Hawaii 59 Bridges Piquing Interest

Looking at the Google Trends for today, November 4, 2008, of course, most of the hot Google trends are going to be about the election. Whether you're an Obama or a McCain supporter, this is an historical election by all accounts, and it has gotten many people in the country, and perhaps the world, energized and engaged in the American political process for the first time in a long while. But I am actually not going to write about any of the hot Google trends dealing with the election or the candidates today. There is plenty of election coverage anywhere else you look. What actually got my attention looking at the hot Google trends for the USA is number 6 on the list as of 9:30 am: "Hawaii 59 bridges."

At first glance, this might be a weird thing to google. Why in the world would so many people google the term "Hawaii 59 bridges?" And at the time I looked, it's "hotness" factor was medium, and it had peaked at around 7:00 am EST. Seven in the morning? Hawaii 59 bridges? What is this all about?

Well I'm going to make a confession. I am one of the people who googled "Hawaii 59 bridges" before I saw this call for content and looked up the Google trends so I guess I am one of the people who contributed to this hot trend. I certainly did not do it at 7:00 in the morning, but it was one of the first things I did while checking my email. I googled "Hawaii 59 bridges" because I was looking for the answer to the daily quiz in the Marriott World of Rewards contest for a chance to win a trip to some fabulous destination at one of their resorts. I had received an email reminding me of the contest, which contained the question of the day, "What Hawaiian tourist attraction is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has over 59 bridges?" Since it would take only a few minutes, I naturally turned to Google for the answer.

I never expected that so many people would be entering this contest, but if it is hitting the top 10 Google trends list, I guess I would be wrong. I suppose this means that my chances of winning are decreased, but it's kind of like the lottery. There's always a small part that feels like you could be the instant winner for the day and that you could soon be on your way to an awesome vacation on someone else's dime.

So there are 17 more days and chances in the contest left. Go to www.marriottworldofrewards.com and register for your chance to enter. Although we now know that there are lots of other people entering the contest, that doesn't mean that you can't and won't win. After all, part of the fun is the hope you feel, even if it is brief, that today just might be your lucky day. Good luck!