Tag: Adventure Caravans

01-01-2017 The 128th Tournament of Roses

Current Location: Catalina Spa and RV Resort, Desert Hot Springs, California

Amazing.  Before I say anything else, I have to say that the Tournament of Roses Parade is the grandaddy of them all, America’s New Year’s Celebration.  This was the 128th Rose Parade, celebrated every single year except 1942, immediately after Pearl Harbor.  In all that time, it has only rained ten times, and we were a bit nervous about the predictions for rain.  Those rains never materialized, and once again, the weather gods shined down on the celebration.

I have agonized a bit over writing this post.  Attending the parade was the main focus of this trip, the reason we signed up for our first group “Rally”.  I have been excited about doing this for a year now, ever since we signed up on January 1, 2016. 

Was it all that I expected?  In some ways, more, in some ways less, and yet the overall experience was definitely all that I wanted and more.  The parade itself?  Maybe I was still caught up in my childhood memories of spending the night on Colorado Boulevard with a campfire on the sidewalk.  I have agonized over this post because part of me wants to make it easy and write about the parade, talk about the facts, the floats, how we got there and what we did.  That is easy. 

I have an incredible number of photos, processed and ready for uploading, but that will have to wait until I return home to free bandwidth.  In the mean time, I have had the daunting task of picking favorites.

We were on the bus in the dark at 5 AM ready for the 5:15 departure.  Everyone was excited and as we rode the fast commuter lane from Pomona to Pasadena, the anticipation was palpable.  We were early enough that the bus parked along the sidewalk and there was plenty of room for our table loaded down with hot drinks, pastries, and fruit.  Just across the street was a bank of porta potties, one of several groups of such necessities, and the lines weren’t terrible and the potties were pristine. 

This float is called “Echoes of Love”, sponsored by of all things, a TV show, “The Bachelor”.  It was on my top favorite list, but even more so after seeing it up close the next day at the post parade show.

Our group had three rows of seats, just back and up a bit from the sidewalk.  We were warned to do the necessaries before we attempted to sit in the stands, for good reason.  Once in the stands, it is not only difficult to get out, but difficult to even move around.  After 2 hours of friendly knees in our backs and rubbing shoulders tightly with our neighbors, we were ready to stand up.

This float is called “Teammates in Life” made professionally by Paradiso.  The images are portraits of organ donors, done in many different shades of seeds and grains.  Up close it was breathtaking.

I spent so many years seeing the parade close up, and fighting the crowds, often standing the entire time, that I was tickled to finally have a chance to view it from the grandstand seats, something I had once coveted.  I discovered that grandstand seats are nice, but somehow you are a bit insulated from the thrill of the floats up close.  Everything seemed to pass by so quickly, and with no HGTV announcers to tell us what we were seeing, we had to refer to the parade program to figure it out, during which time the float was already gone. 

Our friend Laura did the parade a bit differently this year.  She rented a space for their RV in a lot facing the street and set chairs up right on the parade route along the pavement.  I think she saw things up close in a way we didn’t, but we got to see things from above in a way that she didn’t.  A bit of a quandary.  One that was completely solved by the next day’s event, the Post Parade Float viewing along Sierra Madre Boulevard. 

Buhos Marching Band from Mexico

The parade lasted almost exactly 2 hours, with 42 floats, 21 marching bands, and 20 equestrian units.  Most of the bands performed as they passed our grandstand, located right at the beginning of the parade route at the base of the Orange Grove Boulevard hill.  Of course I had a few favorite floats, but as I reviewed my photos, I could see that the gray skies and viewing location didn’t really give me that old feeling I was searching for.

This float is called “Spirit of Hawaii” made by Dole to remind us of the rich history between Hawaii and Dole.  As you can see, the amazing detail wasn’t easily seen as the float passed by, but the after parade show revealed all.

That old feeling came back full force the next day, as we entered the Post Parade show.  Finally the fragrance of the flowers and the amazing complexity and magical colors of the floats were right there in front of me.  I was so happy I was beside myself, and that tiny disappointment that I felt from the day before completely evaporated.

