Five teams selected for four-week Washington to Washington rally

(May 29, 2012) SKOKIE, Ill. — America, buckle up and get ready for the Best of the Road Rally! After a month-long call for submissions, Rand McNally and USA Today have announced the five team finalists who will embark on the ultimate four-week cross-country adventure from Washington DC to Seattle, Wash., competing to win the title of the Best of the Road Rally and $10,000.

In the search for the best small towns in America, the top 30 towns in five categories: Most Beautiful, Most Patriotic, Friendliest, Most Fun or Best for Food, were narrowed down from nearly 700 submissions and will be reviewed personally by the Best of the Road Rally teams via blog posts, video and photos from the road.

On June 15, five teams of amateur travelers will meet in the nation's capital, where they will learn which of the five categories they will be reviewing to help determine the title of Best of the Road.
Qualified teams — determined by an adherence to Best of the Road Rally rules and requirements — were judged by a combination of creativity, quality, theme and public appeal of their submissions on Best of the Road.

After careful consideration, top rated teams within those categories were offered a spot on the Best of the Road Rally by the judges.

A Best of the Road winner 2011

Official Best of the Road Rally teams include:

    •    MidLife Roadtrip: Two friends, one from New York and one from the South, are set to share their love of food, adventure and the road
    •    Two for the Road: Natives of the Texas Panhandle, now citizens of the world, ready to rally
    •    Road Bros: Experienced road trippers ready to vlog a few more miles
    •    Fresh Traveler: A big city girl and a small town boy looking forward to adventure
    •    Rogue Riders: This road tripping duo is ready to bring you tales from the road

Each rally team is required to visit the top six towns in their assigned category, while fans can follow their progress through videos, photos and posted updates on the Best of the Road site, Facebook and Twitter. The teams will also have an opportunity to visit and review other Best of the Road points of interest along the way — whether it's the Best BBQ, Best National Park or Best Oddball Attraction — if they choose.

To determine the winning team, the Best of the Road panel of judges will take into consideration each team's creativity and originality, as well as quality of their category description and reviews (through video, web updates and social media); and number of destinations visited throughout the trip. After the judges deliberate, the winning team will be announced in Seattle, Wash., on July 15.

Weighing blog posts, videos and photos created in each town by the rally teams, Best of the Road judges will announce the winning towns at the Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI) Annual Convention on July 16. The top towns will be highlighted on Best of the Road and in the 2014 Rand McNally Road Atlas, as well as on USA Today's Travel site.

For more information and to follow each Best of the Road Rally team's progress, visit Best of the Road.