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Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Activity note: Hotel check-in is available from 3:00 p.m.
Afternoon: Important Note: Participants will be assigned to one of twelve groups for organizational purposes. If you are traveling with other individuals and wish to be in the same group, please be sure to identify one another on your Participant Information Forms at least three weeks in advance. Obtain your color group assignment and orientation room location from a Road Scholar staff person in the hotel lobby starting at 2:00 p.m. At 4:00 p.m., your group leader will provide your welcome packet containing the up-to-date schedule that reflects any last-minute changes and other important information. If you arrive late, please ask for your packet when you check in. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the program theme, the up-to-date daily schedule and any changes, discuss safety guidelines, emergency procedures, roles and responsibilities, and answer any questions you may have. All program-related transportation will be via private motorcoach. Lunch at the Getty Center on Day 4 is on your own. If you wish to eat at the Getty Restaurant, reservations are recommended. Make reservations for the restaurant by calling (310) 440-6810. Reservations should be made between 12:00 and 2:00 p.m. We have set aside some free time in the schedule for your personal independent exploration. Program activities, schedules, and personnel may need to change due to local circumstances. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.
Dinner: Enjoy a plated dinner in the hotel's banquet room. The meal will include a salad, entrée (including a vegetarian option), and dessert, plus coffee, tea, or water and a glass of wine or bottled beer; other beverages available for purchase.
Evening: Crossing Points is a time for getting to know one another better and what we may have in common beyond a love of learning. Then settle in, relax, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.
Activity note: Depending on the float organization, we will work a minimum of 6 hours and a maximum of 8 hours including a lunch break. You will be standing, bending, and reaching while working on floats as directed by float organizers. Some floats will require an early morning departure, as early as 6:00 a.m., from the hotel. Please read the "Special Notes" section for more details about float decorating.
Breakfast: In the hotel banquet room, our daily breakfast buffet offers a rotating variety of choices including an egg dish, breakfast meat, hot/cold cereals, fruit, yogurt, assorted breads, milk, juices, coffee, tea, and water.
Morning: This is what you’ve been waiting for: experience the magic that goes into actually creating the Rose Parade® floats! We’ll transfer you to one of the "float barns" to work alongside experienced professionals and help apply materials under their guidance. Rose Parade® rules require that every inch of each float be covered with flowers or other natural materials such as fruits, vegetables, leaves, seeds, or bark. Our participation will be a significant factor since parade officials estimate that it takes 60 volunteers working 10 hours a day for 10 days to decorate just one float.
Lunch: Lunch will be provided at your float decorating site. Depending on your assigned location, lunch may be a boxed lunch or a lunch provided by local service organizations for the float decorators.
Afternoon: Continue decorating a float/floats at your designated facility. Afterwards, we will return to the hotel.
Dinner: Buffet at the hotel.
Evening: We’ll view the documentary Here Comes the Band that takes a look at how high school bands compete to get into the Rose Parade®. The film follows the application and selection process and the fundraising activities necessary to support their desire to participate in the ultimate parade.
Activity note: Seats for Bandfest are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Early arrival to get a good seat involves standing in line 30-60 minutes until the stadium opens. To enter the stadium, climb a flight of stairs. To reach the seats, go downstairs to seats (elevator available in rear of stadium). Our metal bleacher seats have backs, but you may wish to bring a stadium cushion since we will be seated for several hours.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: From the hotel, we will transfer to a local auditorium where a series of morning presentations will begin with a talk given by a member of the Community Relations Committee of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses® Association. We will learn about the parade and, in particular, the 935 “White Suiters”. These volunteers wear clearly distinctive uniforms and work tirelessly to ensure the success of the parade and football game. Next, we will meet a former Rose Queen who will share her personal story about the Rose Queen selection process and responsibilities. Through an intensive selection process, the Tournament of Roses® “Queen and Court” committee seeks participants with the best combination of poise, personality, public speaking ability and scholastic achievement. Approximately a thousand young women from over two dozen area high schools apply each year. They are required to complete a detailed application meeting age and academic requirements. Those selected meet in person with the committee members over the course of a month. That number is reduced to approximately 250 who are invited to return for further interviews, then 75, then about 25 finalists. The committee selects the Royal Court from this group. Finally, we will hear from members of an equestrian unit that will appear in the parade. They will share information about the application process and what it takes to participate in the very special tradition. The equestrian talents are a unique aspect of the parade entertainment.
