When you hear the word oasis, you think of a lush pool of water appearing seemingly out of nowhere in a vast desert. You think of relief in an otherwise harsh world. You think of something desperately needed because your immediate surroundings are so unbearable. Now while Austin is far from unbearable (the opposite, to be honest) and not even close to a harsh, dry desert, you still may need an oasis - a getaway from the stressors of everyday life, such as work, the kids, mortgage payments, credit card bills, in-laws, needy puppies, needy husbands, etc. Fortunately, there is one nearby. The aptly named Oasis is just moments from Austin on Lake Travis, waiting for you to stop in.

The Oasis first began in 1973 when Beau Theriot, then 26, opened his first restaurant. While this restaurant (The Brownstone Restaurant) was in Houston rather than Austin or even Lake Travis, it was the success of the Brownstone, which displayed furniture and antiques from around the world, which enabled Beau to further his business and open a second restaurant in 1979 on a hilltop on Lake Travis.

Living just across the lake allowed Beau not only to grow his dining establishment, The Oasis, but also to develop the acres around it. Since 1982, he has been diligently working to turn the surrounding 500 acres into the place all Austinites want to be. A furniture gallery, which doubles as Beau's primary office, sits across the street from The Oasis and is rightly called the Treasury. Villa Montana, a gated community, is located on the north shore of the Lake, and condos and homes are currently in development. Right now, The Oasis is the up and coming place to be, but that didn't always seem like that would be true.

In June 2005, a fire took 80 percent of the Oasis? decks after lightning struck. While most business owners would be destroyed by that, Beau was not. He immediately began rebuilding, adding more than there had been. The Oasis is now three stories high with more deck space, a live music venue and seating for up to 2,000 people. It is truly the best dining establishment within miles of Lake Travis.

And if Beau's plans continue, the area will be a retail Mecca in a matter of years. The entrepreneur has already lined up several popular stores to join The Oasis on the shores of the lake. He is planning more homes and condos for residents who want to live near but not in Austin, and is constantly looking for more things to add to the area. There's no telling what will result when Beau's ideas come to fruition.

So if you need a break from everyday life, from the headaches that come with your day-to-day, duties, hop in your car and drive the few minutes to The Oasis. Have some great food, listen to some music and, maybe not now but soon, go shopping. Enjoy yourself. You may find you needed it more than you imagined; you may find that it was exactly what you deserved.