It has been called “a block wide, a mile long, sky high and hell deep” — and who are we to argue? The curious town of Marshall, North Carolina straddles the banks of the French Broad River as if for dear life. A half-hour north of Asheville, it seems to provide its inhabitants with a much quieter, more isolated and far less expensive option for these folks who like that sort of thing. Which, as it turns out, is mostly artists and other people who don’t quite fit in to the “norm” (and are perfectly fine with that).

The population as of the 2020 census was seven hundred and seventy seven. On any given day, you can stroll down Main Street, and may or may not encounter any of them. As you wander the serpentine main thoroughfare, you can almost talk yourself into believing that you’re being watched through faded lace curtains. There’s something about the place that evokes Twilight Zone vibes, and that’s the allure. There’s just something off about this place, and that’s ok. In a world of Applebee’s and Costco’s, this ain’t even remotely that.