Heading to the Rose Bowl? Here’s how to make the most of your travels

This season, the Rose Bowl will be a College Football Playoff quarterfinal matchup set for New Year’s Day. Although we don’t know yet which teams will play, it is never too early to start your travel planning.

The Rose Bowl, a beautiful and historic stadium, is located in Pasadena, California. One of the great things about the Rose Bowl is the scenic location of the California mountains and (hopefully) sunny weather. Many people tailgate around the Rose Bowl, parking their cars in lots and at a golf course nearby to enjoy the Southern California weather before kickoff.

The Los Angeles area has many attractions, places to see and is a huge metro area. It can be overwhelming to decide how to make the most of your time, but we break down some off the must-see highlights below.

What to do

There is a huge list of activities we could provide for those traveling to Los Angeles for the Rose Bowl game, but we will share just a handful of highlights.

First, one of the best parts of attending the Rose Bowl is getting a chance to see the Tournament of Roses parade, an annual parade held mostly along Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena, California. The floats are famously known for using lots of flowers and greenery to decorate, which makes them unique and beautiful to see.

Outside of the Rose Bowl, it would be a miss to not head toward the coast to check out some cities along the Pacific Ocean. A drive along the Pacific Coast Highway (known as PCH) to check out Venice, Santa Monica and gorgeous Malibu is always a joy, especially on a typical 70 degree and sunny day LA day.

To get a feel for the “Hollywood” side of Los Angeles, heading down to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, checking out the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures and exploring Universal Studios are always solid options.

Last, you can check out the Hollywood sign by various different hiking trails and get great views of the city from the Griffith Observatory.

For those who are into art, the Getty Center is a great museum with beautiful views and the LACMA is another popular option.

Where to eat

To keep it simple: you shouldn’t leave Southern California without having an In-N-Out double-double and checking out a local taco truck. Our friends at Eater have a great guide to some of the best taco spots across the city. Los Angeles is also known also for some great Jewish delis like Brent’s, Art’s and Canter’s.

If you end up making a trip to Malibu, you must try Malibu Seafood or Neptune’s Net. These are well known establishments in Malibu that you might even notice from television and movies.

Some other notable LA eateries: Dan Tana’s (Italian), Pink’s Hot Dogs and The Apple Pan (burgers).

Where to stay

As I am sure you have heard, Los Angeles is a huge area, with lots of traffic and not always great options for public transportation. As stated above, part of the Rose Bowl experience is tailgating in great weather. So renting a car to enjoy the game and explore the LA area is probably your best move. With that being said, some of the great areas to stay are Santa Monica, Beverly Hills or even Downtown LA if you want a true city experience. Just remember to give yourself enough time with traffic to get to the game on time.