“The Monkey King” by BDK, weathers countless trials on his journey to success.  Celebrating the ending of the year of the monkey.  This float epitomized what the commercial floats can do with unlimited funds and resources.

We spent four full hours walking the length of the show along the closed boulevard, enjoyed the most expensive big pretzel we ever ate for five bucks, and I took so many photos I wore out two batteries for the camera. 

However the very best part of the day could have been the worst.  Stopping to buy a street taco for lunch, I put my wallet in my Adventure Caravans burgundy jacket to walk over to the kiosk.  Back to the bench for lunch, and then Mo and I wandered off to leave the show, with the jacket still on the bench.  I realized at the last minute before we reached the exit gate that it was gone and ran back to find it was no longer there.  No problem, I thought, I can replace the jacket, entirely forgetting that I had put my wallet in the pocket instead of back in the bag we were carrying.

A long walk and then a shuttle ride to the waiting bus, and as we were getting ready to pull away from the curb, Mo thought to check the purse. No wallet.  You know that sinking feeling?  Yeah, that one.  I jumped off the bus, in a panic, asking Claudia if anyone knew of a lost and found number. 

“Doing Good in the World” by the Rotary Rose Parade Float Committee. Not a professional float builder.

Here is where the story gets really good.  Hex, our wagonmaster/rally leader jumped in, took my arm, and said, “I’ll walk back with you.”  He got us back into the show without tickets, talked to the white coat guys, found the lost and found where the first person had no clue how to use the radio, talked to more people, found a person with a radio, and lo and behold, some really kind family had turned in my jacket with the wallet still in the pocket.  Hex called the bus driver, who had to negotiate some crazy traffic barriers to get back to us, and we walked as fast as we could almost all the way to the freeway to meet up with the bus.

The Norco Cowgirls Rodeo Drill Team from Norco, California

I have to say thank you to Hex, for jumping in so quickly to help me, and to all the folks on the bus who waited so patiently for the two of us to get back on the bus.  Finally, still a bit shaky over the whole thing, I settled in with Mo for the long ride back to Pomona and our final afternoon at the fairgrounds. 

Adventure Caravans treated us to a catered dinner for the last night of the Rally, with folks gathering around the big tables, sharing stories of where they were going next, and praising the rally crew for the great job they did.

Here is a shot of Hex at the grandstands, still trying to herd cats, aka rally folks

Finally, would we do another rally or caravan with Adventure Caravans?  Possibly not.  Not because they didn’t do a great job, they most certainly did.  However the busy schedule and the focus on social activity is a bit much for our independent style of travel.  Most of the attendees were great people, with just a single exception, but that exception could make traveling in a group not much fun, and of course, there always seems to be “that one”.

Both of us were extremely glad we chose to do this rally, however, saying over and over again how grateful we were to not have to deal with all the logistics of attending the Rose Parade.  We loved having the extra venues, the extra shows, and loved not having to drive much in that traffic or try to find parking, or pay for parking, which often cost as much as the event itself.  We saw and experienced things we probably wouldn’t have managed on our own.  In that respect, it was a truly great trip and an excellent choice for what we wanted to see and do.

Another favorite from the post parade show, by Ragu Pasta Sauce, called “Simmering in Tradition”.  I barely saw this one as it passed by in the parade.  What a difference up close.

I fulfilled my dream of once again attending the Rose Parade, and now I will be perfectly happy to watch it full screen on the big TV with the HGTV announcers telling me all about the floats, the bands, and the horses.  When I close my eyes and remember, what I remember most isn’t the parade, but that amazing BandFest performance, waiting in the dark for the parade to start, and staring in awe at the incredible floral work on the floats up close.

Just one example of the incredible floral artistry that covers every square inch of the floats.

Remember this CalPoly float from the pre-parade show?  It was incredible.

I had to chose, and it was incredibly difficult.  There were several floats that I really loved that didn’t make the cut for the actual parade, but are in my gallery of post parade floats.  If you want to get a taste of the up close flowers, the incredible artistry, the creativity and imagination that goes into this, check out the gallery here.

