I haven’t spent New Year’s Eve in Southern California in about five years. As a result, I haven’t watched a telecast of the Rose Parade on New Year’s Day in a long time. But 2008 started off different. For one, I didn’t go anywhere. I usually try to get outside of Southern California. Since I stayed in Hacienda Heights, I was able to watch live telecasts of the Rose Parade the next morning. I squeezed into bed with my parents and the dog and watched marching bands, equestrian groups and elaborately decorated floats. I felt like a kid again and was reminded of the time I marched in the parade in 1999.

After a late lunch/early dinner, my mom, dad and I drove out to Pasadena to view the floats. It was crazy. I generally hate big crowds, but it was hard to get annoyed when I kept seeing so many cool floats (and they smelled good too).

My favorite was the City of Santa Fe Springs’ float celebrating Día de los Muertos. I haven’t uploaded all the pictures yet, but you can check out the set here