Bardstown, Kentucky, Is The Most Beautiful Small Town In America, Says USA Today.

The Best of the Road contest, sponsored by Rand McNally in collaboration with USA TODAY, has named Bardstown, Kentucky, as the most beautiful small town in the United States.

The area's bourbon whiskey producers are a big part of the reason, according to judges Nikki and Dusty Green. "Bourbon is Bardstown's history and tradition and the countryside is beautiful, but we probably got fewer scenic shots in Bardstown than anywhere else," said the Greens. "The people turned us around. We realized maybe we're not just here to see mountains and rivers, maybe there's something else. Our hearts are still in this place."

They were smitten by downtown's "classic Norman Rockwell" look and feel. Danville, Kentucky, was one of the runners-up and another category, Friendliest, was won by Murray, Kentucky.

The picture above shows pretty much the whole downtown business district, with the county courthouse in the center.

Bardstown, which calls itself 'The Bourbon Capital of the World,' is the site of the annual Kentucky Bourbon Festival, September 11-16.