Quirky Alabama Town Known for Southern Charm and Lake Adventures

There is one Alabama town that stood out to Islands for its “good food, music, and plenty of space for outdoor adventures.”

READ MORE: Quirky Alabama Road Names

The town, well, it has what some would call a quirky name. Still, it originates from M. L. Fielder, who “established a post office in his home, naming the new settlement Eclectic, after the school of alternative medicine in which he had trained,” said the Encyclopedia of Alabama. “In 1907, the town officially incorporated as Eclectic.”

Eclectic, Alabama, is best known for its close proximity to Lake Martin, located roughly 10 miles north of Main Street. It’s about 30 miles outside of Montgomery and roughly a 2-hour and 15-minute drive from Tuscaloosa.

The main attraction for Eclectic, Alabama, is Lake Martin, the third-largest lake in the Yellowhammer State.

But, that’s not all, the town also offers the “Annual Alabama Cotton Festival in October. It features a Cotton Pageant, a 5k run, an antique car show, games for both children and adults, food, and live music, among other attractions. The town maintains two parks and a baseball complex,” said the Encyclopedia of Alabama.

Get our free mobile app

Enjoy exploring our wonderful state.

LOOK: These are the best lake towns to live in

Stacker examined data from personal finance website WalletHub to determine the best lake towns to live in across the U.S.

Gallery Credit: Stacker

LOOK: Here are the 10 US golf destinations with the most courses per capita

Discover where you can find the best access in the country for your pick of courses, the unique terrain that lends itself to world-class golf, and what makes select clubs noteworthy.

Gallery Credit: Michael Leonard

LOOK: Here are the 50 best beach towns in America

Every beach town has its share of pluses and minuses, which got us thinking about what makes a beach town the best one to live in. To find out, Stacker consulted data from WalletHub, released June 17, 2020, that compares U.S. beach towns. Ratings are based on six categories: affordability, weather, safety, economy, education and health, and quality of life. The cities ranged in population from 10,000 to 150,000, but they had to have at least one local beach listed on TripAdvisor. Read the full methodology here. From those rankings, we selected the top 50. Readers who live in California and Florida will be unsurprised to learn that many of towns featured here are in one of those two states.

Keep reading to see if your favorite beach town made the cut.

Gallery Credit: Keri Wiginton