Lunch: Box lunches including a sandwich or wrap, chips or crackers, and bottled water are distributed before boarding the bus to Bandfest. We will arrive to Pasadena City College (the site for Bandfest) early in order to be one of the first to enter the stadium. A boxed lunch provides you with the flexibility to eat while we wait for the afternoon performance (either inside or outside of the stadium). You may choose to eat your lunch while waiting in line or you may opt to enjoy your lunch while sitting on the grass - Pasadena City College does not have any formal picnic areas on campus. There are few benches outside the stadium.
Afternoon: Marching in the Rose Parade® is a coveted honor, with bands from all over the world as well as some of the nation's top high school, college, and organizational marching bands participating. While a few of these bands are invited guests, most compete for a limited number of spaces. The winners take part in Bandfest — a two-day event that displays each band and its auxiliary performers in their victorious routines. We will watch these talented musicians, dancers, and auxiliary performers in action.
Dinner: Buffet at the hotel.
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: Walking to reach our auditorium includes 100' elevation gain; stairs with handrail and shuttle available. Walking and standing at your own pace at the Getty Center. Walking between the buildings at the museum is on flat, paved surfaces but access to the bottom of the Central Gardens involves a slight incline.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: From the hotel, we will transfer to an auditorium to hear from a local expert about the process, criteria, scoring, and significance of the various Tournament of Roses® float awards. For a change of pace, we will take a field trip to the J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Center in Los Angeles, which houses European paintings, drawings, sculpture, illuminated manuscripts, decorative arts, and European and American photographs. Jean Paul Getty was an American industrialist, who was named the richest living American and the world’s richest private citizen by the Guinness Book of World Records. An avid collector of art and antiquities, he established the J. Paul Getty Trust, which remains the world's wealthiest art institution. The Museum is accessed from the parking structure by a 3/4 mile hovertrain. The Getty Center is one of the most visited art museums in the United States and presents the Getty's collection of Western art from the Middle Ages to the present against a backdrop of dramatic architecture, tranquil gardens, and breathtaking views. This stunning collection features works by Titian, Rembrandt, Manet, and Monet. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration of the Getty Center.
Lunch: This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. Enjoy lunch on the grounds of the Getty Center.
Afternoon: Continue your free afternoon exploring the Getty Center. After the Getty Center, we’ll return to the hotel for dinner.
Dinner: Plated meal. Ring in the New Year with a champagne toast.
Evening: New Year's Eve! We will celebrate together according to Eastern Standard Time. Get a good night's sleep. Tomorrow will be an exciting day! We will be departing the hotel early in the morning.
Activity note: Motorcoaches depart the hotel for the parade as early as 6:15 a.m. (check your schedule for your exact departure time and location). Upon arrival (in front of Pasadena City College), we climb bleachers to our reserved seats. These metal bleacher seats do not have backs so as not to restrict leg room for people sitting behind. You may want to bring a stadium cushion (without a back) since we will be seated for several hours.
Breakfast: Early at the hotel.
Morning: The Rose Parade® is an unequaled spectacle and celebration of flowers, music, and sport. Pasadena greets each new year with spectacular pageantry. This is the 131st time this magnificent parade has rolled. As you watch the beautiful floats — including ours! — glide by, marvel at the brilliance and imagination that went into creating each and every one. After the parade, we will return to the hotel.
Lunch: Enjoy a plated meal in the hotel's banquet room. The meal will include an entrée (vegetarian option available) and dessert, plus coffee, tea, or water; other beverages available for purchase.
Afternoon: Free Afternoon. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions and give directions. If you are interested in attending the Rose Bowl Game®, make arrangements well in advance.
Dinner: Buffet at the hotel.
Evening: Enjoy musical entertainment just for us!
Activity note: Check out of the hotel before our field trip and take your luggage to the front desk for holding. Airport transportation can be arranged in advance via SuperShuttle. Motorcoaches depart for Post Parade at 6:15 a.m. Round trip walking distance is 2.4 miles; elevation change is 80’ loss in the first 0.7 miles; return to bus includes 80’ elevation gain up the hill in the last 0.7 mile; allow twice as much time for the return trip up the hill. No seating along route.
