it might be a bit different due to seed difference but the towns are there. 2 T2 town to the East of redstone. be warned it will probably be a multi-day journey so be prepared to set up temporary shelters along the way. I suggest making a hole in the side of the hills the paths go through. when you do the area doesn't count as a player built shelter so the phasing enemies don't come through your walls and the dominion solders cant really get to you through the whole curding mountain.
Oh yes, that is always my favorite method. My first ever base was built into rock, and I’ve been doing it ever since. I did use the tree interior of a hill as a temporary home once, though there simply wasn’t enough trees in it to properly build a wooden home. I do hope that, once I finally learn how to get a w(he)aystone and a deed (or just make the half a year trip back), I’ll be able to relax enough to build proper homes with my own hands. After months of in-game time (days of irl time) running for my life, it will be so rewarding to finally do some build projects. The dominion soldiers may not appreciate good architecture, but I do!