The Oasis on Lake Travis -- Austin, TX
The day after my cousin's wedding, a lot of my side of the family decided to go to The Oasis at Lake Travis in Austin, about an hour and fifteen minutes northeast of San Antonio.It was a long drive and my cousin's car doesn't have the most reliable air conditioning (read, it turns off randomly) which made the two hour drive in 102˚F plus 80% humidity less than enjoyable (read, miserable). Ok, I'm being a bit dramatic, my aunt, who is one of the best cooks I know had freshly made shawerma (gyro) sandwiches in her purse (naturally) and I ate one and wrote down the recipe with a blissful heart and belly.When we arrived, we put our name down for a party of 20 for "first available" but really just wanted to sit inside. We were told it would be a two hour wait so one group of us went and found refuge from the heat and coffee at a nearby shopping center. I guess that's what people who live in really hot places do, go hang out at Safeway. I've actually heard of this phenomenon, Safeways have Starbucks in them and they keep the store really cool so you just bring your laptop or a book and have coffee and sit in the lobby of Safeway, passing the July Saturday. Man are we lucky in Monterey.The Oasis is known as "the sunset capital of Texas" and the building is a multiple level restaurant overlooking Lake Travis. Everywhere you turn there are funky statues and quirky signs. All along the rails throughout the restaurant there are hundreds of locks and it is referred to as "Lovers Lock Lane." There's a sign saying:
May your love live forever at the Sunset Capital of Texas.Lock your love with your soulmate,family member or friend.Personalize your love lock and tossyour key into the fountain.Locks available for purchase in The OASIS Gift Shop.
I think the last line says it all. I also hope your love endures past the Sunset Capital of Texas.The kids (ages 20-30) were assigned to sit at one end of the table while the adults sat at the other end of the table. We all shared food and drinks and just hung out, it was lovely. We waited for the sun to set and snapped group photos. It was a nice way to spend the last day in Texas and the day after a long weekend of family time and a big wedding. If you find yourself in Austin, and you like quirky places, lakes, and people, head over to The Oasis. In the meantime, enjoy my photos! 
