Christmas II- Rose Parade

Going to the Rose Parade is something that has always been on my dad's "bucket list"- something he wants to do before he kicks the bucket. So New Year's Eve day, the Palmers remaining from the Christmas bash piled in the van and made the trek to Pasadena. We headed straight to the parade route to be there at noon in order to claim our spot on the street. Lucky for us, there was a nice piece of real estate open in front of the famous Yasuko's Bra and Lingerie Salon.

We took turns holding down the fort through the afternoon. During that time, some of us went over to see the Rose Bowl and check out the float building.

My parents insisted that all the kids stay in the hotel for the night so we left mom and dad to sleep on the streets with their mostly-Mexican friends. We then drove around Hollywood and Beverly Hills with a stop at Rodeo Drive.

Then off to the hotel to bring in the New Year. We opted for sleep over the countdown. Lame, I know. Back to the parade route by seven where we found mom and dad still partying with the masses. Their tales from the night before were never-ending as they talked about the food fights, drag racers, honking tow trucks, 24-hour Greek food and and almost-real fight between my mom and the poor souls trying to move in on her territory.

By ten the parade finally reached us. The floats are incredible up close. It is evident that they spend and entire year constructing them. For two and a half hours we basked in the floral goodness of the ultimate parade experience. Eva enjoyed the parade from her shaded spot on the sleeping bags while mom and dad enjoyed their well-deserved front row seats. It is something my parents thought they would only do once but now that their stories have spread, they have a waiting list of family and friends that want to go with them next year. As for us, as long as we can sleep in the hotel, we're there any year.