If you happen to be in the Los Angeles area for New Year’s Eve and would like to get an up-close look at not only the floats for 2011 Tournament of Roses Parade but also the Traipsemobile, I have the deal for you.
I will be bringing in the new year at my friend Roberta’s house, just a half-block away from the parade staging area at California and Orange Grove in Pasadena. They start lining up the floats around 10 p.m. and they’re available for viewing all night. It’s a lovely way to toast the New Year, right in the midst of all the colors and smells and people trying to arrange watermelon seeds in the shape of El Salvador. No, really, it is.
If you’d like to join us — and I sincerely hope you will — you need to understand that Pasadena is madhouse on New Year’s Eve, not just because it is filled with crazed football fans, many of them drunk. But because there are myriad and heavily-enforced no-parking and no-driving zones. Being so close to the parade route puts Roberta’s house smack dab in the middle of it all.
Here’s a Google map link to give you the location: http://tinyurl.com/2feqqtv
So here are your options:
1. Take the Gold line train to the Fillmore station in Pasadena, which is just after the South Pasadena stop, and then walk back towards California and Orange Grove. It’s about a six-block, 10-minute walk to Roberta’s house from there. When you get out of the station, go to the right, which is Raymond St. (away from the Starbucks), walk to Raymond, turn right, and in 3 blocks you’ll hit California. Go left on California. There will be frivolity along every inch of the route. You’ll like it.
2. If you’d rather drive, find your way to LaLoma, (accessible from Figueroa) which is a windy, beautiful residential street, that crosses the Arroyo from east L.A. There is a bridge on LaLoma that crosses the Arroyo and brings you into Pasadena. On New Year’s Eve, it’s pedestrian-only. So park as close to that bridge as the authorities will allow. Cross the bridge and follow LaLoma all the way to California. Turn right on California. This is also a 10 minute walk, 3 winding (and kind of uphill) blocks. You can do this.
If you plan on coming and want the specific address, send me an e-mail (solutions at traipsathon dot com). I’ll call (or write back) and give you the details. Maybe I’ll even come pick you up.
There will be food and beverages and the Traipsemobile tv will be turned on. Come ahead on. Rip Torn would want you to.
