potluck recipes for casual get-togethers, and refreshing iced teas and other cold drinks.

Take a look, also, at Top Summer Party Tips: don't forget to provide shady areas, and never underestimate the thirst for beverages!

Finally: don't forget about your uninvited party guests... bacteria enjoy the warm weather just like we do. About's Guide to Nutrition tells you how to play it safe and avoid food-borne illness at your picnics and barbeques.