12-29-2016 First Day in LA

Current Location: Pomona Exposition Center   Southern California

I must first mention the weather.  This day dawned sunny and gorgeous for us with a high temperature predicted in the mid 70’s.  Not a sign of the rain that was predicted to show up before the weekend.  The other thing I must mention once again is that our long day away from the rig was made possible by our friend Laura, who offered to drive down from Azusa to give Mattie a walk and a potty break.  Laura said Mattie did fine after she stopped growling and shaking, and it was a good thing that Laura was a dog person and knew to simply sit and wait with her, offering treats till she calmed down.  Seems as though they became the best of friends.  Such a great gift form a truly thoughtful person who only met me once and had never met Mattie!

Now on to the day. First of all, when I say “LA”, I use it in the sense that locals have since I can remember.  To someone raised in Southern California, LA does not simply refer to the city of Los Angeles.  It encompasses most of the region, with a nebulous boundary determined by the user.  If I am in San Bernardino, I might still say I am in LA, but I would be corrected by purists.  Here in Pomona, I am definitely in LA, at the location of the LA County Fair, probably one of the biggest and best fairs in the country, although I am sure that Iowans would disagree with me.

Our first day in LA, however, we were actually in the city of Los Angeles, where we visited some of the iconic locations that represent what a tourist to the city wouldn’t want to miss. The big comfy bus, where we rode high above the freeway traffic, took us through Downtown, past the old General Hospital, around the huge skyscrapers that now dwarf what was onCe the only tall building in the city, City Hall. 

We skirted the campus of USC, visited the La Brea Tar Pits and the Page Museum, continued to the historic Phillipe’s Deli for french dip sandwiches, were awed by Union Station, walked a section of Olvera Street, and continued on more freeways to the location of the historic Rose Bowl, where we were treated to a great tour. As a former Angelino, I do know how to say “the 5, the 110, the 210, the 405”.  Not sure if this way of speaking of highways extends beyond southern California, but it is definitely the way to refer to a freeway if you live here.

Maybe it is obvious why I haven’t managed to keep posting each day’s events, since every day since this first one has been filled to the brim in the same way.  Not much down time so far.

Growing up in LA, going to the La Brea Tar Pits was a given.  Everyone did it.  It was often on the school field trip lists, and I have no idea how I managed to grow up in the nearby San Gabriel Valley, and never went there.  I have wonderful memories of many visits to the Los Angeles Museum of Natural History, where I learned all about the tar pits, thrilled at the dioramas of the animals found there, thrilled at one of the first exposures to science that triggered the spark that led me to a scientific career.

Today, however, we actually visited the pits and the magnificent Page Museum that helps to explain the significance of the La Brea Tar Pits.  Seems as though the area was in Nickie’s back yard at one time, and she knew all the inside outs of the place, and showed us where to look for the tar bubbling up through the walkway pavement and here and there on the lawns.

Some time between 50,000 and 11,000 years ago, animals became trapped in the heavy tar, including the extinct mastodons, dire wolves, and big toothed cats.  Animals that still exist were found as well, including coyotes, skunks, many kinds of birds, and other mammals.  The pits were discovered at Rancho La Brea, first in the mid 19th century, but not recognized as the treasure trove of fossils that it is until in the early 1900’s.  There is a complex and varied history of the development of the pits from the early excavations to the present day magnificence of the Page Museum, more than I care to repeat.  If you want more detail, look it up.

It was a fascinating morning, watching the paleontologists working meticulously gluing tiny bone fragments together, viewing the dozens of dire wolf skulls on display, the recreation of the magnificent mastodons, different from wooly mammoths in their smaller size.

I love the dioramas, one of my favorites showed the skeletons of birds displayed in front of imaginative paintings of the bird. 

Watching the ominous hot bubbles bursting in the main pool (fenced off of course) was fun, imagining the heat of the oil and tar beneath that held the record of so much natural history.

