Rose Parade

Since living in California, there are many things we have not done, many things we have not experienced, so we have decided to do as much as possible now. First on that list was the Rose Bowl Parade. You can set up camp at 11am on Dec. 31 on the streets of Pasadena. Since I had to work, we decided to go over around 2am and see what we could find. It's an experience I recommend having at least once, but here's what we learned:

1. figure out where to park before you get there

2. do not sit close to a tow truck entrance to the parade

3. sit on the south side of Colorado (we faced the sun on the north side)

If you decide to go in the middle of the night, using a sleeping bag as a cocoon worked great to keep me warm. Many people brought along propane tanks with heaters attached and heat lamps like you see at restaurants. You don't need any lights because of the streetlights. Even the people who showed up behind us around 4:30am or so were in the third row, which still isn't that bad. More than anything, be respectful to the people who have been there longer than you and don't stand in front of them.