Rose Parade and Homeward Bound

5 Planes in Synchronous, Spell it out

 to look at individual pictures, click on the picture and you will see it full screen.

Monday Jan 2^nd, the big day. We are up at 4:30am, yes there is a 4:30am, eat and board the bus. Traffic is light but as we got closer to Pasadena it gets heavier and we see parking signs for cars. We continue down to a large parking lot behind the Community College where bleachers are set-up. We have bought 18 inches of seat for 55$. The lines to the porta-potties are long and hopefully unused by me. We have an hour and a half to wait for the first unit. As some may remember Pasadena was hit by heavy winds earlier this fall, many trees down and still a lot of debris swept up along the roads ways which also limited parking for the parade.

Here We Are!!!

As the sun is at our back and there are the normal street posts and trees, we can shoot pictures in sun and tree shade. Now there are piles of people along the boulevard, sitting in chairs, three campfires in those outdoor rings can be seen from our seats. Across the street is a three story Howard Johnson, people are sitting by the windows looking out. There are people out there on roller skates carrying religious banners,

neat folks on old Schwinn bikes and a couple on the big wheel ,

small wheel in back old time bikes. Hawkers with their wears to entice the kids to buy horns, furry things and cotton candy. This is a sight in itself.

Can you see the 5 planes writing?

The parade starts at 8am, should reach us by 9. nature calls Shirleen, I would not mention this but for the following happenings. I have carried a glass of water with ice in it from the hotel on the bus and to my seat. I place it on the floor in front of me, you may think, yup he kicks it over, well no I didn't. The second unit in the parade is a stealth bomber which I am anxiously awaiting. Encumbered with Shirleen's program and purse. Here comes the plane, quiet as a church mouse and from our left. We all know that it cannot go at a speed like the parades expected 2.5 miles an hour. It is coming right over us quiet and slow, hard to get a good shot but a couple.

Coming

Going - second pass

As I shift to take those shoots, you guessed it, the purse hit the program and knocked it to the floor where it hit over my cup. So I never got a taste of water nor did I have nature call. Next year when watching the parade from the TV room it will never mean the same. Before the parade reaches there is a really neat police cycle group, about nine cyclists. They are doing close order drills, four on each side going down the middle and another cycle coming the other way at 45 MPH or faster and splits the two columns. They do this an some circle theatrics to move the people to the curbs or should I say the blue line that is painted on the street. What a nice exhibition of cycling skills.

Now the parade. The units I am most interested in are the Roy Rodgers float with 100 palomino's leading it, so those pics first.

In front of this float were beautiful palomino horses from many different saddle clubs.

Then horse and riders,

Braided mane

They saw US in the stands and had to Wave!!

old cars

Grand Marshall J.R. Martinez

as with these cars we saw them in different states of readiness.

The lead float with the slogan: 'Just Imagine'

and some of the floats we saw being covered with flowers.

Top - back of float are those sliced oranges we saw being applied

Here are the fuzzy picture of the oranges, must have been navels

Trader Joe's

Longest Float ever

Kenny G playing his style with his clarinet

clarinet

Of course those were beautiful, I found the high school bands really entertaining. It was not the old march in step but some razzle dazzle where the horn player turned around and around, a group would spread shotgun style to the sides, many waved at us. It is not like the TV shots you see.

This float broke down and was towed, Maynard's were about on every street corner.

After the two hour parade we head toward the bus, among-st the 20 or so ours is the one with the orange balloon floating high above it. Our tour group was the only one to devise a plan like that, nice touch. As one would expect the traffic is heavy and slow. Out tour guide has brought some water and three or four snacks per person along to nourish us. At 2:30pm we have a tail gate party in the main hall for all 104 attendees. An unlimited supply of hot dogs, made of turkey – for the southern Cal flare, polish sausage and hamburgers with all sorts of toppings. A mustard based potato salad and some freshly made potato chips. We sat among some of the Wisconsin people and had a good time watching the scores at each quarter. Most bought two squares, we did not check ours. The guy sitting next to me, from Tampa, got the 4 – 4 for the first quarter, he was not on our bus. Shirleen wanted me to check our numbers, so I walked over to Mary who was in charge of the numbers and said, seeing you haven't come over to give me any money I take it we didn't win? She looked at the name tag and said I think you did. Well I didn't, Shirleen did, 25$. After the game, we sat around and chewed the fat with Dianne and Dick Ubl from New Ulm. It turned out we did a number of things with them and coincidentally he drove his 04 red mustang convert in the parade for Denny W to sit in as the King of the German Bohemians.

Tuesday Jan 3^rd 6:26am, We are off for home headed to Albuquerque for the eve. As we are in LA, Shirleen is reading the USA Today paper. The temperatures and forecast for any snow is nil for the area we would travel through if we take the Denver route. So my map-ologist, who makes sure the GPS is right, is now also my weather-ologist. I pulled over and set us for the northern route, about 300 miles shorter therefore shorter days to drive. 

