Why is Texas thought of as desert? (Austin, El Paso: movies, live in)

[MimzyMusic]

Only 10% of the state at most gets less than 10 inches of rain. Eastern Texas is green and has a lot of trees. Why is it considered dry and western? I think it has a lot of Eastern influence too.

[TexasReb]

Originally Posted by MimzyMusic

Only 10% of the state at most gets less than 10 inches of rain. Eastern Texas is green and has a lot of trees. Why is it considered dry and western? I think it has a lot of Eastern influence too.

My guess is the biggest reason has to do with those old Hollywood westerns. In reality they were filmed in Arizona and desert parts of Southern California. These films were quite popular from the 40's to the 60's and I think they entrenched into the American mindset that the whole state was one big wasteland of desert and cactus!

[NOTAM]

hmm i dunno, my sister lives on Kaua'i (Hawaii) and was surprised at how "green" my grass was in my backyard...she didnt think we had green grass. WTF!

[CalGal953]

Funny, that's the opposite of what I heard when I first heard of Texas. When my mom mentioned to us that we were moving to Texas (Austin specifically) that it would be humid there. I had already seen some western parts of the state going through El Paso and Pecos and such on the I-10 and 20 and they looked about as dry as SoCal and southern Arizona, where I lived the first half of my life.

[case44]

Originally Posted by MimzyMusic

Only 10% of the state at most gets less than 10 inches of rain. Eastern Texas is green and has a lot of trees. Why is it considered dry and western? I think it has a lot of Eastern influence too.

You have to get to know our state. The desert lands are in West Texas. Another feature found in West Texas are mountains, and they are truly majestic. All the forests, tall pines and green trees are in East Texas. You'll also find prairies and lakes in North and Central Texas. Also found in Central Texas is the Hill Country, and it is best described through pictures. You'll have interesting rock cuts, rolling hills, vistas, and southwestern yucca. Oh, and a lot of small cacti. In the Panhandle and the south plains (West and Northwest Texas), there's caprock and lots of farmland, as well as canyons. Southeast Texas features the beaches of the upper coastal bend. South Texas is plains and desert lands.

You have to also get past the misconception that Texas is nothing but tumbleweeds and Wild West desert. This land is so much more. Come see this.

[gold dust]

Originally Posted by case44

You have to get to know our state. The desert lands are in West Texas. Another feature found in West Texas are mountains, and they are truly majestic. All the forests, tall pines and green trees are in East Texas. You'll also find prairies and lakes in North and Central Texas. Also found in Central Texas is the Hill Country, and it is best described through pictures. You'll have interesting rock cuts, rolling hills, vistas, and southwestern yucca. Oh, and a lot of small cacti. In the Panhandle and the south plains (West and Northwest Texas), there's caprock and lots of farmland, as well as canyons. Southeast Texas features the beaches of the upper coastal bend. South Texas is plains and desert lands.

You have to also get past the misconception that Texas is nothing but tumbleweeds and Wild West desert. This land is so much more. Come see this.

My goodness, I've never heard Texas described quite this well and it never sounded so good! I have only been in Texas 4 months so I am still learning!

[texdav]

Movies Most peole saw Texas in movies and it was really california.Its like watching TV and think that is typical USA. Watching the reality shows and think that is a typical person in the states.

[theSUBlime]

It's definitely the movies. It's also interesting that it's characterized this way, because most of the population of the state don't live in the desert, dry areas.

[theSUBlime]

Originally Posted by gold dust

My goodness, I've never heard Texas described quite this well and it never sounded so good! I have only been in Texas 4 months so I am still learning!

Don't worry it's not your fault. Growing up as a native Texan you have to take Texas History/Geography about twice, which at one point I thought was normal for other states, but it's not! I think this is where the "Texas pride" stems from.

[High_Plains_Retired]

Originally Posted by texdav

Movies Most peole saw Texas in movies and it was really california.

The eucalyptus trees in the old westerns were always a clear give away that the cowboys chasing the bank robbers were not anywhere near Texas. Also one would have to look hard and long in Texas to find a place with huge rounded boulders that provided the great Hollywood shoot-it-out scenes.