Earlier in the season, when we decided to go to Indianapolis to see the Colts host the Houston Texans, it seemed like it would be a great match-up. Unfortunately, the Texans are suffering through a horrible season; however, we still looked forward to the short trip and the game.

We stayed at the Embassy Suites in downtown Indianapolis. The suite was perfect for the three of us. They offered a great hot breakfast and an evening cocktail hour — two very nice bonuses. The location was within walking distance of Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Colts.

Prior to the game, we had an early lunch at Shapiro’s, a few blocks away from the stadium. Shapiro’s has been satisfying customers with their fresh, tasty and huge sandwiches since 1905. Although we entered wearing our Texans jerseys, the sea of Colts blue treated us very well.

The game was actually worse than we expected. The Colts crushed the Texans 25-3. Even my diehard Texans’ fan brother-in-law Scott admitted defeat early on. At halftime, the Colts inducted Eric Dickerson and Marshall Faulk into their Ring of Honor. Many former Colts were on hand for the ceremony. Despite the loss, it is always fun to see a game in such a beautiful stadium.

We drowned our Texans sorrows at the St. Elmo Steak House. This is another Indianapolis institution, opening its doors in 1902. It took a lot to make us forget the bad loss, but their seared tuna did the trick. Despite reminding us of the loss, their blue and white bread pudding was the perfect dessert.

We finished the night with snacks and drinks at our hotel while we watched the Sunday night football game with other visitors. At the end of the night, we had our fill of football and excellent food.

Once again we proved we don’t have to travel far to have a great time. We also proved we don’t even need our team to win (although it would have made it even better). Good people, delicious food and fun activities can make any trip great.

— John Wroblewski, online contributor