The Rose Bowl: Year 'Round Sports and Leisure Center

As Penn State and USC get ready to play this year's Rose Bowl game, the famed stadium in Pasadena, California is a center for sports and recreational activities all year long. The game and the Rose Parade are events generating international interest every year.

The Rose Bowl stadium is nestled in a valley, or arroyo which is Spanish for brook or wash area, that runs north and south. Sitting above it on both sides are expansive homes, many of which were built before 1950. I once stood on the east ridge on a Rose Bowl game day and a sea of cars and spectators walking to the stadium stretched below me.

If you could hover in a 'copter above the Rose Bowl stadium, you would notice the oval shape surrounded by plenty of green grass and trees.

The Rose Bowl is the home field for UCLA football but there are many other activities popular around the Rose Bowl:

Golfing

Choose from one of the courses or the driving range to walk or rent a cart and try your skill. The courses at Brookside Park also feature a clubhouse which hosts public and private events.

Running

It's easy to run a 5K (3.2 miles) on a loop around the stadium. Every day, and especially Saturday mornings, walkers, joggers and serious runners doing interval workouts park in one of the spacious lots then lace up, stretch and hit the pavement.

Roads leading up and out of the immediate Rose Bowl area provide a quality hill workout for runners who want a serious challenge. Roads stretching south provide a winding tour through quiet residential streets.

When I've been training for the Los Angeles Marathon, the Rose Bowl is usually a starting point for either a timed run or a place where I can head off on a run of several miles and incorporate either hills or flats.

Trails wind along the outskirts of the golf courses heading north to a mountain trail leading past the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. It's a popular site for local high school cross-country teams.

Biking

Serious bikers and those riding along for the scenery, zip around the streets outside the stadium. During the summer, a few dozen bikers in a group move speedily past the walkers and runners sounding like a locust attack as the wind whizzes through their spokes.

Soccer

AYSO Region 13, a recreational league called Villa Park and club soccer teams use the field stretching south of the Rose Bowl for practice and games. The field is large enough to accommodate 9 soccer fields for 14 years of age and younger. There are also regular soccer tournaments held on the field during Thanksgiving, spring and summer.

Swimming

South of the Rose Bowl in an area called "Brookside Park" is the home of the Pasadena Aquatic Center which features Olympic diving facilities, competitive swim teams and has scheduled times for recreational swimming, too. Competitive swim teams are available for youth and master's competitors. There is a therapy pool designed for people with disabilities.

Baseball

Baseball purists will enjoy the Jackie Robinson stadium which is home for competitive games at the high school and collegiate levels. While taking my kids to soccer practice over the years, I always enjoyed hearing the balls cracking off the bats or even catching an inning or two when I had a chance. The stadium itself features a one-level arrangement with an attractive stone exterior and dugouts.

Dog Obedience School

While the Rose Bowl are is popular with dog owners who leash their dogs for runs, an obedience school runs regularly at Brookside Park. Occasionally, there are dog shows.

Tennis, Softball

A limited number of tennis courts and softball fields add another option for outdoor activities.

Kids Space Museum

During the past few years, a hands-on experiential museum for children and their families opened at a large pavilion at Brookside Park. It's located among the trees at the north end of Brookside Park.

Parade Float Building, Fly Casting and Archery

During December, parking lots at the Rose Bowl are transformed in to covered tent areas for volunteers to put flowers on the floats used in the Rose Parade on January 1. A permanent structure is located at the northeast corner of Brookside Park.

South of the immediate stadium, about one mile is a fly casting pond and archery center in addition to more walking trails.

Even though the Rose Bowl is located about 13 miles north of downtown Los Angeles and it's just a five-minute drive from Pasadena's City Hall. While the annual game draws national and international attention, sports and recreation takes place year round.