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 Marys 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 Rio 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/F.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 NBA’s 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 Alamdome 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