The votes are in, and while Mathews did not make it to the number-one spot in Budget Travel’s Coolest Small Town in America contest, it made a strong showing, coming in fifth out of 15 finalists from across the country.

Mathews, along with the other top 10 towns, will be honored in an upcoming feature on BudgetTravel.com, as well as a story in Budget Travel’s tablet edition.

“That’s a big deal,” said Mathews Visitor and Information Center executive director Ann Miller. “We’re elated. There are so many people to thank. That’s the big thing. It had to be done daily and people really did it.”

Throughout the contest, voters were allowed to vote once per day (per IP address) for the town they wanted to win.

“The fact we stayed in fifth place is great,” Miller added. “It certainly will put Mathews on the map for a lot of people to come visit … we’re very happy with fifth place.” 

Berlin, Md.,...