Page 13 - AAA Central Penn – AAA Now! – July/August 2017

TRAVEL AGENCY
AAA
TM
Ring in the New Year with Roses
The Granddaddy of all Parades By Craig Haberle, CTC
Each year on New Year’s morning, millions of Americans turn on their TVs to watch the Rose Parade broadcast from Pasadena, California. But, truth be told, being right there in Pasadena to see the Rose Parade “live” is immeasurably better. For more than 30 years, AAA Central Penn has offered escorted group tours to the Rose Parade. Inspired by fond memories of those tours, AAA’s experienced escorts provided the following hints to help future travelers realize their dream of celebrating the New Year by being “live” at this spectacular event:
Be prepared for the excitement; the Rose Parade is like no other!
• Be sure to arrive in the Pasadena area a day or two ahead of the parade so you can visit the Float Barns, which are immense tents set up on parking lots. Each tent houses several parade floats under final construction. Fortunately, you can walk around the perimeter of each tent and be within arms’ length of the immense floats, but don’t touch! Crews of craftspeople will be putting the finishing touches on the floats by ever-so-carefully installing their
TOURNAMENT OF
ROSES PARADE December 29, 2017 – January 2, 2018
most delicate flowers. It is amazing how you can see intricate designs brought to life through the application of unbelievably tiny seeds, petals, pods, blossoms, and so many other natural materials.
Of course, none of this detail is visible to the TV camera when it quickly scans its eye upon the floats passing by during the parade, but you can take personal photographs during a visit at the Float Barns.
• Go to the parade as part of an escorted tour group to have an assigned seat and convenient round-trip motorcoach transportation between your hotel and the parade grandstands. Depending on your seat location, you will be within only 50 to 100 feet of the actual floats as they glide by.
• Obtain an official program of the Rose Parade so you can read about the float that is in front of you or is next to arrive on the scene. Some of the floats have entertaining animation with characters in motion or design elements in action to add to their nonstop energy. The brilliant colors of every florally fantastic float and all the spectacular costumes of
Bowl football game is a separate entity and a ticket to the parade is not a ticket to the game.
• Take some time, during a day before or after
the parade, to go on a guided tour of the greater Los Angeles area, which will be decorated for the holidays. Visit Beverly Hills and travel the length of Rodeo Drive to see the line-up of famous designer boutiques. Take time to visit Los Angeles’ famous Farmers Market, which is not like those in Central Pennsylvania; it not only has stands selling produce and homemade foods, there are clothing, souvenir and specialty food stands, along with a choice
of restaurants and little cafes all in the same big building. Don’t forget to ride along Sunset Strip and stop at the Hollywood Walk of Fame; who knows, maybe you will see a movie star, or at least a starlet! Don’t try to do all this in a rental car, as the traffic can be crazy; take a motorcoach tour with a guide who knows all the stories!
The official theme for this coming New Year’s parade is “Making a Difference,” which should
spark creative new float designs. This never-to- be-forgotten special event is perfect for a family reunion or holiday vacation. All generations enjoy the excitement and pageantry of the Rose Parade, plus you get to visit Southern California as a great escape from winter! Contact your AAA Travel Agent, who has the details about joining our Discoveries escorted group tour, December 29, 2017 to
January 2, 2018. Then, you can live it up at the Rose Parade while you wave to your friends watching on TV back home!
OPTIONAL TOURS:
Post Parade-Showcase of Floats Rose Bowl Playoff Semifinal Game
$3,209 per person, double occupancy
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:
• Visit the float barns
• Warner Bros. Studio VIP tour
• Tour of greater Los Angeles,
Santa Monica, Bel-Air/Beverly Hills,
Rodeo Drive, Sunset Strip
• Hollywood Walk of Fame
• Farmers Market
• Tournament of Roses Parade
For more information and reservations, contact your local AAA Central Penn office.
INCLUDED FEATURES:
• Free parking with round-trip transfers to Washington/Dulles International Airport
• Round-trip airfare – Washington Dulles to
Los Angeles, CA
• Round-trip transfers – airport/hotel
• Four nights’ hotel accommodations at the
DoubleTree Torrance
• Sightseeing as stated in itinerary by motorcoach
• Services of professional tour director
• Welcome reception
• Meals: 4 breakfasts, 1 lunch & 1 boxed lunch on Rose
Parade day
• Reserved seating for the Tournament of Roses Parade
(top category grandstand seats on West Colorado Blvd.) • Official souvenir parade program and a seat cushion
for the parade
• Luggage handling (1 suitcase per person) • Discoveries Journey Manager
the people on board are unforgettable! You can’t miss hearing the marching bands, and the equestrian units feature splendidly attired riders and
their fancily festooned horses. Keep your camera ready!
• If you want to see the floats again on static display later that day, they are parked at
the end of the parade route in Victory Park. Seeing them there is
an excellent way to view floral details or get photos from angles you may have missed when the floats passed by during the parade.
• Remember, it is the Pasadena Tournament of Roses that produces the Rose Parade. The Rose
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