North Carolina
In the Swannanoa river valley, fifteen minutes east of downtown Asheville and next door to Black Mountain.
Swannanoa sits in the river valley between Asheville and Black Mountain, which makes it an easy base for both without staying in either. Downtown Asheville is about fifteen minutes west, and Black Mountain's Main Street is a few minutes east.
Warren Wilson College has been here since 1894, and its campus brings the Swannanoa Gathering's folk arts workshops and a chamber music festival to the valley each summer.
Nearby

A working farm and forest campus in the valley since 1894, open for walking.
Official site
Week long folk arts workshops on the college campus through July and August.
Official site
A few minutes east, with a walkable Main Street of galleries and antiques.
Official site
A half mile loop in Black Mountain, looking up at Graybeard Mountain and the Seven Sisters.
Official site
Fifteen minutes west, for the food, breweries, and the River Arts District.
Official site
Close by, with the overlooks that make the drive worth taking slowly.
Official site