Through the years, many readers have written asking if the town of Carson Springs, so lovingly described in my Carson Springs trilogy (STRANGER IN PARADISE, TASTE OF HONEY, and WISH COME TRUE), is based on a real place. One woman reported that she had her bags packed and was ready to move there. (I wonder if she ever did.) I’m happy to say it IS based on a real place – Ojai, California.
Ojai is located north of L.A. and roughly east of Santa Barbara. It’s in one of the world’s only perfectly round valleys (the other one is in Tibet) and is considered a sacred site by some. It’s also where part of the movie “Shangri-La” was filmed, and a “Shangri-La” it is, with wide open spaces, miles of orange groves, breathtaking mountain vistas and sunshine nearly year-round. And yes, there really is a bible garden, complete with nearly every plant or tree named in the bible. It also has the prettiest, Spanish-style downtown you’ve ever seen. It’s definitely worth a visit. Or, to save on travel expenses, just read the Carson Springs trilogy and make-believe you’re there. As winter sets in, here in the chilly Northeast, I’ll be dreaming of Carson Springs.