Breakfast: Early at the hotel.
Morning: After every Rose Parade®, the floral masterpieces are parked and on exhibition for the public to examine the design and workmanship that goes into these floats in close detail—a Pasadena tradition for more than a century. You can walk almost within arm's reach to appreciate the imagination and work that created these floral displays. Bring your camera! We will return to the hotel by approximately 11:00 a.m. This concludes our program. We hope you enjoy all your Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. We encourage you to join our Facebook page and share photos of your program. Visit us at www.facebook.com/rsadventures. Best wishes for all your journeys!
The Rose Parade Trip was amazing! The educational components, the activities, and Parade itself was very well organized. It was fascinating to see the process of the floats being put decorated and even more fun to be a part of the process.
Excellent program, and very unique. Worked with very knowledgeable people. Bring warm clothing. It's chilly when you start early each morning.
You will never watch the Rose Parade on TV again with the same attitude once you have helped decorate a float yourself, and seen them all the natural materials up close. You will forever be amazed at the details, creativity, and beauty of each float. The bands and the horse units each have an interesting history. You'll want to tell your friends about what you experienced up close on this great program!
I enjoyed the Tournament of Roses program. The staff was very helpful, I contributed to the floats and I learned a lot about how much effort and time goes into making this parade successful. Glad I got to fulfill a lifelong dream!.
Going to the Rose Bowl Parade and working on a float! Nailed my bucket list item! Add in the lectures, other events, and tours and you have a fabulous way to bring in the new year. I recommend it!
This is definitely a bucket list trip. I watched the Rose Parade since I was a child and this experience gave me the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help with the floats and see the parade in person.
This was the second Road Scholar trip for me and I throughly enjoyed it! There was satisfaction and pride working on the floats and then to be able to see all the beautiful floats in their glory was awesome! The food was generous and tasted ok. We stayed at the Hilton Woodland Hills location which I would highly recommend. I think I would do this trip again in a couple of years.
This trip had been on my bucket list. I enjoyed the parade, band fest and seeing the floats up close the day after the parade. The tour was very well organized and well worth the price. I was happy with the excellent service I received from the hotel where we stayed. The others on the trip were interesting to chat with and I plan to keep in touch with one person who was on the trip.
The Rose Parade program was a bucket list item and it was everything expected! With so many participants enrolled (about 464), RS organized this trip very well. The materials provided ahead of time indicated we needed scissors so my husband & I brought them but never used them. However, the materials said we should bring gloves and they were definitely used. The Fiesta Float warehouse provided latex gloves, but with my small hands, the latex gloves would have been too big to wear. Definitely make sure you have comfortable shoes as we stood for about 6 hours on a concrete floor. It was chilly in the morning for all days so make sure you bring layers. The Hilton Woodland Hills was a very clean & comfortable hotel. If you're walking, there isn't much around to tour except a large mall. The food at the Hotel was good and plentiful. Bring a hat & sunscreen for the outdoor activities in case the California sun is shining bright, as it was for us. Come prepared to have fun & ring in the New Year!
This trip was a wonderful time mixed w quite a bit of frustration. Good points: behind the scenes work on the floats, early admission to the post parade float viewing and a wonderful bus driver who got us around very smoothly Bad points: the food...the menu was the same every night. It was very disappointing to have the same meal night after night. Whoever picked the menu needs to receive some pointers in setting a menu w variety in it. We had fish, chicken and pasta w different sauces or seasoning every night but New Years Eve. It all tasted the same. Breakfasts were not much better . Another issue, the overall group was so large that the 'experts' didn't know the subject matter. They had to bring in guides from all over to host the groups. Our guides were very nice and did their best but they are not from the area and so they were to able to add much to the trip. At the Float building we were not given any information about anything that was going on - no 'expert' to explain and educate us on the workings of it all as some of the tours had since they had tour guides who knew the subject matter. I understand that the Float companies don't have time to do that but I thought our tour guide would have some information but they really didn't. I know this isn't the way it usually is but the whole thing was quite frustrating. I'm not sure I'd go on another trip w Road Scholar.
An excellent trip in every way. This was my second year on this trip. Well worth it!!!!! Took 4 friends. A wonderful time had by all!!, Thank you.
