Magical Places Nurture Creativity
Thank you for visiting. This is where I share a little magic about the place I’ve called home for nearly three decades because my surroundings inspire the settings for my stories as much as they bolster my spirit.
My high desert valley on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains is situated in this vast chain where Lake Tahoe divides northern Nevada from northern California.
The most dramatic peak overlooking my home is Mount Rose, rising almost 6,000 feet above my 5,000-foot elevation (10,785 ft, or 3,287.3 m total).
Looking out my window reminds me of the taller (14,179 ft, 4,322 m) Mount Shasta, a stratovolcano that casts its shadow over my hometown in Siskiyou County and entered my psyche the moment I was born.
I’m sure the pull of mystical mountains is how I ended up in this valley when my husband and I chose to make Nevada our home. It’s difficult to convey the impact such mammoth earthen peaks have on the senses. You must experience it for yourself, but I assure you, their grand presence is a balm to the soul.
I love the climatic contrasts in high deserts, namely how I end up peeling off layers outdoors even clomping around in the snow thanks to being closer to the sun and the low humidity. We average 300 sunny days a year. Don’t get me wrong, winter storms can be a… Well, you know. Sometimes we’re blasted by thunderous, violent gusts up to 85 miles an hour, making the snow blizzardy, and knocking out our power. It can be scary. But the tranquility is worth it when it all settles down, and the sun never takes long to pop back out.
Not only is the view peaceful from our porch, but my rural community is super quiet, and we have room to breathe. We also have great, long-standing neighbors. Whenever I think about going on a writing retreat to some other place, it hits me that I live in the perfect one.
Still, over my lifetime, I have explored vast stretches of highway along the Sierras and Cascades, and that is why I love setting my romance stories in small mountain towns. I’ve also traveled to lands such as Japan and Australia and explored their mountains. Pulling from all of these adventurous experiences allows me to merge earthly geological boundaries into the realm of fantasy.
I hope my photos help you experience a little of the magic with me.
The Beauty of the High Desert
Wild horses at Washoe Lake State Park
“Look deep into the nature, and then you will understand everything better.”
Albert Einstein
Washoe Valley and its Stunning Scenery
Washoe State Park
Lake Tahoe
More of the Surrounding Area
Truckee, Grass Valley, and Placerville, CA
Yosemite National Park, CA
Pyramid Lake, NV
Genoa, NV
Burney Falls and McCloud, CA
I have travelled through and past Burney Falls and McCloud all my life, but never stopped for a visit until 2021 when I stayed in a charming bed and breakfast in McCloud. I highly recommend a visit if you ever traverse Highway 89. It’s where I started my novel writing journey in 2021.
By D. L. Lewellyn 