To The Floats And Beyond
I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.
We Are Off To Pasadena January 3rd 2017 Arriving At 10:00 AM
Joanna, from the Rose Garden Tea Room, joined us today. She has lived in Pasadena for along time but never went to see the post parade floats sinc she was eight. We tempted her and she took the bait. What a great day to see the floats and get to know one another better!
Definitely a cool winter day as we depart our neighborhood
at 9:00 AM
The Tournament of Roses® has had a "Never on Sunday" tradition since 1893, the first year since the beginning of the Tournament, that New Year's Day fell on a Sunday. The Tournament wanted to avoid frightening horses that would be hitched outside churches and thus interfering with worship services so the events were moved to thenext day.
First stop... The Green Gate on the Corner of Sierra Madre Blvd and Sierra Madre Villa Avenue at the Boy Scout parking area in the Latter Day Saints Church!
A small donation to the Boy Scouts and we are a block away from the gate
Perfect! No traffic... 40 minutes from home!
Joanna was there within two minutes of us! Perfect start
Did You Know? - The 2017 Pasadena Tournament of Roses theme, "Echoes of Success," tells the story of how our character has developed through the selfless contributions of others and celebrates their inspirational gifts. It is a celebration for those people, institutions and organizations that help in the success of others.
The pictures that follow are snaps of the floats only and not intended to be the parade in its totality... (We were too busy visiting)
The floats this year were:
24 Hour Fitness
AIDS Healthcare Foundation
American Armenian Rose Float Association
American Honda Motor Co.
BDK, a Singpoli Affiliate
Burbank Tournament of Roses Association
Cal Poly Universities
California Milk Advisory Board
China Airlines
City of Alhambra, CA
City of Hope
City of Los Angeles
Dole Packaged Foods
Donate Life
Paradiso
Downey Rose Float Association
Farmers Insurance
Kaiser Permanente
Kiwanis International
La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association
Lions Clubs International
Lucy Pet
Lutheran Laymen's League
Miracle-Gro
National Hockey League (NHL)
Netflix
Northwestern Mutual
Occupational Therapy Association of California
Odd Fellows Rebekahs Rose Float
RAGÚ
Rotary Rose Parade Float Committee, Inc.
Shriners Hospitals for Children
Sierra Madre Float Association
South Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association
The Bachelor
The UPS Store, Inc.
Torrance Rose Float Association
Trader Joe's
Union Bank and the American Heart Association Western States Affiliate
United Sikh Mission
Western Asset Management Company
The faces were in amazing detail
Starfish out of kumquats and cranberries
The bird looked ready to fly
Mr. and Mrs Tiki smile at the visitors
Did You Know? - In Māori mythology, Tiki is the first man created by either Tūmatauenga or Tāne. He found the first woman Marikoriko in a pond; she seduced him and he became the father of Hine-kau-ataata. By extension, a tiki is a large or small wooden or stone carving in humanoid form, although this is a somewhat archaic usage in the Māori language. Carvings similar to tikis and coming to represent deified ancestors are found in most Polynesian cultures. They often serve to mark the boundaries of sacred or significant sites.
Looks like he could fly right off the float
Anthurium blossoms were amazing
They are also called general common names include anthurium, tailflower,
flamingo flower, and laceleaf.
Checkout the leaves on this guys shell!
Rose Parade... We know how it got its name!
The red lettering was spectacular
Mr. Clam made funny noises
Modeled after the little girl riding the float
What? Onions! Onions everywhere!
Looking mighty handsome
Rose trees seem to pop up all over!
Portraits in seeds and various spices are amazing
Attention to detail everywhere!
Even with little sunshine, the flowers seemed to glow!
Joanna really enjoyed seeing the floats up close
The iguana looked like he was going to jump off the float!
"Hey... I was guarenteed some flies on a regular basis!"
"Oh! Lookit! Dancing lunch!"
Blast off!
"I am the real iguana!"
"Nope... I am!"
We are up to our fanny in iguanas
Did You Know? -
- An Iguana is a genus of the Lizard family Iguanidae. It is native to tropical areas of Central and South America and the Caribbean.
- The iguana has a third eye on their head, which is used to regulate hormone production instead of their vision
- Iguanas have small scales which resemble spikes behind their neck
- Iguana's can weigh up to 20lbs
- Lifespan: 12 - 15 years
- Iguanas are herbivores eating mainly flowers, tree leaves, grass and ferns.
- Iguanas have excellent vision
- Basking is important for iguanas to increase body temperature and aid digestion
- The collective name for a group is a Lounge
- M
ales are called Bulls
- Females are called Cows
Green roses???
The colors were brilliant all over the floats
Checkout the red apples!
Spagetti and meat balls.... float style
The garlic was about 24 inches in height
We took a half-way rest stop!
Party time!
Sue was fascinated with the American Flags
The reds were so bright
A sea of roses...
Doing some hard riding
Almost like a log cabin!
Checkout the pomegranites
Little House on the Prarie?
and no one fell off!
Did You Know? - Café Santorini opened its doors in June 1993 at a historic brick building in Old Town Pasadena. Specializing in Mediterranean food, we offer grilled meats, seafood dishes, an array of pastas and family style appetizer platters. The indoor dining room offers a cozy intimate setting, while the outdoor patio offers year-round dining under the stars in a romantic roof-top setting. We have a full bar with an extensive wine list.
The Cafe is only 5.5 miles from the Green Gate so we made it quickly.
64 West Union Pasadena, Ca
We celebrated an amazing day walking amongst the flowers
We got our favorite seat... Soft back, nice view, warm heater!
Yup! Right across from Joanna
We got excited when lunch was served
The kitchen is always a busy place
Sue did the veggie selection... Pretty and delicious!
Joanna went for the chicken and pasta
Paul did the linquini and clams!
Our tummies are full... Time to head for home!
