A "BUCKET LIST" TRIP

I HAD THE BEST CHRISTMAS BREAK!

ONE OF MY TOP PLACES TO GO ON MY 

BUCKET LIST

WAS . . .

THE TOURNAMENT OF ROSES PARADE!

 

I WENT WITH THE

AMERICAN FORK HIGH SCHOOL

MARCHING BAND

    I WAS NOT A CHAPERONE, BUT A BAND GROUPIE!

I WENT WITH MY BEST FRIEND, RENAE.  WE HAVE BEEN

BEST FRIENDS SINCE WE WERE 6 YEARS OLD!

HER HUSBAND, ROBERT, WENT...(I'M THEIR MATCHMAKER!)

RENAE'S SISTER IN LAW, LINDA (HER HUSBAND AND RENAE'S BROTHER, JAY, WAS MY HIGH SCHOOL BIOLOGY TEACHER!); NIECE, TRUDY; AND TRUDY'S HUSBAND, DAVE.

TRUDY & DAVE HAVE A SON IN THE BAND.

I'VE KNOWN THEM ALL FOR YEARS!
WE WENT TO DISNEYLAND; CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE; SAW THE FLOATS BEING DECORATED; BANDFEST (WHERE WE ALSO GOT TO PURCHASE ITEMS FROM THE FOOD TRUCKS FROM THE FOOD NETWORK!); NEW YEAR'S EVE IN BEVERLY HILLS, HOLLYWOOD, AND THE KODAK THEATER (WHERE ACADEMY AWARDS ARE HELD); UNIVERSAL STUDIOS; ROSE PARADE; LAS VEGAS; AND ST. GEORGE!

HERE ARE SOME PICTURES OF MY FABULOUS TRIP! 

DISNEYLAND

LINDA  ROB  RENAE  DAVE  TRUDY

CHRISTMAS PARADE

AMERICAN FORK HIGH SCHOOL BAND

CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE

DISNEYLAND

CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE

 This is Ashna.  She is a former student of mine.  She is the assistant stage manager for entertainment at California Adventure.  She works on many of the shows and the entertainment groups.  She is also in charge of the VIPs that come.  She and her husband helped to create "World of Color!"

DISNEYLAND

ROSE BOWL

CREATING THE FLOATS FOR THE TOURNAMENT OF ROSES PARADE.

THE TAILGATING GOES ON FOR 3 DAYS

FOOD TRUCKS FROM THE "FOOD NETWORK"

BANDFEST

(ALL THE BANDS IN THE TOURNAMENT OF ROSES PARADE PERFORM)

AMERICAN FORK HIGH SCHOOL BAND

THERE ARE 76 EAGLE SCOUTS IN THE BAND!

HOLLYWOOD & BEVERLY HILLS ON NEW YEAR'S EVE

THE ACADEMY AWARDS ARE HERE EVERY YEAR

I'D LIKE TO TRY AND PLAY THIS!

THESE ELEPHANTS WERE SCULPTED BY CORY CLAWSON.  HIS WIFE, STEPHANIE, WAS A STUDENT OF MINE!  

HIS MOTHER IN LAW IS MRS. HUTCHINGS, WHO TAUGHT AT OUR SCHOOL!

UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

TRAM TOUR

"WISTERIA LANE"

NEW YORK

TOWN SQUARE FROM "BACK TO THE FUTURE"

THERE REALLY IS A WHOVILLE!

 WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH A CAR!

WESTERN TOWN

"JAWS"

THE BATES MOTEL FROM "PSYCHO"

(YOU CAN SEE BACK SIDE OF "WHOVILLE" 

BACKGROUND FOR A WATER SCENE

JURASSIC PARK RIDE

SCOOBY DOO

YIKES!!!

 APOLLO 13

THE SIMPSON'S

WATER WORLD SHOW

CHRISTMASTIME

OUTSIDE UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

THE ROSE PARADE

WE HAD TO EAT BREAKFAST AT THE HOTEL AT 4:00 A.M.

AND LEAVE BY 4:45 A.M.!

WE WERE SOOOO LUCKY TO SIT IN THE GRANDSTANDS, AND HAVE ACCESS TO THESE:

ACTION IN THE SKY WITH THE

GOODYEAR BLIMP

(I SAW THIS ALSO AT THE 1974 WORLD'S FAIR IN SPOKANE, WASHINGTON,

AND THE 1975 FIESTA BOWL FOOTBALL GAME!)

A STEALTH BOMBER

AND A SKYWRITER

(TURNED OUT TO BE AD FOR GEICO) 

GRAND MARSHAL...J.R. MARTINEZ

WAR HERO...SOAP OPERA STAR...AND CHAMPION OF THE LAST SEASON OF "DANCING WITH THE STARS!" 

 

THIS IS ONE OF THE FLOATS WE SAW BEING MADE.

ROSE QUEEN FLOAT

 UNIVERSITY OF OREGON

WE SAW THIS FLOAT BEING BUILT, TOO.

HGTV DREAM HOME FLOAT...THE HOME IS IN MIDWAY!

UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN

WE SAT BEHIND PEOPLE FROM JAPAN.  AS SOON AS THE PARADE STARTED, THEY ALL STOOD IN UNISON, AND WHIPPED THEIR CAMERAS OUT.  EVERYONE BEHIND HAD TO YELL FOR THEM TO SIT DOWN.  THIS IS THEIR BAND.

WHEN A FLOAT BREAKS DOWN, IT IS TOWED.  THE PARADE IS NOT HELD UP!

A YOUNG ELIZABETH TAYLOR

THE PRIDE OF UTAH...AFHS MARCHING BAND!

THIS IS THEIR 3RD PERFORMANCE IN THE ROSE PARADE.

THEY HAVE ALSO MARCHED IN THE MACY'S PARADE IN NYC AND 

PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH'S INAUGURATION.

THEY HAVE BEEN STATE CHAMPIONS FOR 20 YEARS IN A ROW.

WHEN I WAS IN THE BAND, WE PERFORMED IN...

RENO, LAKE TAHOE, SEATTLE, WORLD'S FAIR IN SPOKANE,

AND HALF TIME OF THE FIESTA BOWL FOOTBALL GAME!

MR. MILLER, THE DIRECTOR, ANNOUNCED AT THE BANQUET THAT IF A REPUBLICAN WINS THE PRESIDENCY, THEY WILL BE BACK FOR THE INAUGURATION PARADE!

SECURITY WAS ON TOP OF THE BUILDING...AND ALL OVER.

 ROY ROGERS WAS A SINGING COWBOY WHEN I WAS GROWING UP. 

HE HAD HIS OWN TV SHOW.

IT WOULD HAVE BEEN HIS 100TH BIRTHDAY.

THIS WAS HIS TRUSTY HORSE...TRIGGER.

YES, THIS WAS REALLY HIS HORSE...HE HAD HIM STUFFED WHEN HE DIED,

AND HE IS ON DISPLAY IN HIS MUSEUM! 

ALL THE TOW TRUCKS WHO DIDN'T HAVE TO TOW A FLOAT, GET TO BE AT THE END.  THEIR WAS ONLY ONE FLOAT TOWED.

 

NOT A VERY GOOD PICTURE...BUT JUST TO SHOW YOU HOW BIG 

THIS PARADE IS...OVER A MILLION PEOPLE ARE ALONG THE PARADE ROUTE...AND A FEW BILLION WATCH AROUND THE WORLD!

PROUD TO BE A CAVEMAN!!!