Austin's Sunset Central: The Oasis

It's the self-proclaimed Sunset Capital of Texas, and that's probably not far from the truth. The Oasis is where people go to kick back with a beverage while the sun is sinking in the big Texas sky. The food is passable, though most people don't go there for the food. Many of the drinks are good (however, I should've asked how much the top-shelf margaritas were before I ordered three. Don't judge. We were there for four hours and I wasn't driving.) The entertainment is great. And the sunset? It's good on most cloudless days; spectacular on others. Maybe it's the nostalgia talking, as I've been going there since it opened in 1982. But The Oasis is definitely one of the places I consider taking people when they're visiting Austin for the first time. It's an icon.

By 2005, The Oasis had grown to a 2800-seat restaurant. But on June 1st the facility was badly damaged by fire. It remained open for the next two years while rebuilding, and today, it's more like a festive compound.  

I went to an event last week at the Starlight Terrace (full disclosure: my nephew is a Reunion band member, and I've been listening to them since his dad helped start the crew when I was 15 years old.) 

Lake Travis is low, but those of us who've lived through the droughts of the last few years deeply appreciate how much the levels have come back up.