I don't normally pay much attention to the Rose Parade or the Rose Bowl game. I enjoyed the decorated floats but never watched a Bowl game. This year was different because during our Route 66 Westward adventure, when in Pasadena, California, we drove along the route of the parade and took photos outside the Rose Bowl stadium. Now we were able to say, "We were there!" while watching the parade. Well, not exactly at the parade, just being on the same roads, five months earlier!
According to the official website, www.tournamentofroses.com, "This uniquely American event began as a promotional effort by Pasadena's distinguished Valley Hunt Club. In the winter of 1890, the club members brainstormed ways to promote the "Mediterranean of the West." They invited their former East Coast neighbors to a mid-winter holiday, where they could watch games such as chariot races, jousting, foot races, polo and tug-of-war under the warm California sun. The abundance of fresh flowers, even in the midst of winter, prompted the club to add another showcase for Pasadena's charm: a parade would precede the competition, where entrants would decorate their carriages with hundreds of blooms. The Tournament of Roses was born." 
The quote from the website, "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." about the people in New York are buried in the snow really held true this year!
Watching the Rose Parade from the sidewalk is free but tickets for the Rose Bowl game is about $145 each. At this point, I am not putting this item on my Bucket List. It would have been if I was the winner of the recent $380 millions Mega lottery! Here is to a Rosy 2011. Let's banish worry and all the bad things from the past and start fresh. We should not let doubt and fear determine how we should live. Let's have fun, laugh often, sing joyfully and ready for the new adventure.
