What greater stage for one of college football’s most popular bowl games than one of the country’s most popular vacation destinations, San Antonio. Not only does the Alamo City benefit from a wealth of experience hosting major conventions and sporting events, including soldout Dr Pepper Big 12 Championships, the 1998 and 2004 NCAA Final Four and the 1999 NBA Finals, but San Antonio also provides unparalleled entertainment to its visitors as the seventh largest city in the United States.

In addition to its rich history, more than 20 million visitors come to San Antonio to enjoy world class shopping, golf, restaurants and the always-romantic Riverwalk. But what makes San Antonio especially ideal is that it’s all at your fingertips. The 65,000 seat Alamodome, which is home to the Valero Alamo Bowl, is within walking distance of downtown, many major tourist attractions, restaurants, hotels and other events surrounding this year’s game. For a listing of these events click here.

So as winter blankets the rest of the country during bowl season, San Antonio will be busy greeting thousands of football fans with weather as warm and enjoyable as its people.

And for most visitors their journey starts with the Paseo Del Rio. Better known as the Riverwalk, these cobblestone and flagstone paths border both sides of the San Antonio River, 20 feet below street level, as it winds its way through the middle of the business district.

The Riverwalk has multiple personalities—quite park-like in some stretches, while other areas are full of activity with European-style sidewalk cafes, specialty boutiques, art galleries, nightclubs and gleaming high-rise hotels.

Off of the river, visitors will see that San Antonio has retained its sense of history and tradition, while carefully blending in cosmopolitan progress. The city has always been a crossroads and a meeting place.

Flavors and sounds of Native Americans, Old Mexico, The Republic of Texas, Germans, the Wild West, African-Americans and the Deep South mingle and merge.  The result—Pure San Antonio.

For visitors interested in gallant deeds of days gone by, Pure San Antonio is history. Native Americans first lived along the San Antonio River, calling the area “Yanaguana,” which means “refreshing or clear waters.”

The founding of the city came in 1718 by Father Antonio Olivares when he established the Mission San Antonio de Valero, which became permanently etched in the annals of history in 1836 as The Alamo, where 168 defenders held the old mission against some 4,000 Mexican troops for 13 days. Located in the heart of downtown, The Alamo is still a major landmark and a shrine to Texas liberty.

Pure San Antonio is also beautiful blue skies and outdoor adventure. With more than 300 days of sunshine annually and an average year round temperature of 68.8 degrees Fahrenheit, visitors will find an abundance of outdoor sports and recreation to challenge including The Quarry Golf Club, which is located conveniently between downtown and the airport.

For family adventures, visitors may want to explore the San Antonio Children's Museum or the Witte Museum.  Or if you want to catch up on all the other bowl scores, while having a great time, stop by Malibu Grand Prix.

San Antonio is truly a shopper’s paradise. Ten malls dot the city and antique shops and galleries abound. Three major outlet malls are within an hour’s drive of the city. And no serious shopper would miss historic Market Square where you can enjoy patio dining, cold margaritas, strolling mariachis, authentic arts and crafts, original paintings, southwest treasures and a whole lot more. The new Quarry shopping center has a wide variety of retail shops and restaurants, and a 14 screen movie theater.

While known for its Tex-Mex, dining options in San Antonio run the gamut from French cuisine to Chinese to Texas steaks and barbecue to Soul Food and Cajun. When the sun goes down, the San Antonio night life begins. Pure San Antonio is two-stepping to a country-western tune or swaying to a Tejano super group.

Or maybe it’s traditional jazz or a sing along at a piano bar or the latest music at Polly Esther’s on the River Walk? What about a sizzling steak at Fleming's Steakhouse?