It kicks off with the Grand Marshall. According to tournamentofroses.com, "The position of Grand Marshal has been reserved for those who are role models for lifetime achievement and goodwill. Past Grand Marshals have included actors astronauts, writers, artists athletes and political figures." This year, it was Paula Deen. Television cook.
Kyle and I bought tickets in the grandstands. The view was great - plus we didn't have to spend all night camped out. Yes, it is California, but it was COLD that night. Even when Kyle and I pulled up around 6 in the morning, we were bundled up and still chilly. Hats, gloves, jackets. A lot of those who did camp out had little fires or heaters.
I think the smartest parade viewers, however, were the RV people. Warm, comfy sleeping, roll out of bed in the morning right as the flyover kicks off the parade, grab a cup of coffee and climb up to the top of your RV for easy parade watching.
The parade was great. Lots of bands: Wisconsin's and TCU's bands - neither of which, of course, could hold a candle to TBDBITL, in my personal opinion; huge high school bands; even international bands - the North Japan Honor Green Band from Japan and the Banda Musical Delfines of Xalapa, Veracruz (Mexico). Surprisingly, marching bands in Japan are just like marching bands in the U.S. I don't know how I expected them to differ, but I did expect some sort of differences.
Then there were the floats... Every inch of every float must be covered with flowers or other natural materials, such as leaves, seeds or bark. Husbands sending their wives a bouquet of a dozen roses on Valentine's Day couldn't compare to the orders the Pasadena florist shops must receive for the creation of the Rose Bowl Parade floats.
The floats were simply beautiful. It seems impossible to describe - or even fully capture in a photograph - the vibrant colors on the floats or the unique and stunning flowers that together design such impressive displays.
There was such a variety in themes - from Hawaiian...
...to Native American...
...from trains...
...to water surfing dogs...
....from the 30th birthday of Pacman...
...to the 40th anniversary of Uno.
Even a little bitty pirate ship, which I think was my favorite float of the entire parade - purely on cuteness factor.
(It actually complemented a slightly larger float).
This float came in second place in my book. Not for the bright orange butterflies, the eye-catching purple flowers, both of which I like...
But because (put simply) it was unique - the only float that could no longer propel itself by the time it reached us.
One thing that is really impressive about the Rose Parade is that all 47 floats are designed to drive alone - not your typical parade with trailers being dragged by trucks. And 46 did make it through the entire parade... but there was one with a little engine that couldn't.
There had been a long pause between floats. Maybe 15 - 20 minutes of just sitting and waiting after the last float and band had passed by. A little while later we learned the cause of the delay - a broken down float that had to be towed for the final leg of the parade.
Upon the Rose Parade's conclusion, once all of the floats and bands and horses had passed, we had a second parade of tow trucks of all shapes, colors and sizes that had been waiting in the wings in case the floats had broken down. That itself was quite the spectacle, and something you'd never think about watching it on TV. The what-ifs, the plan B - 47 tow trucks following the parade. The towing companies in Pasadena are probably the Rose Parade's second biggest fans after the florists.
When I went to the Rose Parade, I went in expecting the dazzling floral floats and the booming marching bands. What I didn't expect were so many equestrians. So many, many, many horses in one parade - each one followed immediately by a crew of pooper scoopers.
There were people riding horses...
And mermaids riding horses.
Girls standing on horses.
And guys standing backwards on horses.
And a guy riding a bull?
Horses pulling Cinderella's pumpkin carriage.
Horses pulling old-fashioned fire engines.
And horses "pulling" floats. (The Clydesdales ever-so-faithfully "pulling" the Budweiser float - no tow truck required with this horse-power).
There were even horses - made of flowers and seeds and bark, of course - on floats.
I guess I shouldn't be surprised by all of the equestrian units. The parade started with horse-drawn carriages filled with brightly colored blooms. The Tournament of Roses started as an equestrian parade to precede Pasadena's Valley Hunt Club's mid-winter games, which included chariot races, jousting, foot races, polo and tug-of-war.
"In New York, people are buried in snow," announced Professor Charles F. Holder at a Club meeting. "Here our flowers are blooming and our oranges are about to bear. Let's hold a festival to tell the world about our paradise."
(Read more about the parade's history here).
Overall, the day was perfect - and Pasadena, a paradise. The sun was shining, the skies were blue. The recent rain had dissipated the usually low-lying smog.
That is one of the few advantages to rain in Los Angeles. It is unbelievable how clear the sky is after the rain - the smog gone and visibility at its highest. It is even more unbelievable to finally see what is normally hidden behind the opaque cloud of pollution. Like seeing the downtown skyscrapers on my drive in to work or the mountains in the distant east.
Or the Hollywood sign from the 105 highway in El Segundo. I had told Kyle prior to his visit that I just couldn't handle another trip to Hollywood to see the Hollywood sign. On our drive home one afternoon, I noticed it - a white dot on a distant hill and excitedly pointed out the Hollywood sign. Kyle smirked and said he'd have to tell his parents he saw the Hollywood sign from 20 miles away. I think its actually impressive that you COULD see it from however many miles in the distance - because usually its a stretch to see it through the white smog clouds from less than a mile at Grauman's Chinese Theater. :D
Nevertheless, Kyle and I had a beautiful morning with impressive floral and equestrian artistry - and an experience of a lifetime.
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