I think it comes down to the colour as much as anything.
This shot is a stack of 20 second exposure taken on a fixed tripod out in the wheatbelt here. I always remember it as being like what I see visually out there, partly due to detail shown and partly due to colour. I'm sure that in reality it might show more than what I see visually, but it certainly looks similar to my memory, and gives the same 'feeling' to the scene.
http://www.rogergroom.com/rogergroom...m.jsp?Item=344
It's not perfect for what you want.... I think foreground objects would help a lot. More trees.