When we moved to Connecticut in 1990, I worked on a team at The Travelers that was lead by Dwight. A firm believer in team-building, he and his wife Colleen hosted several team dinners at their home in Essex, CT, and we got to know Colleen as well. For the next few years, I thoroughly enjoyed the ground-breaking work we did in managed care. and I learned so much – about the healthcare/health insurance business, business politics, project management, people management, team-building – all skills that served me well when I later started my own business. Thank you, Dwight!
As our concept of a plan for this trip took form, we saw how close we’d be to Dwight and Colleen. We touched base to see if they had time to get together. They did! We figured out that the last time we saw each other was likely 23 years ago!
As a physician who never had much time to study history, he’s become enamored with the subject since moving and eventually retiring to Pasadena. His immediate suggestion for our visit was a historical tour of Pasadena. Yes!
The history of the famed Tournament of Roses is fascinating. In 1890, a group of locals calling themselves the Hunt Club devised a strategy to attract visitors and residents to Pasadena from other parts of the country, particularly those with cold, snowy winters. As a publicity stunt, they arranged for a series of horse-drawn, rose-covered wagons to parade down Colorado Boulevard (yes, the same Colorado Boulevard terrorized by that little old lady from Pasadena – and now you’ve got the brain worm) in January, followed by a tournament of games and contests – foot races, tug-of-war, jousting, chariot-races, etc. The Hunt Club’s publicity strategy was successful, and the tournament and city grew quickly. In 1902, the organizers put a football game on the schedule and the rest is history! The Rose Bowl has been held (almost) annually since.
Dwight drove us through different sections of Pasadena, narrating the whole time. The tour included the historic neighborhood where wealthy US barons built their mansions at the turn of the (previous) century. The Wrigley Mansion (Wrigly gum, Wrigly field), has become the HQ for the Tournament of Roses parade. The Gamble House (Proctor & Gamble) remains a showpiece of Green and Green architecture, and the original Busch Gardens of Adolphus Busch (Anheuser Busch) have been converted over the years into a neighborhood that incorporates much of the original property’s impressive and ornate landscaping.
At the end of our tour with Dwight, we all met up with Colleen for dinner at Nick’s South Lake Avenue, a favorite of theirs. We enjoyed a wonderful and leisurely dinner, making good use of the time to get caught up properly – what’s been going on with our respective lives, their two kids, former colleagues with whom we still have connections, moving on to our retirement activities and a healthy discussion of the upcoming election.
The middle of Old Pasadena, where Dwight and Colleen live, is not full of places to park our 12-ft tall, 25-ft long vehicle. We found that RVers have been able to park at the Rose Bowl when there’s nothing else going on, and that worked for us. Although it is ‘just’ a parking lot, the stadium is in a beautiful spot with views all around, a great outdoor activity vibe, just enough tree cover for a touch of shade, and an excellent high speed cell service (perfect for processing photos and publishing blog posts…).
Dwight and Colleen love their adopted home town and had many suggestions for places nearby we should visit. Wow! We may not be able to visit them all while on this trip. Ha! The perfect excuse for coming back to greater LA and not waiting another 25 years to reconnect. Thanks Dwight and Colleen for your hospitality!