The GrandDaddy of them all - The Rose Parade!

It all came together so well...meeting Betsy, getting to stay at her lovely home with Mom, in Pasadena.





Built in 1923, it is so cozy and Betsy's has it decorated so richly...






The living room...




The guest room Mom and I shared; Betsy had our towels and little gift ornaments lying on the bed.

Betsy and Mom on the front porch.

New Year's Eve we spent on "Mansion Row" = Orange Grove Blvd. where they stage the floats for the next day. See here to play the video :

We were able to walk around and get right up close to the floats before going over to the the NY's Eve party we attended with Betsy and her fun friends.






Mom, Betsy and me





Parade Day - Wake up and watch an hour of the parade on TV before strolling over to Sierra Madre Ave. with our coffees to see it "live". Mom and I in our chairs just a few feet from the curb thanks to new friend Paul from Fallbrook who saved our spot from the night before. His family stayed overnight on the median strip to have this awesome parade perch. Perfect viewing!

And here they come...many floats are too tall to fit under the freeway so they are motorized to fold down and then come back up once they clear the overpass...



















The Grand Marshall was US Airlines' Capt. Sullenberger (Miracle on the Hudson River) and his wife Buckeyes know this is TBDBITL (the best damn band in the land)- OSU's Marching Band

The float Mom and I posed in front of the night before - here it is in the daytime in all it's colorful glory.

These stunning horses are pullling the carriage carrying the family of the Parade President who passed away this year before seeing all his hard work come together. Here they are below:

This float below received the Bob Hope Best Humor award: (also see the video a few pics down)

These seven below, are just SO pretty... this year's theme was "A Cut Above"

These first two are the Boy Scouts of America float:

The Budweiser Clydesdales and Dalmation -that's true horse power for this float.

Above is Dick Van Patten aboard the Natural Balance float with "Tillman" the famous skate boarding and snow boarding bulldog. See the video here below for him riding down the slope on the float:

This float below got the award for best animation. Neat!!!






I was touched by the float carrying the Tuskegee Airmen from WWII (the only all black pilots group that had no casualties in the war), some vets were riding the float.

Also there was a float carrying recipients of organ donations, they rode the float and held the photo of the generous person that gave them their "new life".

After the parade, we shared Betsy's scrumptious New Years Day brunch

We even got hula hoop lessons from Mel, see here:

Here're our new friends: me with Betsy & Minnie, Mom, Gordon with Fannie.

It was a spectacular day. Mom and I watched the Rose Bowl football game on TV and my Buckeyes came through, beating the Oregon Ducks quite handsomely! We ended up staying a second night and driving home Saturday. It was an awesome day/weekend and beyond our expectations!

Craigslist comes through again for me! And Linda too for watching the pups. :>)