I was very disapointed that the group had 500 people. It made a difference in quality of food, experience of the leaders, and chances to really get to know people. Almost every buffet had the same food- white fish, chicken, a tossed salad. The person who chose the menues could have kept the same price range yet varied the choices. Our leaders flew in from the San Francisco area. They had never led this tour before. We found that we often knew more than they just from our reading the materials. We did not blame them- rather the expansion of the program as they were not used to being part of a large group and a pre-tour they took was not the same as leaders who had done it several times My daughter's husband had gone on the Road Scholar trip to the US Open with his Dad. He enjoyed it so much he encouraged us to have the same experience on another Road Scholar trip. It was so different from other Elder Hostel and Road Scholar trips that I attended previously! I heard comments from first timers that they would never go on a Road Scholar trip again. I would feel the same way if that was my only experience. We loved working on the floats and seeing them the next day. We did not enjoy auditoriums filled with 500 people when the speakers presented. You got away from what makes your programs great. I would not recommend the current trip to anyone.
This is the program for anyone who has sat in front of the TV on New Years Day and wished they were in Pasadena. The Rose Parade is without a doubt the best parade in the Country, and Road Scholar has reserved some of the best seats in the house. Bandfest, which takes place on two days before the parade, showcases world class marching bands - the best of the best. Viewing the floats up close and personal on the day after the parade is a shutterbug's dream. All in all a delightful and unforgettable experience.
The Rose parade program is a great adventure - working on a float was a unique experience. Seeing the parade in person was a lot of fun and later reviewing the floats up close was marvelous - the designers are artists of flowers, seeds, grasses and unlimited imagination. I learned so much and it was just beautiful.
If you have ever said, "I really want to do the Rose Parade someday", this is the very best way to do it. Seeing the parade is only one part of the total experience, and Road Scholar offers a package that takes you from volunteering at a Float Barn, to seeing the marching bands strut their stuff at Bandfest, to watching the parade from the bleachers, to walking among the floats and seeing the intricacies of each. In our group, we could point to the 33,000 white carnations on the mountain of snow on the 24-hr Fitness float and say, "Those are our carnations" or "We put the lentils on those fish" for another float. It takes a lot of time, money, and practice for a band to get to the Rose Parade, so not only do they get to march in the parade, but they get to perform at Bandfest before New Years Day. After watching bands from Canada, Japan, and small-town America, I felt that they were our bands. We watched for them in the parade and cheered them on like proud friends and parents. Walking among the floats the day after the parade is the grand finale and completes the whole Tournament of Roses experience. Road Scholar handles of the details--lodging, meals, transportation, tickets, and access. And we get to savor all the many facets of a Rose Parade. If you really, really want to see the Rose Parade someday, there is no better way to do it, in my opinion.
What an incredible experience. Thanks for making a longtime dream become a reality. Every detail was so well covered and everything went so smoothly.
This was an outstanding experience of Americana. Well planned and organized. It was not physically strenuous but getting at 5 a.m. most days was very tiring but to fit everything smoothly it was necessary. An unforgettable experience, rather unbelievable.
This was a bucket list tour for me and everything about it was a joy. Not many tours give you the opportunity to work on a float and then learn from people on the inside how the parade functions and how the floats are judged. Then getting to view the floats up close the following morning was awesome. The band fest was an icing on the cake for me since I'm a former band parent who enjoys the band performances. Everything is taken care of in terms of food and transportation. The Westin was a superb hotel. I would recommend this tour to anyone who has watched the parade at home and wished they could be there.
The Perfect trip to immerse yourself in the Rose Bowl Parade. See before, during and after for a through understanding of how the floats are put together. See Band Fest and meet speakers that give you the entire workings behind how the parade goes together.
Thanks to this program I can say I glued flowers to a Rose Parade float! I was a solo traveler, and everything was wonderful. Fellow travelers were friendly and the group leaders were awesome.
The Rose Bowl Parade is a unique tradition with its floats decorated entirely with floral materials ( a huge number of roses!) and its bands and equestrian groups. This program makes you a part of the enormous effort that goes into the parade and makes sure you experience every aspect of it up close and personally. And Road Scholar takes care of all the logistics of doing this!!
Great adventure!
Great experience!
To experience was better than advertised. I will never view the Rose parade the same. I learned so much.
