The largest daily gathering of cameras in Austin takes place in a restaurant.
They converge in the evening at the "Sunset Capital of Texas," aka the fantastically over-the-top Oasis on Lake Travis. Founded in 1982, The Oasis has grown into a Texas-sized conglomeration of specialty shops, kitschy sculptures and endless plates of quesadillas.
Serving some 2000 people each evening, it's easily one of Austin's largest restaurants, and each patron has a camera close at hand. They lounge on four cantilevered floors perched on the limestone cliff offering an unrivaled west-facing view of Lake Travis and the Hill Country.
I took this pic at the moment the sun set, when the restaurant staff rings a bell and hundreds of diners raise their cameras and click away, feasting on a scene that rarely disappoints.
While many Austinites talk about The Oasis as a bit of a cliche, it's really a beloved landmark. We've all been there, I'd wager. And we'll go again. I'm an unapologetic fan of that "cliche" and take every out-of-town visitor there at least once. And you can bet I'll have my camera, too.