Pretty cool to experience such a famous parade. It rained and it rained hard and Pasadena was soaked. I think this may have given us closer looks. Parking was brutal you have to pay there are no spots anywhere.

We purchased tickets to see Decorating Places (viewing of floats during final stages of decorating) on 12/30. On arrival at the designated location, we saw a line going down the sidewalk and wrapping around to the next street. I would estimate the wait time to be atleast 2 hours, perhaps more as the line appeared to be at a complete standstill. Little did we know when we booked a particular entry time, we would need to tack on a couple hours line time. We forfeited the money spent on tickets and drove on. Oh, did I mention we drove 2 hours to get there? Very Disappointed to say the least. Rose Bowl folks, you need to figure out a better way.

I have watched this parade on TV all of my life and finally pulled the trigger to travel to CA and see it LIVE! I am SO glad that I did!!!! We got out to CA early and signed up with Petal Pushers to volunteer and help decorate floats. You get to see them up close, learn about the process and be a part of it! Then we watched the parade from the Grand Stands, it was absolutely Amazing!!!!! Pictures and television can not do this justice!

I’ve always wanted to go to the Rose Bowl parade as I’ve been watching it on TV for years. However, trying to convince my boyfriend or friends to drive up to Pasadena from San Diego at 4:00 AM on New Year’s Day was not happening. So this year, I decided to go by myself. I met some really nice people as well waited for the parade to start. The floats were beautiful, the bands were fantastic and the energy from the crowd was contagious. I’m also giving a shout out to the folks walking behind the horses picking up their poop..they were very entertaining. I wasn’t sure about the logistics of going to a well attended parade, so I read a few reviews on Trip Advisor that provided excellent information on parking, taking the Metrolink and seating. I took the Lake Ave exit which put me at the 2.5 mile marker of this 5 mile parade. I got to the parade route at 6:00 am and was able to set up my chair pretty close to the front row. Other than the cost of gas, I spent $5.50 (Metrolink ticket) to see the parade live. I want to thank Trip Advisor Reviewer “RabePaul - Philadelphia PA” as I followed his logistical suggestions and he was spot on…take the 210 fwy, exit at Sierra Madre Villa and park in the Metrolink garage. It was an AWESOME parade !!!!!Tips:- dress in layers; cold in early morning but warms up (typical SoCal weather)- bring a chair or blanket to sit on - bring snacks/water…a few places open for but coffee-long lines- portable potties available/long lines

I booked a tour through Al Brooks tours and it was well worth it! I was able to participate in working on a float, visiting the float construction barn on 12/31 and ticket with a bus ride to the parade and so much more!