I have a 1998 Honda CRV (automatic). I was on cruise control on the highway when the dash lights went off and the gas pedal no longer worked. I pulled over. CD player in the radio was still playing (i.e., assume battery is fine). I put the car into Park, turned the key, and the car started up normally. So... what happened, and should I have it fixed ($$??) or wait to see if it happens again? Thank you!

Yes, you should get it checked out. Unexpected loss of power is a serious safety issue. Perhaps there is a bad electrical connection or short somewhere, or an electronic component failed.
Take it to a decent mechanic who is current on Honda electronics.

My guess is to first scan for trouble codes in the ECM. Your CRV should be OBDII. Look here for some general info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OBD_II