The weather is sunny and the scenery nice. We get in a little late for us at 6:30, left at 6am and an hour for lunch. We spent the night at Green River Utah at a Holiday Inn Express, they have home made pancakes for breakfast. We ate a little at the West Wood café a couple blocks. The fish was good and Shirleen had, you guessed it, a grilled cheese sandwich.

Wednesday Jan 4^th, We are on the road at 6:30am, dark and few vehicles on the road, an occasional truck to pass. The mountains are silhouetted against the rising sun. Again the scenery is breathtaking as we wind through the passes. 

Hot Air Balloon over Mountains center cool morning

Shirleen drove through the most exciting parts, sharp turns dramatic down hills, 6% over many miles after climbing to Vail's highest point at 10,000 feet. This was the only snow we saw before we turned off the highway in North Mankato.

We then spiral down to the flat areas. We stop for a quick sandwich at McDonalds, I should say I did, Shirleen had a strawberry shake with large fries, I a crispy, and I mean crispy, chicken sandwich with small fries and a coke blended with Dr. Pepper, diets of course. Back on the road, clear sailing with plenty of sunshine which I think we brought from Long Beach. We enter Nebraska and well into the state on the other side of the road is a truck inspection area. Lined up deep, about 40 trucks, waiting to be inspected. Down the road a short distance were 11 more trucks motoring toward the check point. We again went a little further than I had wanted to, sighting of many deer along the road fields. We stopped in Grand Island, not the city but one of the truck stops along the I80. Three motels, two unknowns. And the Quality Inn and convention center. Well a stop for the night, not on my desirable list but a place to rest. Ben was helpful and accommodating. We ate at the restaurant the center had available. The broccoli cream soup was OK, the meat was Nebraska beef, a fillet and a top sirloin with potatoes and a medley of frozen veggies. Well the night is not over as I try to connect to the internet. I got a brief connection then nothing, not sure if Win7 or me or they. I called an 888 number. After I gave him the info he needed to get a work order to fix, he said it will be fixed within 24 hours, I said good, I leave in 10 hours. I went down stairs to see if I had breaking email messages, sound like a TV station?

Jan 5^th Thursday, This morning we head east, last leg of the journey. Again it is a nice and sunny day, we left as the sun was rising. Along the way I saw a black and red Viper headed west toward a cop hidden from view, not my sort of color combination.

We skirt Omaha, didn't even see where my old companies main office was, as it has built up so much and the new highway past it blocks some of the old landmarks I used to use. Up to Sioux City and the road winds around the city not like the old times a four lane divided highway to almost the MN boarder. But before we get to the boarder we get close to LeMars, home of Blue Bunny ice cream. Time for a stop as we have time to spare. Into downtown we go, a number of years ago we stopped with a group at the Blue Bunny ice cream parlor.

Can She Eat it All?

Well we didn't find it right away, they moved it!! It is in an old building downtown with good signage. Inside we thought lets sit down and grab a bite. All they have is ice cream so we looked at the menu. I asked ready yup, what are you getting, she said a bananna split, I said the same for me. Wow what a pleasant surprise, big and great just the way we remembered them in the old days.

I could not but help to ask if they knew Eugene F. and Marie Z., she said yes I attended their 50^th wedding anniversary a couple weeks ago. Well he is my second cousin and class mate. He now runs two Subways, and Marie has a framing shop. She also said that she worked for him at Hallmark and her mother did his books. Never hurts to ask. Off for the boarder.

At Worthington there is a decision, straight up on 60 or over on 90 up 4 to 60. well it is shorter going 60 as it is the hypotenuse of the triangle but not all double lane. We decided to not take the GPS route but go on the shorter route as the Cad has about 92K miles and warrantee runs out at 100K. As we approach Mankato, she says where should we eat? I asked where, Jake's? I said yes, actually I had thought of that before she mentioned it. Half Pepperoni and my oven combo - mushrooms. green olives, pepperoni, sausage; then I add red pepper flakes and black pepper -YUM.

The story would not be complete if I didn't mention what happened when we got home. We turn up the heat, look around and everything looks AOK. I remember I better turn on the master water valve. As I did I heard a big rush of water and thought Shirleen had flushed before the water got there. A couple hours later I for some reason went downstairs, seldom do I go there, make the corner and there is water running on the floor. The noise I heard was the tank busting a small hole in the side. Well no washing clothes or showering before we get this done.

The blog is written for Shirleen and I to remember the high points of the trip and for you to cruise along for the ride if you want. By knowing you are going to write and recap a day or two of activities, I look at things a little deeper and remember more but never enough. This trip 4,505 miles of pure fun again with my wife and the people we stayed with and met along the way. jerr