MOBILE BAY, Ala. — A popular lifestyle magazine now on newsstands is giving its readers some excellent reasons to visit the Alabama coast. In the April issue, Southern Living’s profile, “Spring Getaway on Mobile Bay,” touts the beauty of Bellingrath Gardens and Home near Theodore, the luxury of the Marriott Grand Hotel Resort, Golf Club and Spa in Point Clear and the quaint shopping opportunities to be found in downtown Fairhope.

Accompanied by photography by John O’Hagan, the story describes many of the things residents often take for granted, including the stunning tapestry of azaleas, the beauty of the bay, the good food that abounds here, the wide variety of art and the diversity of our music.

“We were looking for something that had a strong Southern signature, said Wanda McKinney, the magazine’s associate travel editor and writer of the article. “What’s more wonderful than this community around the bay? It’s a beautiful part of the state.”

McKinney’s piece paints a vivid picture of the landscape here on the coast, including Bellingrath’s “huge oaks, tempered and bowed by a hundred years of hurricane winds,” its “bright swaths of azaleas, hydrangeas and roses” and “vibrant tulips.” It also celebrates the attraction’s roses, resurrection ferns Spanish moss and orchids.

Many say there’s no such thing as bad publicity, and a mention by Southern Living can be anything but that.

“We’re hoping it will attract people from the entire region to come down and visit the gardens,” said Leslie Schraeder, Bellingrath director of marketing and public relations. She pointed out that her department partners with the University of South Alabama in a survey that keeps track of visitors to area attractions and why they flock to the coast.

The gardens were created and then opened to the public in 1932 by Coca-Cola bottler Walter Bellingrath and his wife, Bessie. Since then, literally millions of photographs have been snapped there, with many being published in travel guides and newspapers.

Schraeder said, “There is really nothing that quite compares. Pictures tell the story, but of course, I don’t feel it does (the gardens) justice.”

The story suggests staying at the Grand Hotel after a day of enjoying the sights. McKinney notes the hotel “rests regally on the other side of Mobile Bay” from Bellingrath, as well as mentions the $50 million renovation made necessary by the destructive forces of a hurricane.

She also lists some of the hotel’s many amenities, and steers visitors to the nearby shops and restaurants in downtown Fairhope, which are just a free shuttle ride away.

Also given a mention are Bay Area Earth Day, scheduled for Fairhope Pier Park on April 19, and a Baldwin Pops concert on April 25.

This is the first time the area has been profiled by Southern Living since Hurricane Katrina struck in August 2005.

Research for the text, along with photography, was completed last year, according to McKinney. She said, “We usually do our research a year in advance so our seasonality matches when we come out.”

Although focusing on three destinations, that’s not necessarily the end of the story.

“You have Mobile and Dauphin Island, the beach and Magnolia Springs, and the shops in Foley,” McKinney said. “There are so many things to do in the area. When it’s home, you forget all the wonderful places to dine, as well as the attractions. At Southern Living, we try to point out those seasonal attractions to readers.”

Southern Living has long been known as a source for travel ideas, and feedback is always welcome by its staff. McKinney said, “It makes us feel good. We write about places that we experience – often places our readers have told us about. It’s a win-win situation. It’s a positive thing for the South, and it’s a service to the readers.”

According to the magazine’s parent firm, Southern Progress (a Time Warner Co.), “Southern Living celebrates the best of life in the South, not just in the magazine but also through publications and programs that enrich the lives of more than 15 million devoted readers. Traveling the South from Dallas to Delaware, we share the fascinating places, people, homes, and gardens — not to mention delicious foods — that make this region unique.”

McKinney covers Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, the Florida panhandle, West Virginia and Mississippi for the 42-year-old publication. She said, “We do try to cover south Alabama a good bit because there’s so much to do down there.”