"Who picked these places?" the editors ask themselves. "You did! We received a record-breaking 439,411 votes in our online poll."
So, no, this wasn't exactly a scientifically objective survey.
It's not as if Barnegat Light would be a cooler place if it had drummed up another few thousand votes. The Long Beach Island town finished 14th in the voting.
The editors admit that campaigns by tourism boards and convention and visitors bureaus do sway results.
"But, honestly, we feel that these promotional pushes are a part of the spirit of the contest," said magazine spokeswoman Kara Hughett. "It promotes a healthy sense of competition. In addition, the success of towns with tiny populations - like Saugatuck, Michigan (pop. 954), which came in fourth - tells us that the competition is more than a popularity contest dominated by bigger towns."
In April, the Inquirer reported that Mayor Matt Fetick, encouraged by a No. 21 ranking last year, supported a vote drive that included a link to ballots from the borough's website.
Only towns with 10,000 or fewer residents are eligible.
One also wonders what happened to Cayucos, Calif.; Lexington, Va.; Breaux Bridge, La. and the seven other towns on last year's list. Does Cayucos no longer have "everything you want in a mellow beach town," including "serious waves and serious food"?
Did Cayucos lose its cool?
No, the magazine says it's just spreading the love.
"Because there are so many eligible towns across America, we have made it our policy to not repeat nominees from year to year," Huggett said.
That's why Milford, Pa., up near the Delaware Water Gap east of Scranton, made the list only in 2007.
In the list's four previous years, editors did weigh in, feeling free to second-guess the voters' preferences.
That's how last year's final list failed to include two Keystone State towns named in the Top 10 high by voters: Huntingdon, the Central Pennsylvania home of Juniata College, and Jim Thorpe - named for a famous athlete who never lived there - in the Lehigh Valley's Carbon County.
The 2010 top ten: Ely, Minn.; Brevard, N.C; Saugatuck, Mich.; Bandon, Ore.; Cloverdale, Calif.; Cuero, Texas; Nyack, N.Y.; Egg Harbor, Wis.; Medicine Park, Okla.; Kennett Square, Pa.
For more information, go to www.budgettravel.com.
Contact staff writer Peter Mucha at 215-854-4342 or pmucha@phillynews.com.