So much fun hanging with friend Nicki at the Tar Pits

Back on the bus, we made it to Phillipe’s by 11:30 for our scheduled lunch.  The crowds were already gathering, the noise level deafening, and yet it was a great “LA experience”. Tourists and locals alike lined up at the 8 counter stations to order their famous sandwiches, on fresh rolls dipped in the juice of whatever meat you chose. We found a spot upstairs to eat, and didn’t discover until we went hunting for the bathrooms that the place was much bigger than we first thought.  Great lunch!

After lunch, the four of us decided to go walking.  The magnificent and historical Union Station was just down the block, graced with pillars and tiles, historic leather wood trimmed chairs, and Arts and Crafts light fixtures.  We walked around in awe of the craftsmanship and creativity of this beautiful building, one I remembered from an unaccompanied train trip from LA to San Francisco I took as an 11 year old to visit an aunt. 

This iconic station has been “reimagined as the vital downtown center of Los Angeles”.  I am not sure who is doing the reimagining, but they are doing a fabulous job. 

Just across the street is the historic Olvera Street, also knows as  the El Pueblo Historic Monument, Calle Olvera, and La Placita Olvera.  Located in the area that was the historical beginning of the city of Los Angeles, it is a crowded, colorful market street that feels like Old Mexico.

It is another place that is considered a don’t miss for tourists to LA, and I did visit repeatedly as a kid.  Today we didn’t spend much time, hastening back to the bus in front of Phillipe’s, and with full tummies from lunch we had no desire to cram in the obligatory taquitos.  We lost Jimmy and Nickie on the way back to the bus and they told us that yes, they DID manage a taquito!

Visiting the Rose Bowl in the afternoon was an unexpected treat.  Adventure Caravans managed to get this tour scheduled for our group to replace the cancelled Equest Fest horse show.  The Rose Bowl is an historic building, on the National Register, and as such, the renovations that have taken place over the years are in keeping with its status.  As the guides said repeatedly, it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of some  of the newer stadiums, but it is truly beautiful.

We walked into the stadium via the old tunnel that was used by the football teams before the newer tunnels were constructed. Visiting the old tiny locker rooms was in stark contrast to the huge locker rooms now in use.  I was amazed at the grass, Kentucky blue grass, painted with more than 100 gallons of paint for the upcoming bowl game.

The greens keeper is held in a place of high esteem, monitoring every tiny blade of grass that may have yellowed.  There are monitors beneath the sod to manage moisture content, and the sod itself is replaced every year and sometimes more often if it is damaged.  The sod is grown both near San Diego for the cooler temperatures and in Palm Springs, with two football fields of sod at each place ready to go at all times to the Bowl.

We were treated to a visit to the loge boxes, where guests have 4 seats outside with their own tv and access to cuisine prepared by Wolfgang Puck himself on game day.  We toured the press areas, and the view from the 50 yard line.  Mo likes football, but I never really cared much, so I was surprised at how interesting it was to see this famous coliseum.  Thinking of it from a cultural perspective, I remembered the coliseums we have visited that are a couple thousand years old, and enjoyed noticing the similarities.  Games.  I also realized that much of the excitement about visiting a bowl game like this one coming up has to do with the ambience of the place itself in addition to the actual game.  It is a “thing”, and somehow visiting the Rose Bowl gave me a taste of how much fun that “thing” could be.  But not the price.  I think the cheapest ticket for this game is more than $600.00

We weren’t allowed on the actual field, except for one woman from our group who was from Pennsylvania, and got her photo taken right on the Penn State goal.  Mo said putting her foot on the actual grass was a lot like making sure that you touched the ocean, and as we walked along with the “don’t walk on the grass” signs all around us, she jumped over the line to touch that field with her feet for only a moment.

It was a great tour, with an excellent guide and one we both appreciated tremendously. I have no idea what we did when we got back to the camp, but I don’t remember cooking a thing so there must have been food of some sort. Adventure Caravans keeps throwing in little extra meals, light hors d’oeuvres, maybe pizza, or some shrimp, along with wine, beer and other drinks almost always available in the big tent on the field behind the rigs.

Be sure to check out Nickie’s blog about our shared day here and here.