TOURNAMENT OF ROSES

ROSE PARADE - Plus Southern California attractions

Southern California in winter – what more needs to be said!! Back in 1889, plans started to fall into place for a first of January floral festival to celebrate the city’s mild winter weather. In the first parade, the flower-draped carts pulled by horses rolled down Pasadena’s dirt streets. We’ve come a LONG way. The elaborate floats are unbelievable. The precision with which they are constructed and engineered is incredible. We’ll marvel at the floats during the parade and also see them up close in the construction stage and following the parade. This tour is not JUST the parade, but includes SO much more – all the popular Southern California attractions. You will want to compare all the attractions that are included!

Day 1: I hope you are ready to leave the busy holiday season behind and look for a warmer climate as we make our way across the plains of Western Kansas and Oklahoma and into New Mexico for our first night out in Santa Rosa. We’ll enjoy getting acquainted and reacquainted with those we’ll be spending the next two weeks with. It’ll be a fun time in the warmth of Southern California. 

Day 2: Our break stop this morning will be in Old Town Albuquerque, which still carries a lovely Spanish flavor with many interesting shops and restaurants. Our Native Americans will have their unique crafts and artist creations on display for purchasing, viewing and enjoying on the Plaza Square. Our afternoon break will be at the Painted DesertVisitors’ Center in AZ and hopefully we can catch some sun rays on the rocks which contain many minerals, displaying the different hues on the horizon. We’ll continue west reaching Flagstaff, AZ for the night, right on Route 66. 

Day 3: Another morning of driving will bring us to the Colorado River where we cross over and into California. It will need to be an early lunch, before we continue through the Mojave Desert for a long dry drive, enjoying the interesting sparse plant life. By late afternoon, we will be in Anaheim to check into the motel which will be home for the next six nights. We will have time for freshening up and dinner before departing for the outstanding performance “The Glory of Christmas” presented in the Crystal Cathedral. The Cathedral itself is a magnificent building with more than 10,000 panes of glass. After this glorious event, it’s back to the motel where we still hear the glories of Christmas songs echoing in the air 

Day 4:This morning we’ll get a close-up of what goes on behind the scenes in preparation of the floats. We will be awe-struck at how much detail and engineering goes into these mammoth floats. We will appreciate them even more when we see them in the parade. Then it’s time for our interesting L.A. City Tour with our local step-on-guide showing us spots throughout Los Angeles, Hollywood, and Beverly Hills. We’ll visit the places that we read about or see on the news. We will celebrate with a New Years Eve, included dinner. Happy New Year 

Day 5: An EARLY morning sees us on our way to Pasadena and our reserved grandstand seats for the Rose Bowl Parade. We will enjoy first hand the extravaganza of the floats, smelling the thousands of roses and other colorful flowers that go into making these floats. After an early morning it will feel good to get back to the motel late afternoon. 

Day 6: What a day is in store for us today, as we head out by boat to Catalina Island!! So many sights to see and interesting things to learn about as we take the Avalon Scenic Tour. There will be some time for shopping and of course eating before we board the boat again for our return trip to Anaheim. 

Day 7: Universal Studios will be our host today as they show us the many things that go on behind the scenes in the making of movies and TV shows. You’ll see the parting of the Red Sea, King Kong, and experience an earthquake. They will entertain us with specially trained animals and birds to show how they are used in movies. After an interesting tour we’ll return to our same rooms.

 Day 8: Today we will go to Disney’s California Adventure Park. A sister park to Disneyland, it combines the magic of Disney with the best that California has to offer. It is a journey from the California of yesterday to today. This park is a little more senior friendly and less crowded. It sits right beside Disneyland if you would prefer to go to Disneyland on your own. Our motel is close enough that we can shuttle back and forth, on our own, as our bodies demand. 

Day 9: After five busy days in the L.A. area, we will head south along the coastline. If weather permits, we’ll make a stop at the coast to watch the waves roll in. Those among us, who are adventurous, will of course want to at least dip their toes into the Pacific Ocean. Upon our arrival in San Diego, we will visit the famous San Diego Zoo. The hotel tonight will be a three night stay. 

Day 10: This day will be spent at SeaWorld. Sit back and enjoy the interesting marine life actors, as the dolphins, Shamu, sea lions, and otters perform for you. Late afternoon, we will make our way to the harbor for a narrated Harbor Cruise. Back to the same motel. 

Day 11: A local bus and driver, along with a tour guide will take us into Old Mexico today to show us the beauties of the western coast. You will need a passport. Our destination is Ensenada, along with a stop at Rosarito Beach. This was a popular spot at one time for the rich and famous. There will be shopping, touring the town, and an included traditional Mexican lunch. It’s a day of real “South of the Border” experiences. After an interesting day, it’s back to the same motel for our last night there. 

Day 12: It’s now time to turn east. As we travel through the Southern part of California, it will be interesting to watch for the beautiful crops growing in the Imperial Valley in the irrigated fields. This barren desert has been transformed into fruitful productive land by irrigation. After a day of driving we’ll arrive at our motel in Tucson, AZ. 

Day 13: Today as we continue east across the desert, you may enjoy identifying the varieties of cactus which grow in this area. Our afternoon ride will be through Arizona and back into New Mexico for the night in White City. 

Day 14: What a sight is in store for us today. Whether you take the natural entrance to the most beautiful Carlsbad Caverns, 800 feet underground, or take the high-speed elevators down, you will be in awe of the spectacular formations, some almost transparent. You’ll go through the Hall of Giants, the King’s Palace, the Queen’s Draperies, the Totem Poles, the Big Room, and so many more interesting shapes. You can make up your own description. Then it’s on to Amarillo, TX for our last night out. 

Day 15: Today it’s homeward bound. We’ll enjoy our good memories of all of the sights and sounds of Southern California. What an enjoyable way to start the New Year and we hope yours will be an extra special year