Pasadena…The Rose Parade

We stopped in Pasadena, California to see our son Darin, our daughter-in-law, Lara and our granddaughters Opal and Delilah. We arrived on New Year’s Eve from Tahiti to hear the grand plan. Darin and another father were sleeping out on the curb to secure a 28 foot space for a group of families along the Tournament of Roses Parade route.  It turned out to be one of the coldest winter nights in sunny Pasadena but the campers prevailed and we arrived at 8 a.m. to find seats and eats.

We had a group of kids watching the parade with us which made it all the more fun. They drank cocoa and sat on the curb as the floats and bands came by.

Sitting on the parade route is so much better than TV. You can see the intricate flower designs and really perceive the hours of creation that went into each float.

The details were unbelievable. The float below had a cooking theme and there were actual recipes written on the giant cards.

Some were mementos of the communities or teams they represented. Others were familiar children’s’ book characters.

The band members and performers walked three miles on the hard surface. Some of them in what looked like incredibly uncomfortable shoes.

Others wore fantastic costumes and make-up.

We were impressed by the bands. Can you imagine how many bake sales it takes to come here from Oklahoma and Wisconsin?  The music was great, the uniforms handsome, and the marching routines strenuous.

It was a great day with our family.