Sure, there are other cities in the world called Pasadena, but there is only one Pasadena! It's a great place to live if you have to live in the L.A. area. From my front yard I have a terrific view of the San Gabriel mountains. I hear the birds signing in the mornings and I can be on a hiking trail in less than a 10 minute walk from my front door. Oh, yes - I can also walk to work! How many people can do that and live in a metropolitan area of 5+ million people?
Pasadena was the second wealthiest city in the U.S. around 1880. Because of the wonderful weather many East Coast millionaires had a winter home here. My Mother's grandparents lived here and my maternal grandmother was born in Pasadena. Her father owned a shoe store on Colorado Blvd. The building is still standing, now part of the Old Town area. I love looking at old photos of Pasadena and seeing how much it has changed and how much still remains. It's truly a great city.
Besides the Rose Bowl, Pasadena is also home to the famous < a href=http://www.tournamentofroses.com/>Tournament of Roses Parade. Now in its 110th year, it has become quite an international affair. I remember being told the story of how my grandmother used to ride in the parade with her family in their horse drawn carriage. I would like to continue the tradition and look forward to the day I can figure out how to be included in the parade.
I have helped decorate floats for the City of La Canada/Flintridge for several years. There are only six self-built floats left in the parade. All the rest are built by floating building companies. While the companies do a nice job, it takes away from the spirit of the parade, in my opinion. There is a sense of community in helping to build a float. And it's really a fun way to spend the holidays. It is really exciting to see your handiwork in the parade. You'd be amazed at how long it takes to glue all those flower petals and seeds on a float! And it gets pretty cold when you are working into the wee hours of the morning.
In a little while we will go over to the Rose Bowl and watch the fireworks. All of you football fans are familiar with the Rose Bowl. You know the place, where UCLA beats USC on a regular basis. :) Not being a football fan, but being quite proud of living in Pasadena, I did manage to get to paint the rose logo on the centerline for the 1992 Rose Bowl game. We used a water based paint/fertilizer and sprayed the mixture on with a paint sprayer. (Hey, you claim fame where you can.)