When I was in college, I was a member of our Student Government Association. As a result of this position, I had to go on a staff retreat. It turned out one of my student government colleagues suggested we have the retreat at her family’s lake house nestled in the Texas Hill Country. I had never heard of the Texas Hill Country!? As a matter of fact, the words “hill” and “Texas” seem strange in the same sentence! My father always used to tell me how flat the land in Texas was when we lived on the east coast prior to moving to Texas. The Dallas area, where I grew up, lived up to that reputation.

When I was preparing for this trip, I didn’t know what to expect. I did not know at the time this single trip would change my perception of Texas forever. It took us about two hours to get to the lake house from College Station, Texas. We drove up some dirt roads and arrived at what looked like something out of a “Earnest Goes To Camp” movie. The house was modest and surrounded by beautiful trees, but I still did not see a lake. We went to put our luggage in the house and when we were shown where we would be sleeping, I was blown away! The room was surrounded by windows and you could see outside of the window, down the hill this beautiful lake. There were people jet skiing, swimming, riding boats and having a good time at the bottom of the hill. It was one of the most beautiful places I had ever seen and it was right in the heart of Texas! This was my first exposure to the Texas Hill Country, but the best was yet to come…

Fast forward five years…on a business trip for a community organization in Austin, Texas, I was introduced to Lake Travis in the Hill Country. On our itinerary we were scheduled to have dinner at this restaurant called The Oasis, “Sunset Capital of the World.” I had no real expectations because the lake I saw in college was beautiful, but small. As we were driving to the restaurant however, the scenery was slowly changing. I remember thinking, “there are mountains in Texas!” The further we drove to the west side of Austin, the more amazing the scenery became. I was reminded of the beautiful mountains of Tennessee or Colorado!

Finally, we turned up this narrow road and there it was, The Oasis restaurant. It was still not visible from the front of the restaurant what awaited us once we got in. I walked to the balcony and I saw Lake Travis for the first time, literally deep in the heart of Texas! I try and visit there several times a year. If you want to visit a place that feels like a European vacation without the tremendous cost, you must visit Lake Travis. You can rent a room in an Italian Villa in the hills on the lake for as little as $200.00 a night! As far as directions to the Lake, you will have to do your research. It is one of my favorite hideaways!