And so it’s come down to this. After 9 countries and 11 teams, The Amazing Race has crowned another winner: brothers Dan and Jordan. They outplayed cowboys Jet and Cord and dating models Brent and Caite to win one million dollars and The Amazing Race.

Route Info

Brent and Caite were the first to receive their clue at 2:37 am and went to the Shanghai Airport to catch a plane to San Francisco, California. But when they got there, the ticket counter was still closed and wouldn’t open until 10:45 am, way past the time the last team would arrive. When they arrived in San Francisco, they rushed towards the Presidio and Battery Godfrey to get their next clue.

Roadblock

They needed to solve a riddle with their clue and find out that they had to make their way to Coit Tower. At Coit Tower, they encountered a Roadblock. One team member must climb the 120-feet majestic tower with a rope and pulley to the nearest opening to get their next clue.

Route Info

They needed to make their way to the Yoda Fountain outside the office of Industrial Light and Magic. There they must chose amongst the two of them who the searcher and director will be. The searcher strapped on a motion-capture suit and would be directed by the director to reach a goal that would reveal their next clue.

Route Info

They needed to make their way to Tonga Room on Nob Hill and retrieve a big chest with the words “Great American Music Hall San Francisco” on the top. They had to walk to the music venue, with the chest. There they would find their next clue.

Route Info

Their next clue included arranging all the eliminated teams in chronological order as well as the non-elimination legs.  Once they finished, they needed to race to Candlestick Park for the finish line.

Results

1st place – Dan and Jordan

2nd place – Jet and Cord

3rd place – Brent and Caite

Tune in again this fall for the next season of The Amazing Race!

I avoided watching reality TV like the plague. I couldn’t imagine the appeal and I was vocal in my opinions. So, I was careful not to watch because I knew if I didn’t watch them, there was no possible chance I’d get sucked into them and end up looking like a fool. Also, I’d tune out conversations on the shows and their contestants for the very same reasons. With firm resolve, I managed to steer clear of Survivor, sidestep Amazing Race, and keep away from American Idol — even when William Hung was sweeping the nation.

And I was right. Sadly, I now know if I end up watching an episode, it’s all over — I’m addicted. My downfall: my mother, Bravo TV, Project Runway, and Top Chef. She blind-sided me when she turned Project Runway on one evening while I was at her house visiting. Before I knew it, I was spellbound.

My addiction started harmless enough with the scanning of the television waves for repeats of the episodes I’d missed while I’d sit on pins and needles waiting for the next week’s episode to air — desperate to see if the contestants I liked were going to make it to the next level or be eliminated. Before I knew it, I was deep in the thralls of reality TV and sat for hours talking about Project Runway and Top Chef with my mom — fighting over who were our favorites and who we wanted to get the ax — on which we could never agree.

As I watched the last episode of Project Runway’s last season, I vowed this was it — no more reality TV for me. But I was thwarted by the evil genius that is Bravo TV’s advertising. How dare they show trailers of the upcoming season’s Top Chef!