This town of about 27K people is located 30 miles from Greenville.  It is also considered part of the Upcountry and is the second most populous city behind Greenville in the area.  It is home to Clemson University and Anderson University

We headed there to check it out one early spring morning in March when the sun was bright and the temperature warm.

We took the interstate there and the backroads, which were far more interesting, home.  It was driving along the backroads that we saw a number of factories for businesses we did not recognize but researched via internet along the way.  This is clearly a major source of economic prosperity in the area.

Anderson figured prominently in the Civil War and there is a fair share of monuments to fallen confederate soldiers and other associated memorabilia.   

Anderson is a suburban town - the downtown area is frankly not very interesting.   There is the courthouse, a police station, an historic hotel and other buildings accommodating government and business activities.  But not much.

With the length of about 8-10 blocks, there are many empty storefronts and a number which are actually boarded up.  While there are a few restaurants, including a coffee shop, an ice cream shop and some more formal types, and a few interesting shops, the area does not call.  Nor does it seem to be getting much attention from the town fathers.

Anderson seems like a town stuck between the past - the Civil War - and the present which is lived in the suburbs.

That said, there are apparently some lakes nearby that get good marks for fishing.