10B SPORTS
ACTIVITIES
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FRIDAY, APRIL 4, 2008
What to do in San Antonio
BY RUSTIN DODD
rdodd@kansan.com
Kansas is heading to San Antonio this weekend to play in Final Four for the 13th time in school history. Hanging out in San Antonio and not sure what to do? The Kansan has got you covered.
Freshman walk on Chase Buford is proud to call San Antonio his home. Buford graduated from Alamo Heights High
school, and nobody on Kansas knows the Alamo City better than Buford.
GOOD EATS
The Original Blanco Café, 419 N Saint Marvys St.
San Antonio is home to hundreds of quaint Mexican restaurants, and Buford's favorite is Blanco Café.
Buford said: "You got to go to at least one hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant and get some tacos. I'm a big fan of Blanco Café. It's kind of like a chain mom-and-pop place; it's pretty solid. You're going to want to go with the No. 1 plate, though. It's two tacos and an enchilada plate for, like, six bucks."
Rio Rio Cantina, 421 E.
Commerce St. Suite 40, on the
San Antonio River Walk
Want something a little more upscale? Buford suggests you try the Rio Río Cantina on the famous San Antonio River Walk. It's open until 11 p.m., so you can slip in for a late dinner after the games.
Paesano's Riverwalk, 111 W. Crockett St.
Tired of Mexican? Buford said you couldn't go wrong with grubbing anywhere on the River Walk. In fact, Buford said you'd probably like Paesano's. It's Mediterranean and contemporary Italian dining.
Try an oven-baked pizza or the legendary Shrimp Paesano. Order a cup of vino from Paesano's lengthy list of wines.
Buford said: "Paesano's is pretty solid. It's different Paisano's [in Lawrence], but it's pretty good."
ENJOYING THE OUTDOORS
After this nasty Kansas winter, take advantage of the soothing warmth of San Antonio.
Buford said San Antonio has a lot of great options for outdoor fun.
Natural Bridge Caverns,
Natural Bridge Caverns Road/
E.M.3009
Tired of being cooped up inside of a basketball arena? Check out this underground wonder 30 minutes north of downtown San Antonio. Times vary and tours cost $10 for the Discovery Tour and $100 for the Hidden Passages Adventure Tour.
Buford said: "It's one of the world's largest underground caves."
EMBRACING HISTORY:
THE ALAMO
Face it. The Alamo is San Antonio. Don't feel obligated to go, but going to San Antonio and skipping the Alamo is like going to St. Louis and not going to the Arch or going to Paris and skipping the Eiffel Tower. Here's a quick history lesson. Originally built as a mission, the Alamo was used as a military fort in the 19th century. During the Texas Revolution, the Alamo was the scene of a battle that saw more than 150 Texans killed by an army of 6,000 Mexicans led by General Santa Ana. After the battle, the rallying cry, "Remember the Alamo" was used as motivation in subsequent battles, and of course Davy Crockett was one of those killed at the Alamo. So disregard all those horrible theatrical depictions of the Alamo, and see it for yourself.
Buford said: "I've been to the Alamo like 19 times for fieldtrips, but I think it's something you got to see once. It's pretty cool. I think it'd be cool if you understand it and appreciate it."
A LITTLE NIGHTLIFE
After the Alamo, San Antonio is all about the River Walk. Lined with restaurants, shops, and beautiful scenery, the River Walk is a major reason San Antonio attracts millions of tourists every year. Take a stroll down the River Walk, forget about your troubles and pretend you're in another country. If Kansas finds a way to be the last team standing Monday night, head straight for the River Walk. That's where the action will be.
Buford said: "I've only been there a couple times. A lot of local people don't go down there, but it's still a lot of fun. There's a lot of good night life down there. It's kind of, 'find your own taste,' but if you look around, you can't go wrong."
