The Rose Parade Part 1.

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I love a parade,the tramping of feet,
I love every beat I hear of a drum.
I love a parade, when I hear a band
I just want to stand and cheer as they come.
Harold Arlen 1931

New Years day is Rose Parade day in America and it takes place along Colorado Boulevard which is just at the top of our road, about 10 minutes from our hotel.
Following the parade, which starts at 8 am, is the Rose Bowl football game, contested each year by the top two College teams.
This years combatants are the locals from USC and the University of Illinois. The Trojans v The Illini. The Trojans are the holders of the 2007 Rose Bowl.
Our hotel which has been fairly quiet up to this point, is now host to legions of Orange shirted Illinois supporters who are determined to enjoy themselves and good luck to them. They haven't made it here that often in the 94 years it's been held.
I'm not sure if I'll still be saying this come Weds morning!
Enough of the game. What really has caught our attention is the Parade.
Since we arrived here on the 19th we have witnessed the temporary stands (Bleachers) being erected on every spare plot of land along the parade route.
Some look fairly rudimentary but others are hi-tech works of art which arrive on their own in-built trailer and sort of 'unwind' their way into position. I did think of trying to book a seat on one of them but was scared off by the fact that no-one advertises their price. I'm scared to ask in case someone tells me "If you have to ask the price, you cannot afford it"!
(The price for our hotel has already jumped by 150% for the 2 nights of the celebrations so I think we've paid enough so far.)
Every other millimetere of the 5.5 mile route will be filled with standing room only observers, us two among them if we can find a space.
Things get started early here and we spotted a long line of vintage cars travelling down Orange Grove Boulevard on Sunday but by the time we had fuelled up we couldn't find them so still haven't found out what, where or why they were there.
This morning (Monday- New Years Eve) we drove along Colorado and on both sides of the street in Old Pasadena, people were setting up their camps to stake their claims for prime viewing positions for tomorrow. Folks of all ages had unrolled their beds, set up their chairs and barbecues and started to get into the spirit of the Rose Parade. Whole families were there, three generations often and all in remarkably good humour.
Hot-rods and custom cars were cruising up and down the street and it was all very colourful and the sidewalk cafes were doing a roaring breakfast trade.
After watching New York welcome in the New Year at Nancy's, having already welcomed in the New Year in London on the BBC World service, 5 hours earlier, we had intended taking a late evening stroll on Colorado to soak up the atmosphere but when we drove through there tonight on our way home it had become a lot rowdier and the family atmosphere appeared to have left with the arrival of the 'young bucks'.
The families were still their but they had been out-numbered by the late teens/early twenties and I wonder if it is a 'rite of passage' to camp out all night for the Rose Parade, at least once in your student years..
The sidewalk cafes that had earlier done a roaring trade, were now battening their windows and doors against accidental damage and though the kids were not doing any wrong, the earlier magic had gone for me so I decided to stay here and give you my thoughts on the whole thing. I'd love to be able to convey some of the atmosphere but that will be well beyond my journalistic capabilities.
I'll continue with part 2 after the parade tomorrow.