This is a great program to check something off your "bucket list". It was fun, interesting and fulfilling. The Tournament of Roses Parade is an American classic and we got to be part of it.
Put the Rose Bowl Parade trip on your travel list!! It's such a treat!!
This is probably the best way to experience the Tournament of Roses Parade and related activities, you get to "go behind the scenes".
The flowers, floats and float fabricators were so interesting and welcoming. Made several new friends I will stay in contact with and possibly travel with in the future!
This was my second time for a Rose Parade Road Scholar, but it won't be my last! I could've never had these wonderful experiences on my own such as helping to decorate a float. Our leader was John Callahan, and he's one of the best we've ever had. Despite the fact that this program was attended by several hundred people, everything was well organized and there was never any problem.
I loved my experience with the Rose Parade Heritage Program. It was interactive with float building, watching the parade, and then getting to see the completed floats up close and personal. I learned so much and enjoyed my hotel, group, and all of the activities. I highly recommend this trip.
If you've always wanted to go to the Rose Parade you'll be delighted with this program. I was also thrilled with the opportunity to help decorate some of the floats, and to view them up close and personal the day after the parade.
Great program.There are hundreds of Road Scholars, but they are divided up into teams so you don't feel overwhelmed.It is amazingly well organized. Just pray that it doesn't rain on BandFest!
If you ever want to go to the Rose Parade, choose the Roadscholar program. You will have excellent speakers who know it from experiences on all aspects that go into the parade, excellent rooms, and transportation to all of the events instead of having to worry about the traffic which is especially bad on parade day. But also needed to get to the various venues. Everything is taken care of -food, tickets,travel to the events and you can just enjoy the event.
This program is definitely a bucket list fulfillment to the top. Will always look at the Rose Parade differently from now on. Great Fun
the rose parade program is wonderful. it gives you an appreciation for how much work goes into putting on the rose parade. as a single I found the group inclusive and didn't feel left out even when the ball dropped on "midnight" and new years was celebrated.
For anyone with an interest in the Tournament of Roses Parade, this is a "bucket list" experience. Working on floats, good seats for the Parade itself, and the Post Parade float viewing were all highlights. The speakers from various roles within the Parade and Tournament organization were very informative and interesting. I highly recommend this well organized and very insightful program. Staying at the downtown hotel cut down bus travel time and enabled walking to interesting sites such as the Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Los Angeles Public Library.
I was amazed at the amount of effort that goes into this historic but once a year event. I have watched it on TV, enjoyed the bands and floats but had no idea how much goes on all year to make this such a wonderful event. Everybody who can, should try it out. You will be happy you did.
This trip was a once in a lifetime experience. I learned so much about the Rose Bowl Parade and its organization. I will never view the parade the same way again. Thank you for this program.
This program is a once in a lifetime opportunity to understand and participate in the Rose Parade of Pasadena. Be prepared for a lot of structure and being bussed and having to get up at 4 AM. For men, be prepared to be controlled for 5 days. A great trip for the ladies however.
This is my first trip with Road Scholar and have to say it was well done. I truly enjoyed everything I learned about the Rose Parade. Looking forward doing another trip with Road Scholar in the future.
The Rose Parade floats in person are breathtaking! It is a very worthy experience to work on a float and then see it completed in all its extraordinary beauty!
Wonderful, wonderful experience. Highly recommended. The large group of 450+ participants is divided into smaller groups of 35+ or so. Whoever previously posted that the trip was not good for singles is wrong. Of our group, over half were enrolled as single participants. Stayed at the Westin in downtown. The extra money was worth it as you spend less time on the bus as the location is closer to Pasadena. Also downtown is a vibrant location and a downtown tour was included. Even though LAX is closer to downtown, use Burbank airport if you can. This trip involves a lot of walking and standing. The float decoration day is amazing but it takes stamina to work for a 5 or 6 hour shift. Even if you get a seated job, the footing can be wet and slippery with plant material. The parade day involves walking several blocks, climbing up bleachers and sitting on a backless bleacher for 3 hours. The rows are very close and your knees will be touching the person in front. So don't do this is your gait is unsteady or you can't sit without getting up. The post parade day is fabulous but also involves a significant amount of walking for 3 hours. The whole package of pre-parade info and work, parade, and post-parade is a once in a lifetime experience and I will never look at the Rose Parade in the same way again.
