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The Rose Queen and her Court, Pasadena, CA, 1956
Here in the kingdom of Southern Californialand we don’t have a king, but we do have a queen – the Rose Queen. Her reign is brief – just a year. The Queen and her court work their way up through the charm schools and debutant balls of the San Gabriel Valley. The highest call of duty for the bevy of beauties is waving very properly to their subjects and cradling a super-sized bouquet of red roses like a baby while being strapped on a flower covered barge vehicle riding toward the morning sun of the first day of the New Year. Palm trees and crystal clear blue sky provide the picture perfect backdrop.
Without a doubt the Rose Parade is the grandest and most detailed parade on the planet. Its run with military precision by an army of men and woman dressed red blazers over white shirts, pants and shoes. It oh-so civilized. The prized show horses, champion marching bands and, most importantly, the giant, rolling flower petal art procession have been a New Years Day tradition on Colorado Boulevard since 1890. If this is not American I don’t know what is!
If you’ve never been to the parade in person WHAT are you waiting for? It’s waaaaaaaaaaaaay more dazzling and fragrant in person and a zillion times better than it is on TV. You don’t have to get there the night before to get a great spot. The trick is to get a spot at the end of the route – Colorado and Sierra Madre. Get there about 8:30AM.
DIRECTIONS…From LA take the San Bernardino Fwy (10) exit at AtlanticBlvd. Go north to Huntington Drive, turn right, then left on Sierra MadreBlvd. PARK YOUR CAR just east of Sierra Madre Blvd, on a residential side street, four or five blocks South of Colorado Blvd. Then observe the legendary spectacle somewhere near the corner of Sierra Madre and Colorado Blvd, which is near the end of the parade route.
Afterwards you’ll be starving of course. For me and the gang it’s usually a hearty-heavy-fatty lunch at the North Woods Inn, nearby at the corner of Rosemead and Huntington Drive (7247 Rosemead Blvd, San Gabriel, 626-286-8284). Please don’t forget to marvel at the fake snow on the roof.
Here’s to the Rose Parade and a Happy New year to YOU!!!
Posted Friday, December 28th, 2007 under Slide of the Week.
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I love the photo! And I am going to see it in person this year, my last time being in about 1956, when Timmy and Lassie rode on one of the floats! About time to do it again, right? Thanks for your great site!
I have never been to the Rose Parade in person-although the folks did drag my sis & I down there a few days after, in 1965. The flowers were all dead and it was a cold day and kinda sad. I always associate the parade with my mom trying to get me to eat black-eyed peas “for good luck”-yechhh!! The house would be filled with that pea-cookin’ smell. I just got “Southern California in the 50s” for Christmas-sure does bring back memories! Thanks for the great photos and I cannot wait to come see a slide show in 2008. Please, come to Orange County soon.
Good one Charles. You are right, so civilized, this is America.
Thanks
Mark
I think I was actually there that year, and that’s my only in-person Rose Parade experience. I was 14 years old and later marvelled that my face got sunburned in January! We were visiting friends who lived near the parade route. My main memory centers on the snack served post-parade: potato chips with onion soup dip – the first time I tasted that Knudsen Sour Cream and Lipton dried onion soup mixture. I LOVED IT, and promptly made up a 3X5 index card with the “recipe,” which I still have, now yellowed and stained.
I am truly enjoying your slides. Especially the ones prior to my arrival of 1970.
Looking at the Rose Queen’s life in 1956 – what a difference there was between my life and Passadena. And please do not take me wrong, my life was great, just did not know it any better.
Charles,
Although the Rose Parade is absolutely lovely, the Doo Dah Parade is the biggest party in Pasadena. I should know, I’m the Queen of the 31st Occasional Pasadena Doo Dah Parade, which will be held on Jan. 20, 2008. I hope to see you – and your camera – there!
Queen Naughty Mickie
We finally made it to the parade in 2005. As great as it was- your photo of 1956 looked even better! I wish we had known of the North Woods Inn; as that probably would have been another highlight of the 2005 experience. Thanks for the pictures and the enthusiasm,
Doesn’t Bob Eubanks (Channel 5) always say there was a time when the court was chosen exclusively from Pasadena City College? (Therefore, every FALL semester had a surplus of pretty girls…)
For 13 years, in three different locations, I’ve lived just 2 blocks or less from the Rose Parade Route. I’ve only walked down there twice. It’s a lovely tradition, but Pasadena becomes like a demilitarized zone on New Year’s Eve.
I remember going to the parade in person in the
early 60’s. Was it fun! A beautiful, fresh morning and the good feeling and excitement of the crowd. I was young, however, which helped me stay up all night and go there! Now, when I’m back visiting California, I love to watch it on TV. It brings back so many good memories
of growing up in southern California and loving it. A Happy New Year to all of you!
Don’t forget to get the cheese bread at Northwoods.
North Woods Inn Cheese Bread is “to die for”.
Look for the NWI cheesebread spread at pavillions.
No doubt the parade is better in person than on tv, but there’s an important connection. The Rose Parade was the subject of the first coast-to-coast tv colorcast demo in 1954.
So, is it better in person than it looks on Kodachrome…?
Charles love that slide. I’m watching the parade from Joyces ( Darius’s cousin) right off of Orng Grove, can’t wait.
Hugs & Kisses
Darius & Rose
My grandma was a little old lady from Pasadena. In the 70’s, we would be dropped off at her house, one door off of Colorado Blvd. She would walk us up and down the route the night before, enjoying the party. And the next morning we would walk over and watch the parade.