By the late 1830s, the beauty and climate of the Swannanoa Valley had begun attracting “summer people.” These tourists came by stagecoach and wagon to escape the heat and the pests of the coastal regions. Here, a group of tourists staying at a nearby boardinghouse show their Swannanoa spirit. (Excerpted in part from the book, Images of America – Swannanoa, by Anne E. Chesky Smith. Photo courtesy of the Swannanoa Valley Museum.)
Fast forward to 2017 – Swannanoa residents are lucky to have a beautiful place to cool off on warm summer days. Here, children enjoy wading in the Swannanoa River, along the River Trail at Warren Wilson College.