Rand McNally and USA TODAY Seek Best Hometowns

News Report

Best of the Road is back for round two, asking Americans to share their hometown pride and show road-trippers the best small towns America has to offer. 

Rand McNally and USA TODAY are calling for friends, family, colleagues or coworkers to put their town on the map --- literally --- and be named the Best of the Road as Most Beautiful, Most Patriotic, Friendliest, Most Fun and Best for Food towns.

Now through May 15, Americans can nominate and vote for their favorite towns and attractions to be named points of interest (POI) for the Best of the Road contest. 

The top POIs --- whether it’s the Best Beach, Best Chili Dog or another attraction not to be missed --- will land a permanent spot on Rand McNally’s new travel website and a place in the 2014 Rand McNally Road Atlas, as well as on USA TODAY's Travel Web page.

To upload your town nomination, visit www.bestoftheroad.com now through May 15. Share your nomination on Facebook, Twitter and forward to friends and family to boost your entry’s chances of winning (@bestoftheroad and #bestoftheroad). Don’t take a back seat while another town tries to edge you out.

To celebrate the Best of the Road, Rand McNally and USA TODAY are promoting an epic three-week, cross-country road rally this summer. Five teams of adventure-seeking travelers will depart from Washington, D.C., on June 15 en route to Seattle, Wash., to seek out the Most Fun, Most Patriotic, Most Beautiful, Best for Food or Friendliest town in America before the big finish on July 13. 

They will travel scenic routes and back roads to leave no landmark unturned and no local secrets undiscovered. Teams will be selected by Rand McNally and USA TODAY. Submission of team applications runs through May 15.