Bay St. Louis is named number four of thirty "Most Beautiful" towns in America in a list curated by Expedia, a leading international travel website.  
​- story and photographs by Ellis Anderson 

You’ve heard being by the water is good for the soul and Bay St. Louis is the perfect place to test it. Surrounded by the bay and marshlands, this pretty little coastal town is a sailor’s delight. 

Stroll to the marina and listen for the sound of sailboats creaking against the dock, or build sandcastle masterpieces on the shore at the end of Main Street. 

You’ll find beauty in touring the quirky Gallery 220 Main art gallery, searching for Dayle Lewis’ angel trees, and watching the neighbors gather for a chat on the porches of shotgun cottages.

Expedia travel writer Chloe Mulliner told the Shoofly Magazine that the Bay's Historic District set against a serene natural landscape was the combination that won her over. 

“Sitting along Mississippi's Gulf Coast, Bay St. Louis is the kind of place you find yourself daydreaming about," she said. "Whether you're kayaking along the bay at sunset, exploring the local flora along Possum Walk Trail, or admiring the historical architecture of Old Town, there is beauty everywhere you turn. 

"It's no wonder Bay St. Louis graces our most beautiful cities list!”
​
Other cities that made the list are St. Augustine, Florida, Tyler, Texas, Fairhope, Alabama and Carmel-by-the-Sea, California.