America's Coolest Small Town 2013

I quit Facebook some time ago, so I'm posting this here. First, read yesterday's blog and then vote for Mt. Carroll, Illinois as "America's Coolest Small Town 2013." We've only 6 days left to vote!! Here is the link:

http://www.budgettravel.com/contest/americas-coolest-small-towns-2013,14/

It's the one on the map just east of the Mississippi, inside the Illinois borders. Don't accidently hit the Iowa town to the left. Egad!!

It's really a cool "Mayberry-like" place. Look at the photos. If you're my friend and reading this and you've come out to visit us, we've either already taken you there to see it, or we plan to take when you do visit us this summer. And how cool will that be when they're voted "the best" and you can say that you've already been there! So, do me a 'solid.'

Here is the criteria:

What makes a Coolest Small Town?

The town must have a population under 10,000. It also needs that indescribable something: independent shops, a sense of energy, an epic backyard, culture, delicious coffee. In other words, cool doesn't necessarily mean quaint: We want towns with an edge and a heart.

And here is the official contest description:

Don't be fooled by the elegant brick courthouse and the pastoral farmland settings: Though this town in Illinois's northwestern corner looks like classic Main Street, U.S.A., there's something gleefully, well, "off" about the place. And the residents wouldn't have it any other way. Need proof? The local antiques store and tea room has a Victorian Mad Hatter theme. Weirdest of all—by a country mile—is Mount Carroll's year-round haunted house, the Raven's Grin Inn. The 19th-century mansion has been converted into a spooky art piece with a homemade pterodactyl skeleton, a giant metal skull, four cars sticking out of the facade, and a series of slides and trapdoors. 

Right now we're in a dismal 2nd to last place, so we need your vote. If you are on FB, you can post the link for me. I want Mt. Carroll/Mt. Pilot to win, but not enough that I'd actually consider re-joining FB. Come on, I'd do it for you... Come on, you know how... As Nike says: "Just Do It."

Just look at these cute "Mayberry-like" photos. How can you resist?

Okay, friends and family o' mine, here is my final offer: I've never actually visited "Raven's Grin Inn," but my sister has, so I know of what I speak. Here is my offer: You vote for Mt. Carroll for "America's Coolest Small Town 2013" and I'll not only take you there upon your visit to our home, but I'll buy your entry ticket and lunch or dinner (depending on time of day) in Mt. Carroll/Mt. Pilot. (It's a good thing my husband doesn't read my blog!)

It's "Art!"