Driving and parking for the Rose Bowl

Okay. I need you guys to be brutally honest with me here.

We have reservations in Redondo Beach. We know this is, like, 40 miles away from Pasadena. We know the parade starts around 8:00 am on New Years Day.

How long should we expect to be on the road getting to the parade? Where is the best place to park, espcially if we%26#39;re running late? We%26#39;re planning on going to the parade and then, if we can get tickets outside the stadium, we%26#39;ll be going to the game too. If not, we need to be able to get back to our car for a day of sightseeing.

I know it sounds crazy, but this is the plan for now. Any advice you could give would be awesome!

Driving and parking for the Rose Bowl

You do realize the parade and game are not on the same day, right?

If you don%26#39;t care about being near the end of the parade, showing up fairly late is fine. The bands may not be at their best and some of the floats may be towed but my lazy parents used to wake up lat and take us to the tailend fairly often. Go to the official tournament site for a map and estimated time of the parade%26#39;s start at various locations along the route.

Driving and parking for the Rose Bowl

Boy am I a doofus. This year it is on the same day. It has gotten so screwed up the last few years with Sunday%26#39;s, championship games etc, it seems like it hasn%26#39;t happened in awhile.

Good luck getting tickets, I%26#39;d say it is unlikely unless you are willing to lay out a LOT of cash.

That%26#39;s so funny about the tickets. We%26#39;ve been hearing that since both teams are so luke warm about being at the Rose Bowl at all that people will be selling their tickets for like $10 to $20. Well, I guarantee you we won%26#39;t ben buying them for face value.

You nearly gave me a heart attack with the whole ';not on the same day'; bit! But thanks for the direction. I will check out their website.

My friends really want to go see it, but I%26#39;m thinking ot might be over rated or not worth the trouble to go see. We%26#39;re from New Orleans, so going to a parade and not coming back with armloads of beads is definitely going to be a different experience!

You will enjoy it. The Rose Parade is a completely different experience from any other parade I%26#39;ve been to, and I%26#39;ve been to a couple of Mardi Gras Parades. You can *smell* the floats.

Going to the parade is definitely doable if you are willing to get up a bit early. Try to leave by 7 at the latest. The traffic early in the morning should not be too bad, and you will find it much easier to find a place to park and see the parade if you go to a point on the eastern part of the parade route (it goes for several miles). As a previous poster said, the parade will arrive there later, and the crowds will be thinner. However, as they also mentioned, a few floats may have broken down, the floats and bands will be spaced out a bit farther, and a few of the bands may look a little tired... but that is part of the fun, and it will be different than seeing it on TV that way!!

Take the 405 freeway (south, I think... check this with the hotel) to the 110 Freeway North, towards downtown LA and Pasadena. Take this freeway until it ends, about 10 miles north of downtown Los Angeles. It will become a regular street called Arroyo Parkway. Continue north on Arroyo Parkway to California Blvd (not far). Turn right on California Blvd. My suggestion would be to turn left on Hill Avenue; get as close to Colorado Blvd as you can before parking. It is possible that there will be parking available at Pasadena City College, at Hill just a block or so south of Colorado. You may have to wander around a little bit to find a place to park, if PCC doesn%26#39;t have space in their huge lots.

Do not get directions to the parade on Mapquest. It will give you directions that will put you on the 134 freeway, which will be jammed. You want to stay SOUTH of the parade route while driving and parking.

Look at the website for the Tournament of Roses: tournamentoroses.org. Get a street map of the San Gabriel Valley from the auto club if you can.

I live in the area, and take a different route from my house, so I have not actually driven this route... others may have better ideas. But I would think it might be okay as it skirts the northwestern, most hectic area of the parade.

Another possiblity would be taking the Gold Line into Pasadena from Downtown LA (parking at Union Station, might cost a lot but be worth it). The website may give info on public transportation alternatives.

Re the tickets: I have no idea. Probably very tough. SC fans are...loyal, to say the least.

BTW, I do NOT recommend bothering with buying grandstand tickets to the parade. Its a hassle... you have to find your way to a specific location, next to impossible. Unless they are fantastic seats or you aren%26#39;t able to stand up, I just don%26#39;t see the advantage. Just walk up and see the parade.

Another good reason not to buy parade tickets is that you might have a particularly festive night on New Year%26#39;s Eve... and then you don%26#39;t have to feel guilty about wasting money for unused tickets, if you sensibly decide to watch the parade from the comfort of your hotel bed!

We would show up about an hour before the parade and be fine. Many people stay all night, but by the morning they were not feeling so great after a night o%26#39; fun on the parade route. We would slip in and take their spots on the curb. If you did go to then end of the parade route, you could get there later.

Hey Trojans Fans,

Where can I Park for under 20 bucks for the Game on Tuesday? What street should I Park on?

Hey Trojans Fans,

Where can I Park for under 20 bucks for the Game on Tuesday? What street should I Park on?