Eastern Oregon is defined by the Cascade Mountains that roughly divide Oregon in half, in more than one sense. Past the rain shadowing mountains lies a nearly endless high desert. The state is not only divided geographically, but politically, economically, and culturally. Past the Cascades, Oregon becomes more of a
cowboy country. People wear guns on their hips and drive diesel pickup trucks. Most tend to vote on the more conservative ballot. Agriculture dominates the local economy, not excluding logging and small amounts of copper and tin mining.
The local landscapes includes sea's of bunch grasses, sage brush, and hilly to mountainous terrain. Mule deer and coyotes roam free, just as most everything does around there. The "first city" of Eastern Oregon is considered
Bend Oregon.
(Western
Oregonian):"Dude, have you been out to
Eastern Oregon? It's
like real different from this place. It's all dry and desert like. Everyone has a gun, and the hills were epic!"