ken

I'm planning a trip this coming Dec./Jan. for the 2003 rose parade in Pasadena CA. This will be our first trip out to CA.
Does anybody out there have any advice on accomadations, parade tickets, etc...
I'm not sure whether to stay in Pasadena and pay the higher hotel rates or stay on the outskirts. Thanks!

kkj

My best advice is to go to a travel agent and book a Rose Parade tour. Mayflower Tours, Collette Tours, Brennan etc. all have good tours. You will have a fabulous time and not have to deal with the traffic. You will see more motorcoaches at the parade than you've seen in your life and a tour would give you a chance to not have to deal with the traffic. Most operators stay down in Orange County away from the craziness of Pasadena and where the rates are cheaper. If you do opt to go alone I would recommend staying down in Orange County as well. That way you have access to the attractions down there and don't have to pay so much money. For ticket information etc. go to the Rose Bowl web site and they will be able to guide you through it.

One last thought about the tour operators. If you just want to see what they offer, go to their respective web sites and check out the itinerary. Or you can go to the National Tour Association web site and it lists all its members and will link you to their sights.

Whatever you decide, go to the Rose Parade it is so much fun.

rosie

This is more a question than a reply.

Friends of ours did the Rose Parade last year and made no mention of "tickets." My understanding was that they got up about 5 a.m, and staked out a good spot on the parade route.

Is there more to it than that?

Barbara

Rosie, if you want to sit in one of the grandstands, you need tickets. If you want a good curbside spot, you camp out overnight, or go very early in the morning.
ken, I would want to stay in Pasadena. It costs more and accomodation can be hard to find, but they have so many events, not to mention viewing the floats before and after the parade, that it would be more fun to be right there. Are you going to try to get game tickets too?

Meri

Having sat once in the grandstand at the parade, I would not do it again. You're "locked in", sometimes the seats are between buildings and you cannot see the floats coming or up close.

The way to see them is get a map of the parade route, and park towards the end, and where the parade turns from Colorado on to Sierra Madre. Park by 7:30. Walk a couple of blocks to the parade route, pick up a couple of chairs, and thermos', and walk to the middle of a block. Find a space and sit down. Eventually, everyone moves around and you end of closer to the curb. There you can jump up and take pictures, and everyone is having a good time. You may have a 2 hour wait. Seeing the floats the next day is a zoo.
It is my understanding, the hotels in Pasadena are full, and require a 4/5 night stay.
Fred Rogers (Mister Rogers), Bill Cosby and Art Linkletter are this years Grand Marshals.

Coco

You might want to stay in Glendale, the town right next door to Pasadena. It is only about a 10 minute drive.
Had lived all my life in Calif. and only saw a Rose Parade once and that was about 5 yrs. ago. It is well worth seeing. We know friends who have a very large lovely home on Orange Grove Ave so parking was no problem. (Used their driveway). Walked about a short block and a half to starting point. Arrive early and you can get right in front. This is if you don't buy bleacher seats. But be sure to bring along some kind of fold-up chair as standing for all that time can get tiring. Good luck.

Kam

Old Pasadenan here----it's so much a part of New Year's Eve to have dinner in Old Town, to see the floats beforehand that I would try to stay in Pasadena. One great location would be the Doubletree. The alternative would be to stay downtown at some place like the Biltmore or over in Burbank at the Hilton. Tickets are to the bleacher seats---you probably don't want camp out overnight with the kids throwing tortillas around. Try to get tickets at the west end of Colorado Blvd. and you'll be able to get parking reserved there as well. We were always a full house of houseguests and up at 7 am for breakfast before the parade.....so many memories. And, take a few minutes to smell the parade---you'll know what I mean when you get there.

Susan

Pasadena resident here...

I am half-block south of the parade route on Colorado.

Advice...buy tickets on the SOUTH SIDE of Colorado...because a lot of floats focus on this side. Or camp out on this side.

Also, more excitement at the beginning of the parade around Fair Oaks.

Motels located east of Allen on Colorado Boulevard (Travel Lodge, etc.) are fine, nothing fancy.

Neighboring cities not mentioned for lodging....Monrovia, Sierra Madre, Arcadia, Alhambra, Montrose, La Canada, La Crescenta.

It's great to see folks from all over at this time of year!!!

Susan