Last time on the road, no families were eliminated, but a couple of dads disappeared as the Cootes and the Pollards were rolling around Vegas looking for a suite that held them. The Pollards were first and rather than take the prize to themselves, they invite the other families to join in the fun... an invitation that the Cootes kindly pass on. Now the journey continues as we FINALLY reach California.

LAS VEGAS, NV
Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino

"Good morning! It's time to leave the lights of Las Vegas and hit the road again. Zip over to Boulder City, Nevada for your King of the Road Challenge. Drive safe."

For the Cootes, it's a game now. For the DiSalvatores, it's all about a crown. They just want one. Amy says if her family wins, they don't have to buy her a birthday present again. So Silvio is now gung ho about this.

The families suit up and... hike up... to...

BOULDER CITY, NV
A mountain somewhere.

KING OF THE ROAD CHALLENGE: Zip It

It's a giant zipline! What are they going to do? Whatever it is, it's for a spot in the Final 2.

Grab a paint balloon and zip on down the line, then hit the targets, one point each time.

Use careful aim as you ride on down. Family with the most points wins the final crown.

One more thing, and since this is serious, I won't rhyme it... if anyone chickens out, they're going to the bottom two AUTOMATICALLY.

Round 1: Jen vs. Amy vs. Amie. Jen Coote is the only one to hit a target... Reno.

Round 2: Jake vs. Blake vs. Ainslie. Blake is having second thoughts... but he gets help from Silvio. He ends up taking the ride. Jake hits one, Ainslie hits one, and Blake hits two.

Round 3: Cassidy vs. Mason vs. Aaron. So far, the Cootes and the DiSalvatores are tied at two. Only Aaron and Mason hit.

Round 4: Keith vs. Silvio vs. Ron. Leading, the DiSalvatores with three. The other families have two each. And ... apparently Silvio is going back. Not on his own power, but... yeah.

In the end, Ron... doesn't hit anything, so the Pollards are going to the Bottom Two. Silvio hit one for four. Cootes ... didn't hit any either, so the DiSALVATORES are Kings of the Road! Blake hit the two winning shots. That's your crown, buddy.

Meanwhile, the Cootes and the Pollards are going to the End of the Road Challenge. For either one, it'll be a case of "so close, yet so far."

Jen works to rally the troops together to focus on the next challenge, while the DiSalvatores finally get their crown... and Blake puts it on his head. Of the crowns they could've won, this is the most important one. It means that they now have a shot at $100,000.

OATMAN, AZ
Ghost town

Crossing back into Arizona, the families run into a town overrun by jackasses... the burro-kind, not the standard-reality-TV-kind.

Back in the day, mining was a million dollar trade. Then the mines dried up, and the people left... And apparently they left their burros behind. And Ainslie learns the hard way that "do not jerk" means... "do not jerk."

Meanwhile, the DiSalvatores take in dinner at a local tavern that has $65,000 stapled to the wall. What they're focused on, though... $35,000 more.

The next day, the trip continues...

"It's time to make a final push to California. You're off to Soggy Dry Lake Bed for today's challenge."

And... Welcome to California and the last day on Route 66! And Amie is getting out her lucky coonskin cap. "Think of it like this... Dead coon... Dead Coote."

SOGGY DRY LAKE, CA
A soggy dry lake bed.

RadioShack is footing the bill for this one. (*cha-ching!*)

END OF THE ROAD CHALLENGE: Unblock My Car

It's very simple. Mom & Dad will be driving cars to try and unblock a red RadioShack car. The kids will try and direct them with a cell phone. The first family to do that is head for a date with the DiSalvatores at the end of Route 66. For the other family... your vacation ends here so close to the finish line.

Communication is breaking down for the Cootes, and the Pollards are changing their minds. The Pollards are struggling, and two of their cars are blocking the red car. The Cootes are blocked by only one, and that one is easily moved... And the COOTES are going to the final round! As for the Pollards, they've learned that you're not going to win all the time, so you've better be prepared for the times when you don't win. ... they've reached the end of the road...

... but not the end of the rivalry, as it seems that the Cootes and Pollard-family-friends the DiSalvatores are at each other over the proper pronunciation of "DiSalvatore". This bitter feud will come to a head next week... when we finally reach Los Angeles... and the end of the Great American Road Trip!

To view this episode in its entirety, go to www.nbc.com/roadtrip.