"The Amazing Race" teams score high-flying finish
(CBS/AP) The sky was the limit Sunday night in "The Amazing Race" finale that saw this season's winner crowned at the final pit stop, the historic Swan House in Atlanta. (SPOILER ALERT)
Engaged couple Ernie Ernie Halvorsen and Cindy Chiang of Chicago took home the $1 million prize in an episode that had the final three teams fly from Panama to Georgia, land a Learjet in a flight simulator, type a clue at "Gone With the Wind" author Margaret Mitchell's former home and map out the 19th season's 40,000-mille race on a billboard high above Turner Field.
Dating couple Jeremy Cline and Sandy Draghi of California came in second place after wasting time walking through a furniture store named The Dump, which also was the nickname of Mitchell's restored home and was mentioned in the clue.
Married couple and Atlanta residents Amani and Marcus Pollard - the fan favorites this season - took third place after Marcus had real trouble with his simulated landing.
Halvorsen and Chiang told host Phil Keoghan that they would use their winnings to set up a foundation to help some of the impoverished people they had encountered on their journey. Chiang, a brand manager, also told Keoghan her family fully expected her to win the race since they always had high expectations for her
Interviewed after the broadcast, the winners said their most unnerving moment was the basic task of getting a cab at Atlanta's airport.
"Nobody wanted to take us," Ernie said. "That was the most stressful thing as we saw the other teams departing."
Finally a driver volunteered, "and we give him all the rest of our money as a tip," said Cindy.
Both of them, as well as Cline and Draghi, who bickered throughout the early legs of the race, said the 30-day adventure had done more to cement their relationships than years of counseling.
The Pollards - he is a retired NFL player and she is a business owner - said they wanted to be positive role models for their children. The lesson of "The Amazing Race," Amani said, was that it doesn't make any difference whether you win as long as you do your best and never quit.
