'Best of the Road' is Burnsville-bound

Victory is so close we can almost taste it: After losing to Lafayette, LA last year, Burnsville is once again a contender for in Rand McNally's "Best of the Road" contest. And if all goes according to plan, Burnsville will not be bested again.

This time around we're up against Lewiston, NY; Walla Walla, WA Santa Fe, NM; Bloomington, IN; and Charlottesville, VA.

As a part of the contest, Rand McNally sends out judges to see the competing towns in person. This year Burnsville will be judged by the Road Bros, Pheonix residents Mike Shubic and Brian Cox. The two are currently in Indiana. They are scheduled to arrive in Burnsville on Friday, where they will be wined and dined until they depart on July 1. 

Their grueling schedule will start with a public welcome at on Saturday at 8 a.m. followed by a visit to Abdallah Candies, then tastings at local restaurants , , and . They will finish out their Saturday with a tour of the gardens at Valley Natural Foods and a tasting that features locally-grown produce. On Sunday, the fun continues with brunch at the Roasted Pear, and a food and a drink tasting at .

If Burnsville wins, the town will be prominently featured in Rand McNally’s 2014 Atlas and in the USA TODAY Travel section.

Residents are invited to greet the Road Bros during any of their stops in Burnsville. The Road Bros are one of five teams who started on a four week-week trek in Washington D.C. on June 15. Their journey ends in Seattle, where the winners will be announced at the Destination Marketing Association International’s (DMAI) annual convention on July 17. 

To keep up with the latest on the contest, check out the Burnsville Convention & Visitors Bureau on Facebook and Twitter.