TAKING IN A GAME
Unfortunately, the NBAs San Antonio Spurs are out of town. So the only basketball games your seeing are of the college variety. That should be OK though, because this Final Four might shape up be the best in recent memory. Four star-studded No.1 seeds will converge on the Alamodome in San Antonio. The building can hold 65,000, but the NCAA will cut the arena near in half for the Final Four leaving the expected attendance at around 40,000.
The most bizarre thing about the Alamodome? It housed the San Antonio Texans of the Canadian Football League in 1995. Huh?
Buford spent a lot of time around the Alamodome as a kid. His dad, R.C., is the general manager of the San Antonio Spurs, and the Spurs played in the Alamodome until 2002.
- Edited by Daniel Reyes
ROAD TRIP
Cruisin' to the Alamodome
BY MARK DENT
mdent@kansan.com
1. LAWRENCE
Go ahead, skip that 10 a.m. English class and head to the Final Four in San Antonio. You know you want to. It'll be easy, the Kansan's got you covered. Here's how you can make the best of a road trip to San Antonio.
OuikTrip on 23rd Street
Fill up with gas then go inside to a wonderland full of frozen mochas, French vanilla cappuccinos, day old hot dogs and something called a Hotzi that no human being has likely ever eaten and woke up the next morning. Everybody ready, now? Jump onto I-70 West for about 20 miles before switching to I-470 West for just a few minutes. Then, get on I-335 South, which turns into I-35 South. Put down the map at this point. You'll be on this highway almost all the way to San Antonio.
2. WICHITA, Exit 50
The mini River Walk — Prepare yourself for San Antonio by stopping downtown for the JV version of the famous attraction. It's not completed yet, but it's worth a quick look. If you're hungry for lunch, whatever you do, don't stop at Spangles. Lord knows we hear enough about that place in Lawrence. Try Pizza Hut. The restaurant originated in Wichita, and the first Pizza
3. EDMOND, Okla., Exit 141
Hut building is on the Wichita State campus. Better stop to get some gas. Civilization practically ceases to exist between here and Oklahoma City.
Bill Self's neighborhood — Hey, look up Self's parents in the phone book and visit the neighborhood to tell them and all their neighbors congratulations. The Edmond boy is taking your favorite team to the Final Four. Give some props. Just so you know, Jeremy Case and Darnell Jackson are from the Oklahoma City area, too, if you want to make another stop.
4. HILLSBORO, Texas, Exit 368B
Outlet Stores — Hey, who needs all the fancy Nieman Marcus stuff from the Metroplex. Stretch out at some cheaper stores here. This mall features discount prices of J. Crew, Gap, Ralph Lauren, Nike and more. If you find a cheap pair of LeBron's, let us know.
5. WACO, Texas, Exit 333A
The Health Camp — Don't let the name fool you. It ain't healthy. You'll probably be starving at this point, and this place won't disappoint. Just get a milkshake at this rundown joint and save the rest of your appetite for the next stop.
6. AUSTIN, Texas, Exit 234B
Sixth Street — One last stop. Trust us, you'll love it. Austin is the best college town in the Big 12 (well, it's the truth), and this street is one of the biggest reasons why. It's lined with bars, restaurants and actually, quite a few tattoo parlors — maybe save the tattoo for the ride back if Kansas wins it all. The street gets so crowded on weekend nights that they close it for cars. It'll still be early so not too many people will be out, but try the Dizzy Rooster for a drink, Guero's Taco Bar for a quick bite of Mexican food and any of a number of places to hear a song or two from a live music act.
7. SAN ANTONIO, Texas
Alamodome — OK, so here's where you want to bring that map out again. You've been on I-35 South or West/South throughout all of Texas. As you approach San Antonio, take Exit 158B onto I-37 South. Now you're in the city. To get to the Alamodome, exit onto Durango Boulevard then make a left onto Adams Freeway. Turn right at Montana Street, and you'll see the Alamodome.
Next step, check out Chase Buford's tips to find out what to do in San Antonio.
— Edited by Patrick De Oliveira
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