The Tournament of Roses court is ushered into the Rose Bowl in 1968. (latimes.com, from Rose Parade archives)
The Tournament of Roses Parade is must-see TV in our house.
My dear wife Karen loves watching because the Jan. 1 tradition was part of her life while growing up in Los Angeles. I love watching because Karen’s commentary is better than the crews of NBC and HGTV (commercial free!). And, oh, yeah, the floats covered entirely with flowers sure are gorgeous, and the marching bands know how to bring it, too.
Karen figures that every year from the time she was 4 to 14, her dad would get his five children up way before the sun to take the trek down from the foothills of their home in Tujunga into the city of Pasadena. Her mom would stay home. Karen thinks Caroline used the time to get Christmas packed back up in the closets so they could reclaim the house space.
Bob wanted to get an early start because he wanted his three daughters and two sons to get a good view. So they left by 5 a.m., Karen says. They had to find a good parking spot and walk to their favorite spot, in front of people’s houses on East Sierra Madre. There may have been grandstands, but her family never saw them. They stood at the curb, hoping to be in front for prime viewing.
Today, the NBC broadcast starts at noon EST. The HGTV show begins an hour earlier. That’s 8 a.m. Rose Parade time.
The 125th Rose Parade kicks off New Year’s Day 2014. (From HGTV)
Karen remembers later arrivers climbing the trees on people’s lawns to see over the folks in front.
One year Karen went with a friend to a Methodist Church a couple days before the parade. They were part of a crew that actually got to affix the flowers that covered every inch of the church’s float. That experience still allows Karen to look closely at every float’s flower arrangements on TV.
“I loved it all,” Karen says. “I loved the music. I loved the horses. I think there were probably more horses back then than there are now. In Tujunga there were a lot of ranches, so there were show horses.
“I was enthralled by the baton girls. And there were old convertible cars going down route,” Karen says.
When we watch today, Karen again will love seeing the mountains in the background, familiar buildings along the route and the names of towns and organizations that still put together floats these four decades later.
And I will enjoy watching my California Girl lighting up with memories from a childhood that she shares with me every Jan. 1.
Are there events in your life that allow a loved one to open a window into the time before you knew them?
Mark Bialczak 
What wonderful memories your wife has of the Rose Parade. It is an event we watch every year, and this year it was more special because we attended an equestrian show in which all the horses and riders and ropers and trick riders that were going to appear in the Rose Parade the next week performed. They were incredible. To see the driver handle the six Clydesdale horses making a sharp turn was to realize the dexterity involved in that movement. The cowgirls performing the trick riding were amazing, especially one who rode four horses at once Roman style, at full speed three times around the very large arena. For a horsewoman, it was almost as exciting as the Parade itself.
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Wow, Prof, what a wonderful day that must have been at the equestrian show. That would make the horses in the Parade proper all the more familiar and interesting. Thanks for sharing your special view!
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Thank you so much for watching HGTVs coverage! I am one of the producers and really enjoy helping to bring such a great tradition into so many homes! Hope you tune in again next year! Happy New Year!
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Very good work with the Rose Parade on HGTV, Lisa. My wife and I are already looking forward to next year’s coverage. Thanks for commenting here, and good fortune to you in all of your endeavors.
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oh, this is such a great post, mark and how exciting for karen, and for you, as she gets to relive this each year. i grew up watching this on tv each year, because my dad was such a michigan fan and they used to spend some time in that area on ny day occasionally )
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We watched all two hours on HGTV and enjoyed it thoroughly, Beth. Yes, Michigan had a Pasadena influence many years, didn’t it? I watched the outdoor hockey today, too. Fun game, sorry for your Wings losing in the shootout.
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oh, i’ll bet it was wonderful. i love the flowers on the floats they always fascinate me with the way they are able to create amazing things with them. yes, indeed michigan has had its day there, in the past and sad ending to the classic, but one amazing day.
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I missed it again this year. I’ve been sleeping off a sinus headache for several days, so I guess I’ve pretty much missed everything this week. Just worked thru close to 250 emails, and the day is young (?) still. But looking for a sand blaster that will work on sinuses. Any ideas? Happy New Year. Darn! Even forgot to watch “When Harry Met Sally”, my every year tradition for New Year’s Eve.
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No ideas on the sinus congestion. Happy New Year, Angie.
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Great parade, I’m left wondering what a mess college football is going to be next year minus the BCS bowls. Where does the Rose bowl fit in a playoff system? Just wondering.
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Six bowls will rotate the semifinal games among them: Rose, Sugar, Orange, Fiesta, Cotton and Chick-fil-A. In years they are not part of the playoff, they will be back to picking teams from the non-playoff squads.
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