Trips

Fantasy RV Rally: 2018 Rose Parade

December 28, 2018 - January 2, 2019

This is the third time we have joined Fantasy RV's Rose Parade Rally program and again it was a wonderful experience. Fantasy does a great job of making it possible for participants to see how the floats are decorated, and to actually get to help with the decoration of one float. We go to Bandfest where most of the bands that participate in the parade show off their marching and music skills. This year we went to Equestfest where many of the equine participants in the parade come to exhibit their skills. A day is also spent at the Huntington Library museum and gardens. Fantasy provides tremendous seats at the parade itself - about 2 blocks down Colorado Boulevard from the turn from Orange Grove. Last, but best, after the parade we get to go to the Post Parade Showcase of Floats where all the floats are parked and you can walk around and see every float up close and personal.

2018 Rose Parade Itinerary

December 27 - 28	Arrive East Shore RV Park; Float decorating of the City of Burbank float
December 29	Equestfest at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center
December 30	View Floats being Decorated; Bandfest
December 31	Huntington Library
January 1	Tournament of Roses Parade; After Parade Float Viewing
January 2	Depart for home

After checking into the East Shore RV Park in San Dimas, having a briefing and early dinner, we went off in the busses to help the volunteers in Burbank decorate this year's City of Burbank entry: "Stomping Good Time." The Theme of this year's Rose Parade was "The Melody of Life" and Burbank chose the design illustrated below, built in lots of animation and ultimately won the prize for Best Animation. All of the floats competing for a prize, have to design their float to carry out the theme.

	Roses waiting to be applied to the float
Burbank's entry
The float barn shortly after we arrived Below are some of the characters on the float in various stages of completion
	Finished
Gale got to work on covering the foot of the allegator. She painstakingly glued each leaf in place.
The day after we arrived, (designated Day 2) we went to Equestfest to see the various equines who would march in the parade perform. It was fun and informative. The costumes of the riders and equipment on the horses was beautiful.
1st Cavalry Division, Horse Cavalry Detachment, Fort Hood	Gold Rush Fire Brigade
Wells Fargo stagecoach	Pack mules of the US Forest Service
Mini Therapy Horses
75th Anniversary of Smokey Bear	Budweiser Clydesdales
Sign out on the street in the area of the Los Angeles Equestrian Center	On Day 3 we spent several hours at the Rosemont Float Barn, a facility of the commercial Phoenix Float Decorating Company. We watched the volunteers put the flowers and seeds and all manner of natural materials on the floats that company built for various companies, etc. It was quite interesting and beautiful.
Yellow roses	I see you!
Western Asset Management float	City of Hope
Glue station - this stuff really sticks!	Float for the Royal Court using corn and seeds
Company logo	A rose for the Royal Court
	Sticking in the rose vials
Gluing on one petal at a time	Trader Joe's
Putting glue on the stems of carnations	Great to see kids out working on the floats
	This is not easy
Single petals on the rose	In the afternoon we headed out to Bandfest for an afternoon of entertainment. Too far from the action for meaningful photos. It was well done, however.

We spent Day 4 at the Huntington Library and Gardens where they have a couple of great art museums and many very old manuscripts in the Library. The portraits of Blue Boy and Pinkey are in the art collection and the Library features a Gutenburg Bible, Audubon's Birds of America, a copy of Chauncer's Canterbury Tales, etc.. Fascinating! A picnic lunch was provided and it was nice enough to eat in the gardens after which we walked through the Desert, Australian, and Japanese gardens. Lovely.

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