Travel briefs

On the road with Wurzer Highway 61 "not only illuminates the state's history; it encapsulates Minnesota's natural beauty," Cathy Wurzer wrote in the preface to her 2008 book "Tales of the Road: Highway 61" (Minnesota Historical Society Press). Now the broadcast journalist has created a documentary with the same name, detailing the history and sites along the 440-mile road from La Crescent, on the Wisconsin border, to Grand Portage, abutting Canada. The show airs for the first time on Monday at 8 p.m., KTCA, Ch. 2.

KERRI WESTENBERG

Megabus gets more mega Megasbus.com, the low-cost bus service that ferries Twin Citians to Chicago and beyond for bargain-basement prices, will soon increase its service. Starting April 1, the company is upping its departures from Minneapolis to Chicago to seven days a week; they currently offer service four days a week. To get more information and book tickets, visit www.megabus.com.

ELIZABETH LARSEN

Who turned off the lights? On Saturday, if the lights go off in your Cape Town hotel room, do not be alarmed. It's not a grid meltdown but a global show of support. During Earth Hour, citizens of the world are asked to turn off their power for one hour, starting at 8:30 p.m. local time wherever they live, in a symbolic stance against global warming. The World Wildlife Fund started the event two years ago in Sydney, Australia. The next year, more than 400 cities and 50 million folks on all seven continents participated. Some high-wattage landmarks even got involved, including the Sydney Opera House and, in New York, the Coca-Cola billboard in Times Square and the Empire State Building. For 2009, so far nearly 1,200 cities -- including Chicago, Guatemala City, Vancouver, Mumbai and Bangkok -- in 80 countries have signed on and group organizers aim for 1 billion people to flick the switch.

WASHINGTON POST

A bargain blows in If the Caribbean is out of reach this spring, the Windy City may not be. The Fairmont Chicago's "Spring Break in the City" package, which runs through April 19, offers rates starting at $139 a night. The package includes a third night free, a $100 hotel food and beverage credit, free dining for children under 12 at the hotel's restaurant, a $50 spa gift certificate and a discounted parking rate of $25 a night. The Fairmont is across the street from Millennium Park, and is near the theater district, Magnificent Mile and Navy Pier (1-800-441-1414; www.fairmont.com/chicago).

A life-altering change Life isn't so good anymore, Wisconsin, but live like you mean it! Gov. Jim Doyle unveiled the state's new marketing slogan -- "Live Like You Mean It" -- at a tourism industry conference in La Crosse. An accompanying logo depicts a silhouetted figure doing a cartwheel across letters spelling Wisconsin. The slogan replaces "Life's So Good," which the state had used in tourism radio and television advertising from 2005 until last spring.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Milwaukee fetes films In Milwaukee April 2 through 5, more than 100 films will be screened at the Wisconsin Film Festival. Local and regional filmmakers will present features, animations, documentaries and experimental films at various venues. Highlights include "Beauty of the Fight" a documentary about Panama that highlights neighborhoods struggling to survive since the U.S. military invasion in 1989; "Yard Work Is Hard Work," an animated musical that tells the story of newlyweds and their dream to be homeowners, and "Nazuna," a slide show presented by photographer Hitoshi Toyoda. Tickets are $4 to $7 (1-877-963-3456; http:// 2009.wifilmfest.org).