The "land of two rivers" is a rather grand epithet for a town of 15,000 people in North Carolina's Rockingham County. But it's appropriate, because there's much more to Eden, as the town is now known, than its humble origins would suggest. Not that long ago, that Eden didn't exist. Then, in 1967, a few small towns along the Dan and Smith Rivers decided to merge. Leaksville, a market town, Spray, a manufacturing hub, and Draper, a small town with a booming textiles business, had seen precipitous declines
in fortune since their industrial heydays. When they joined as one, they were collectively called Eden, and the symbolic new name augured a brighter future.
Nearly 60 years later, Eden is one of North Carolina's most charming and picturesque towns, with handsome greenways and vintage-brick architecture, yet it remains one of the most affordable destinations in the state. Real estate platform Houzeo has indicated the cost of living is 22% less than the national average. Add the town's striking public artworks, unique festivals, and sumptuous nature to that figure, and it becomes no surprise Eden that has become a destination that punches well above its weight.
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Experiencing The Street Art And Festivals Of Eden
You don't have to go far to see art in Eden with murals splashed across the walls of the town. Fittingly, one of the art projects is based on the biblical tale of Adam and Eve and their fateful decision to eat the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. Called "Graffiti of Eden," it features works by more than a dozen artists on the exterior walls of the Kingsway Plaza shopping center.
There's more public art in John E. Grogan Park (also known as Grogan Park), including a 32,000-tile mosaic and the Wire Animal Art Project, in which artist Josh Cote has recreated stags, rabbits, herons, and other woodland wildlife using 14-gauge wire. And falling broadly under the category of art, but firmly within the realm of nostalgia, is Eden's Twin Drive-In, an open-air cinema that opened in 1949 and remains open today. With spaces for 200 cars and a double feature on Friday and Saturday evenings, it's a trip down memory lane – as are the prices, with adult tickets costing only $8 a pop.
Festivals are another reason to plan a trip here, many of them worth attending for their names alone. RiverFest is the most significant celebration of the year, taking place in Leaksville, the oldest corner of Eden (dating to the late 18th century), combing live music — think 80s tributes, rock, blues, and folk — with amusements, carnival games, market stalls, and craft beer. In summer you've got the Piedmont Pottery Festival and Shaggin' on Fieldcrest, the latter featuring lots of swing dancing, known locally as "shag." And while Lexington might be North Carolina's barbecue capital, travelers in Eden should try time their visit with the aptly-named barbecue and beer fest, Oink and Ale.
Exploring Eden's Garden On Foot And By Boat
You can't visit Eden without venturing onto its woodland trails or waterways to see how closely this place works in concert with its natural environment. The Matrimony Creek Nature Trail is a mile-long route, running alongside the eponymous creek to one of North Carolina's most picturesque waterfalls at the old Leaksville Mill. The Smith River Greenway is another great spot for a morning walk or jog, a smooth, shaded trail flirting with the Smith's eastern banks, that's about 2.6 miles in total –– and while you're here, look out for the butterfly artworks dotted among the trees.
Gliding along the calm surface and around the winding bends of the Dan and Smith Rivers is the best way to appreciate the serenity of Eden's nature. Tubing, kayaking, canoeing, and angling have become such popular pastimes that the Eden River Development Committee was encouraged to create more access points for riverbound adventurers. There are now eight different locations in Eden (seven on the Smith, one on the Dan) from which you can access the water, with some offering boat landings from dawn till dusk. And don't worry if you haven't brought your own equipment: Three Rivers Outfitters offers kayak and canoe rental for self-guided journeys and conducts tours of the local rivers.
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Read the original article on Islands.
