Roses don't last a lifetime, but a Rose Bowl championship is forever.
Penn State fans will head west from a bitter winter to watch the New Year's Day matchup between the Nittany Lions and the USC Trojans in sunny California.
The venue for UCLA Bruins football and the Galaxy Soccer team, Pasadena's Rose Bowl Stadium, 100 N. Garfield Ave., holds at least 90,000 people and has about 77 rows of seats, according to rosebowlstadium.com. There are over 100 varieties of rose bushes between the stadium and the fence.
West Coast weather:
Prepare for warm days and cool nights, Rose Bowl Stadium Communications Manager Charles Thompson said.
It's usually 70 or more degrees for the Rose Bowl, and there's never been a downpour, he said.
"The game's never been rained out or anything," Thompson said.
Visitors should expect a daytime temperature of about 70 or 75 degrees, but it will cool down in the night.
"I recommend that you layer; bring a sweatshirt or sweater," he said. "Once the sun goes down it gets cool. It's gonna cool off, but you're not gonna freeze. You'll laugh at us for what we think is cold."
For both December and January:
Average High: 68° F
Average Low: 44° F
On average, January is the coolest month.
Source: weather.com
Where to park and getting to the game
Parking is first-come, first-serve and is even more difficult for the parade than for the game.
A tailgating pass is not required, Thompson said.
Shuttle buses from Old Pasadena, where many restaurants are located, will start service four hours prior to game time, with a bus leaving every five minutes. Return service is offered up to one hour after the game.
Thompson recommends arriving three hours early for the game's 2:10 kickoff. Pre-game activities begin at 1:30 p.m.
"Do not wait 'til the last minute to come to the game," he said. "That's a bad habit in California; show us how to do it right."
See rosebowlstadium.com /RoseBowl for more information.
The Tournament of Roses Parade
Joshua Acevedo, a third-year child development education major at Pasadena City College (PCC), will play bass clarinet in his third Tournament of Roses Parade.
"It's a very great experience to be in the Rose Parade," Acevedo said. "Every year we learn new material."
This year's theme is "Hats Off to Entertainment," and the band will play the Jetsons' theme, Disney's "Fantasmic!", "That's Entertainment," and "76 Trombones."
During the last three weeks of December, the band practices every day, including marching around Dodger Stadium 10 to 15 times, he said.
Tickets are required to sit in the grandstands, and curbside viewing is available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Parade tickets can be purchased online at tournamentofroses.com
The parade begins at 8 a.m. on gameday, but people camp out days before, Thompson said.
"I did that one time and will never do again. It's a little rough; it's wonderful to see the parade but you're shoulder to shoulder with people," he said.
Other events
Equestfest
Dec. 28, 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Meet the equestrians who will appear in the Rose Parade
Bandfest
Dec. 29, 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Dec. 30, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (first show)
2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. (second show)
See the Rose Parade's award-winning bands perform their field shows.
Float Decorating
Schedules vary by location, rain or shine
Get a pre-parade view of the grand floats in their final preparation stage.
Kickoff Luncheon & Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Dec. 31, noon
A pep rally featuring celebrity sportscasters presenting the university coaches, athletes, marching bands and pep squads of the teams competing in the Rose Bowl.
Post Parade: A Showcase of Floats
Jan. 1, 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. (general admission)
Jan. 2 and 3, 7 a.m. - 9 a.m. (senior citizens and disabled visitors)
Jan. 2 and 3, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. (general admission)
See the floats up close and personal after they appear in the parade.
Allow two hours for the event. Ticket sales end at 3 p.m.; venue closes at 5 p.m.
Details: tournamentofroses.com/events
Where to shop
Old Town has chain stores and eateries, including Crate & Barrel, Sur la Table, Abercrombie & Fitch and Barnes & Noble.
Less than two miles east is Lake Avenue, which also has restaurants, stores and boutiques.
East of Old Town and west of Lake Avenue, Paseo Colorado shopping mall is located on Colorado Boulevard and covers three blocks.
The shopping center also has bistros and movie theaters.
Beth Ann Downey contributed to this report.
Where to stay:
Rooms 10 miles or less from Rose Bowl Stadium for less than $100
Westside Rentals Hollywood Hotel
10 miles from stadium, $73 per night
Super 8 Motel Hollywood/LA
9.1 miles from stadium, $77 per night
Days Inn Hollywood
8.9 miles from stadium, $75 per night
Knights Inn Los Angeles 8.1 miles from stadium, $80 per night
Dunes Inn - Wilshire
9.3 miles from stadium, $90 per night
Other hotel options:
Ramada Pasadena, 2156 E. Colorado Blvd.
Hilton Pasadena,
168 S. Los Robles Ave.
Sheraton Pasadena Hotel,
303 E. Cordova St., one mile from Rose Bowl Stadium
Source: orbitz.com
Where to eat
Marissa Castro, a second year social sciences major at Pasadena City College, said PCC is about five minutes from the stadium, and there are many eateries and bars nearby, though it's not as much a college town as State College. Students there don't wear things like the "Penn State earrings" and "stuff on their cell phones" Castro saw when she visited State College, she said.
But Pasadena is about 15 minutes from Los Angeles, so students can access all the city has to offer, and Old Pasadena boasts a wide array of restaurants and bars for pre-game and post-game indulgence. Energize and refuel at one of many eateries on or near Colorado Boulevard, just a few miles from the stadium. Many bars can be found here too, Castro said.
Hot Wings Café
89 E. Colorado Blvd.
"Like Hooters but without girls," Castro said, the restaurant is "serving the best wings in California since 1986," according to its Web site. It also serves sandwiches, salads and various side dishes.
In-N-Out Burger
2114 E Foothill Blvd
A five-minute drive away from PCC, this location has 24 seats outside and drive-through service You can have food served to your car or sit down and dine. Bring out your inner Nittany Lion by trying a hamburger animal-style (with "special" sauce and fried onions).
Cameron's Seafood Market & Restaurant,
1978 E. Colorado Blvd.
Rosarito Mexican Food
187 N. Craig Ave.
Buca Di Beppo
80 W. Green St.
It offers family-style Italian meals and a friendly, fun environment, according to its Web site.
Rose Bowl Stadium
The venue serves traditional stadium food, including hamburgers, hot dogs, and garlic fries," Thompson said.
But if you eat the fries they will make you smell like garlic "for like two or three days," Thompson said.
"It is that pungent. They are very good though" he said.
"People might prefer smelling like garlic than smelling like beer," he added.
Worth the drive
BJ's Restaurant and Brewery
400 E. Huntington Dr., Arcadia
Among its menu items, create-your-own pizza and the deep-dish Pizookie, a huge white-chocolate cookie topped with ice cream, make for a delicious experience, Castro said. A 20-minute drive from Pasadena, BJ's is worthwhile "if you're in the mood for a big old cookie," she said.
