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The Rose Bowl is the greatest college football game you can watch. The atmosphere, game, and parade all combine for an incredible experience. However, the one thing that can be somewhat difficult is tailgating. To improve your experience, here are some tips to help you have the best tailgate at the Rose Bowl ever.
Get there early.
As you might imagine, there are lots of people who attend and tailgate at the Rose Bowl. So, to have the best tailgate at the Rose Bowl, get there as early as possible. This will allow you to beat a lot of the traffic and get one of the best spots.
It will also give you plenty of time to soak it all in and thoroughly enjoy the experience.
Park before the parade.
If you are planning to go to the parade, I recommend parking your vehicle in your tailgate spot before going to the parade. Believe it or not, the parade route and the stadium are very close. You can easily walk between the two.
When we attended the Rose Bowl, we did not realize how close the two actually are. We ended up parking in one spot for the parade and then had to move our car.
To avoid this, park for the tailgate prior to heading to watch the parade. Then you can easily walk back to your spot. I guarantee this will save you time and hassle once the parade is over.
Make sure you have everything you need before you park.
On New Year’s Day, many of the streets around the Rose Bowl stadium are closed. As the day goes on, more and more streets are shut down. Because of this, you need to make sure you have everything you need for your tailgate before you park. If not, you may have to walk a long way in order to get to a store to get what you need.
When we were there, my brother-in-law decided to go to the store after we were already parked. He had to walk about a mile to get to a spot where a taxi could pick him up. And then he had to do it all over again when he came back.
Try to park near a landmark.
One of the best tips to improve your tailgate at the Rose Bowl is to park as close as you can to a landmark. The Rose Bowl parking is actually on a golf course. This means it becomes one huge sea of cars once people start arriving.
Stadium officials do put up huge balloons with numbers on them to help people navigate the area. But, the problem is that you can see these balloons from all directions. And there are numbers on both sides of the balloons. So, it is very difficult for someone to find your tailgate using these balloons as a reference.
If you can park near a landmark, it will make it much easier for your friends to find you! Plus, it will make it easier for you to find your car after the game is over!
Bring something unique.
To make it even easier to find your tailgate, bring something unique to fly high above your car. This could be a flag, your own balloon, or something else. This can also be a fun decoration to add to your tailgate.
Just remember that it needs to be something more unique than just a flag of one of the teams playing in the game. Lots of people will be flying team flags. So, try and be creative with what you choose.
Be friendly to your neighbors.
Unlike at home games, the tailgates at the Rose Bowl will be a mix of fans of both teams. And there aren’t separate areas for each team. Everyone is all in mixed together. This means that you may be tailgating next to, or in the midst, of people cheering for the other team.
So, to avoid problems, be friendly to your tailgate neighbors. Not only will this help you keep the peace, but it will also make your tailgate at the Rose Bowl more fun.
Make the most of it.
The last tip we have for the best tailgate at the Rose Bowl is to make the most of the experience. For many people, this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. So, live it up!
Start your tailgate early and then come back after the game and tailgate more while you wait for the traffic to clear out. And really have fun with the whole thing! This is a tailgate you will remember for a long time to come!
Conclusion
There are few experiences in sports that rival attending the Rose Bowl in person. And to make that experience ever sweeter, use these tips to have the best tailgate possible. Enjoy your time at the Rose Bowl!
For more Rose Bowl tips, see our post on how to maximize your Rose Bowl experience and the official Rose Bowl website. Also see our ultimate guide to sports travel, how to get tickets to the big game, and how to maximize your bowl game experience.
And for more tailgate help, see our packing tips for tailgate success, the ultimate tailgate packing list, and how to have successful tailgates with toddlers.
Happy travels!
P.S. For even more tailgate help, get our FREE Tailgate Packing List so you won’t forget a thing! Grab yours in the box below! Plus, as a bonus, you’ll receive our weekly email newsletter full of tips and inspiration for your family travels.
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