Anticipating the Rose Parade

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After a great catered dinner Saturday night our Sunday morning, the 30^{th ,}dawned chilly but dry, after a night rainfall. We boarded our bus for an hour and a half ride to Former President Ronald Reagan's “Library”. This major visitor opportunity includes a pictorial review of his life and an historical review of the times we've lived through. The social history review was a vivid reminder of the Cold War, Iranian hostages, oil shortages, etc. The Great Communicator's personal history portrayed a leader in making and preparation for the White House, especially in its portrayal of his California gubernatorial successes. Nancy's influence in the design and execution of this entire exhibit is evident in the constant pictures of her everywhere, with her dazzling smile, and the First Lady's presence in her display of dresses and personality. We toured “Air Force One” as it was until 2000 and a description of how Jacqueline Kennedy hired a designer to change the appearance of AF One to our present day. I thought the (security) limitation of photos on the plane was a little overkill as the docents described how out of date the hardware was that was displayed. The library complex is a wonderful overview of an era we seemed to have forgotten.

We then attended the BandFest of several bands which are appearing at the Parade. Included were the Pasadena City College Tournament of Roses Honor Band, Salvation Army Toronto Band and the USMC West Coast Composite Band, along with several high school bands and a composite High School Japanese Band. All the band performances displayed talent and unending practice in preparation for their performances. It was fun to enjoy the Marine Band as the high school supporters left the stadium (when the true professionals came on board.) Sometimes you wonder. We did enjoy the Sioux Falls Lincoln Patriot and Broken Arrow HS Pride Marching Bands in their American Legion style performance but you could tell when the professionals came to town. Our day ended with a 40 minute bus ride “home” to prepare for tomorrow's day of observation. Our planned itinerary was well done today, with a comfortable bus and guide, except for no public address system to help his explanations.

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