Super Bowl XLVI

 The Colts had an awful season this year. We persisted in watching every game, and were rewarded with a win or two at the very end of the season.  Thanks Dan Orlofsky. At every game, Boo would ask if Peyton Manning's neck was better.  When we replied, "No, not yet," she would sigh and say, "Well, I guess we just won't win until he comes back."

But Indianapolis was hosting the Superbowl this year, so we had that to look forward to.  I was hoping the Niners would make it to the Superbowl, but the Giants were a good consolation.  The city created a Superbowl Village, so we went downtown to see the sights the day that the Eli Manning and the rest of the Giants flew into town. 

We picked J up from work early and parked in his parking garage.  I drove up to the top of the garage to get a good shot of the JW Marriott.  

We parked and walked through the tunnels to the Marriott.  Media was everywhere.  The hotel lobbies were beautiful, and packed with media.  We stopped at the big screen over the huge fireplace in the lobby to watch the coverage of Eli Manning smiling and waving as he got off the plane in Indianapolis. 

Then we headed to Superbowl village.  We walked through the convention center to start with. 

Then we headed outside.  Walking around outside this time of year is usually unbearable.  Once my parents visited in January and it didn't get above 12 degrees the entire week they were here.  But this year, Indianapolis had the most unbelievably warm January and February I've ever experienced.

But on the downside, the ice sculptures were melting before our eyes.

They didn't even have to turn on the heated benches.

I totally wanted to ride the zipline.  But the three hour wait deterred me.

My favorite site was the gigantic Superbowl letters on Monument circle.  Don't ask me why, but this was the only thing I cared about seeing.  

 
After a couple of hours and a stop at Jimmy John's, we headed back through the convention center and up to the parking garage.  As we walked through the tunnel that connected the Marriott to the convention center, we saw a girl holding a big sign that read, "Giants Press Conference" and an arrow pointing the way.  I exclaimed, "OH!  The Giants Press Conference!" and she said (in all seriousness), "Oh yes, are you here for that?  Right this way!"  How I wish I could have rolled with that and gone to see the Giants IRL.