The Tournament of Roses Parade, which sets the standard by which all other parades are measured, gets underway in Pasadena Friday at 9:05 a.m., Mountain time. Angela Lansbury, America's favorite TV sleuth, is grand marshall of the event that will feature over 29 equestrian units, 57 flower-bedecked floats and 21 marching bands.
The Rose Bowl, which pits the Michigan Wolverines against the Washington Huskies, follows.The parade plays to an estimated TV audience of 400 million. One million spectators are expected to line the 51/2-mile parade route.
Your living room is as comfortable a spot as any to watch the festivities. But what if you want to see the parade in person?
Pack up your car and head south on I-15. After 12 hours or so, you pull into Pasadena.
Then what do you do?
Where do you park? for instance. Are there any rooms in the inns? How do you get a spot to see the parade?
I have been to the Rose Parade many times and have compiled what I think are useful suggestions.
Most travel agencies can book Rose Parade package tours. They usually include accommodations, entertainment, transportation and reserved seating in prime locations along the parade route. If you go with a package tour, you don't have to worry about crowds, parking, traffic or - ahem - conveniences.
Established grandstand operators set up bleachers and sell reserved seating along the parade route.
They also offer automobile parking and some have additional overnight parking for trailers, motor homes, campers and vans.
Free overnight parking on Pasadena's city streets adjacent to the parade route is permitted beginning Dec. 31 at noon. Warning: Don't park in a red zone.
Every year, a quarter of a million people camp out overnight on the parade route. They arrive early, even days ahead of time, to stake out a spot. The choicest location is in front of the Norton Simon Museum on the north side of Colorado Blvd. Here, a few minutes after the parade begins, it turns off Orange Grove Blvd., in full view of television cameras. If you've ever wanted to wave a message on national TV, this is the place.
The Rose Bowl, site of the annual football game, is only a 30-minute walk away.
This area fills up first, but viewing is excellent anywhere along the parade route, particularly if you stake out a spot at least a day in advance. Early birds can find free overnight street parking close to the parade route, available on a first-come, first-served basis.
The parade route is a street vendor's paradise. Pennants, programs, T-shirts, doughnuts, peanuts and more are readily available. Hot food is sold from temporary stands. Plastic horns are not allowed.
After dark, you're treated to the world's biggest "cruise" as Pasadena teenagers drive along Colorado Blvd. This motorized teen-age art form is heavily policed and kept moving.
At midnight, Dec. 31, police allow curbsiders to move into the street to the strictly enforced blue line. Most people zip up their sleeping bags and turn in for the chilly night.
At sunrise, the throng slowly wakes and even more slowly struggles out of warm bags, putting away camping gear in anticipation of the parade. The bulk of the crowd arriving on SCRTD buses takes up positions on the sidewalks. Many bring stools, ladders and periscopes for better viewing.
Screaming motorcycles alert you to the approaching parade. The U.S. Marine Corps Band is traditionally in the lead. The marching bands and more than 275 equestrians are interspaced with the fragile, flower-bedecked floats moving at a 21/2-mile-per-mile-hour pace to dazzle the senses for two hours.
A few days before the parade, you may watch people decorate the floats at a number of Pasadena locations. These include the Rose Palace, 835 S. Raymond Ave.; the Rosemont Pavilion, 700 Seco St., and the nearby Brookside tent. Admission is $1 for one location or $2 for all three locations. Viewing hours are: Dec. 27 and 26, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Dec. 28, 29, 30, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Dec. 31, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
After the parade, floats are displayed Jan. 1, 1:30 to 4 p.m., and Jan. 2, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., between Washington Blvd., and Sierra Madre Villa Ave., and at Washington Blvd. between Sierra Madre Blvd. and Woodlyn Rd.
A first for any Rose Parade will be Southern California Edison's "More than Magic," which features solar-powered animation. A giant magician spins his solar-powered "magic" orb. Photovoltaic solar cells covering the magic ball will generate the electric power as the float travels the parade route.
After the parade you have plenty of time to walk or drive to the Rose Bowl. Unfortunately, the game is usually a sell-out. However, I have enjoyed many a Rose Bowl game by standing outside a stadium gate (especially near the 50-yard line) and holding up two fingers (for two tickets). If you want more tickets, hold up the appropriate number of fingers. Chances are that one-half hour before kick-off time you'll be offered tickets at face-value. After kick-off, you may be able to purchase tickets for less than face-value.