It has been a fun week at the Source, and it is a fun issue.
Our Outdoor Advisor, Corbin Gentzler, points readers to a series of ghost towns sprinkled around Central Oregon, reminders about a past that has come and gone, mining towns that time left behind.
But this issue is more about what from this legendary time still exists; in fact, it is about what is thrivingโa young hat maker who is refashioning (quite literally) the cowboy icon, a couple from Arizona that brought the spiciness of Arizona to this high desert region with a line of salsas and our beer reviewer Kevin Gifford collects a six pack of beers that boast the wrangler and cowpunch swagger. Our annual Made in Central Oregon issue is both an archeological dig into the past and also a recognition about how much the โcowboy lifestyleโ is still part of everyday life in 2015 in Central Oregon.
And, we present a number of articles that show off how that independent spirit that drove pioneers and cowboys is still here driving the cultural life in Bendโa Q&A with Diane Lane from Get-Lit who will present at next weekendโs MUSE conference; a look at the booming kombucha industry; and Delano Lavigneโs report from last Saturdayโs Boulder Bash, the first-ever cash-prize climbing competition in Central Oregon.
No, this is certainly not Mr. Rodgerโs neighborhood. It is community of daring and bold entrepreneurs that could ride tall with any cowboy. Giddy up!
NEXT WEEK: Debunking Bike Town USA
This article appears in Feb 18-25, 2015.







