The Great American Road Trip, Episode 7: California or Bust!

Last Monday on the Great American Road Trip (or GART, for short), the final three families ate road kill, fuddled with hydroelectric plumbing at Hoover Dam, and got to be a part of a magic show with Penn and Teller in Las Vegas! Now that sounds like a well-rounded vacation, doesn't it? No one was eliminated so a luxurious suite at the Mandalay Bay was up for grabs in a chaotic Reward Challenge. And the Pollards finally brought the Cootes' winning streak to an end.

Our three remaining families are:

• The diSalvatores: Silvio (dad), Amy (mom), Mason (16), Blake (13) (Team DysFUNctional)
• The Cootes: Keith (dad), Jennifer (mom), Cassidy(12) Jake (9) (Team Rootin' Cootes)
• The Pollards: Ron (dad), Amie (mom), Aaron (17), Anslie (12) (Team Bubba)

Tensions are high as our remaining families travel down historic Route 66 to the next destination in Boulder City, Nevada. At this point in the game, all eyes are on winning the next King of the Road challenge. Whoever wins will be assured one of the two coveted spots in the finals next week. Both the Pollards and the diSalvatores spend their down time getting pumped up to kick some Cootie Bootie.

Tough-playing, consistent challenge winning Rootin' Cootes prevail as the biggest threat to the other families who's strategy is to find a way to beat the Cootes once and for all. But this is not as easy as it sounds. As I have mentioned before, Mom Coote really, really WANTS to win. Nothing else matters at this point.

And because she is so driven to win (pardon the pun), her family must perform to her high expectations. Her extreme focus on the "big prize" is kinda scary. This is supposed to be a vacation reality game and her focus should be on the journey, not the game or the money. But, I guess everyone's agenda is different.

As a result the other two families must plot and plan that much harder to overcome the biggest hurdle on GART: The Rootin' Cootes.

Over in the diSalvatore RV, Mama Amy motivates her sons and husband by bargaining with them. She proposes that if they win the King of the Road challenge, they never EVER have to buy her a birthday card or Valentine's present again. Big words. Papa Silvio is impressed and intrigued, but non-believing. He wants her pledge in writing.

Our families finally arrive in Boulder city (or what seems to be the outskirts of it) only to find nothing but desert, rocks, and happy-smiley GART host Reno Collier. Son Aaron Pollard points out a long, ominous zip line connecting boulder to mountain to nearby hill. "Oh Lord have mercy," sighs Mom Amy.

This looks like something taken right out of The Amazing Race challenge playbook. But there's a twist! Reno tells them that three people at a time will zip down the line, equipped with a bag full of paint ball balloons. Below them, huge face targets of all the team members await to be splattered. Each target that is hit will give that family one point. The Team who gets the most points in the end will be the King of the Road and will gain a spot in the finals. If any family member chickens out and does not go down the zip line, their family will immediately go to the End of the Road challenge for elimination.

First up, the Moms. It's awesome to see how tough these ladies are and willing to do ANYTHING for the sake of their families. You go girls! The zip line is looks a lot harder and higher than at first glance. Mama DysFUNctional enjoys the ride so much she almost forgets to throw her paint balls. Mom Rootin' Coote is actually aiming at the targets. Have I told you that she really, really means business? Ding! She hits Reno's face! Point Rootin' Cootes!

Next, the tweenies. Young Blake diSalvatore begins to hesitate. It does look awfully high. He's usually a team player, but the zip line just seems to be too steep for this boy from the Bronx. Papa Silvio climbs the hill to give Blake some old-fashioned Italian moral support. Somehow it works and Blake gets suited up to ride the line down. Jake Coote hits a target, Anslie Pollard hits a target, but Blake smacks two targets dead on! The older kids get their chance where Aaron Pollard and Mason diSalvatore both hit one to advance their family teams.

Finally, the Dads go. But before they are sent zipping down, Papa Coote (who is usually so laid back and easy-going) aims a little nasty, snarky trash talk towards Silvio. Ugly,bully talk like that only reveals how much he feels the pressure to win the challenge. I say no class.

Only Silvio hits a target on the way down. So the final score: Team Bubba, two points. Team DysFUNctional, four points. Team Rootin' Cootes, two points. The diSalvatores win the King of the Road challenge and the crown! And Silvio will never have to buy his wife a birthday present ever again! Yay?

And, Reno reveals, it was Blake's two points that put his family into the GART finals. Papa Silvio poignantly points out that anytime, in the future, when Blake ever hesitates, all he has to do is think about this moment and how he overcame his fears, and he'll know he can do anything he wants. This is Blake's crown. This is Blake's defining moment. Awesome and inspiring.