Surprising Beauty in Harsh Environments

It’s not a common thing to think of Reno, NV as a great location for fishing. The Allagash, that’s a fishing location, Everglades? That works, what about the oceans? They make sense. Reno, NV? Isn’t that all desert, and casinos? Popular perceptions can be rather wrong when it comes to areas. Not all of Texas could serve as the setting for a classic Western. The movie Conan (the original one) looked like it was filmed in some far flung corner of the world and was instead filmed in Spain. Most people in Boston don’t sound like The Departed would make you think.  Reno, NV might be more arid than the everglades, but it has enough moisture to support Topaz Lake, which boasts multiple fishing resorts. To someone unsuspecting, finding a beautiful lake, not to mention a fishing resort near Reno, NV would be surprising on some fundamental level.

It might not be expected to find a beautiful fishing location so close to Death Valley, but nature throws curveballs like that all the time. Siberia, an infamously hostile and unpleasant place to live boasts one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. By comparison Topaz Lake is in a wonderfully hospitable location, and is not as much of a surprise. Regardless it is a gem of natural beauty and water in a rough landscape. To those in the know though, the fishing resorts at Topaz Lake near Reno, NV are a wonderful escape from what the location is normally known for.  There is no direct similarity between Lake Baikal and Topaz Lake. Baikal is larger, and its surroundings harsher. The fact that both can exist where they are, surrounded by an area not commonly known for possessing that sort of beauty, is a similarity.

Perceptions are often shaped by media and common portrayal. The area around Reno, NV is not just inhospitable desert, and Nevada as a whole isn’t just one casino. They are more common in the state due to its gambling laws; the fishing resorts mentioned earlier, some have casinos. This should not be a surprise though. Having faulty perceptions is a key fundamental part of being human. If we haven’t been anywhere our perception will be based on media portrayal and common myth. We shouldn’t be expected to visit every location we have a monolithic impression of, even if the fishing resorts near Topaz Lake would make that easier, but we should be prepared to have those perceptions challenged. It’s also good news for anyone who loves travel, the more diverse the world the more interesting places there will be to visit. The less well known some of these places are the less crowded they are.