rose bowl Tag

It’s a new year, and was time for a new adventure. So, I packed my bags and headed of to the Tournament of Roses Parade!

Since I founded the company nearly 20 years ago, I’ve been to a lot of events. What struck me was throughout the entire Sports Traveler Rose Parade Tour, I felt consistently happy and impressed. The warm weather, the beautiful scenery of Southern California, and the Parade Day itself made for an event to remember forever.

Marina del Rey - The True California

I started off by welcoming our guests to the Hotel MdR Doubletree in Marina Del Rey, California hotel I handpicked because I love this little beachfront community. Nestled between the mountains and the sea, just south of the famous Venice Beach, and right next to the famous marina filled with all the big boats and yachts you can only dream of, this area is the True California.

The Hotel MdR has that 'California Cool' vibe that you feel the minute you enter the lobby. The pool sits in the center courtyard and has

Are you a soccer fan?  Well I guess most soccer fans around the world refer to it as football but to save confusion I'll just stick with calling it soccer.  Besides, its pretty clear that there is only one sport of football in this country.  Anyways, if you are a soccer fan then you should know all about the Gold Cup.  If you don't know about the Gold Cup then you might need to re-commit your fan-hood and get with the program.  The Gold Cup is a very popular event and crucial in determining the best team in North America.

There are just a few weeks left in the college football regular season and things took a crazy turn this past weekend.  I think everyone, including myself, had (4) Alabama penciled in for the BCS Championship game until (8) Texas A&M pulled off the surprising 29-24 upset last Saturday.  This has opened up the field a little bit for spots in the national championship.  So lets take a little time sort of some of this chaos caused by the Alabama loss.

The loss does not eliminate Alabama from BCS contention but it puts them on the outside looking in when it looked like they were a lock.  Here are the current BCS standings as we head into this weekend's games.

BCS Standings

1. Kansas State
2. Oregon
3. Notre Dame
4. Alabama
5. Georgia
6. Florida
7. LSU
8. Texas A&M
9. South Carolina
10. Florida State

BCS Forecast

In the driver's seat:

So at the moment we are looking at a Big XII and Pac 12 showdown in Miami.  Both (1) Kansas State and (2) Oregon control their own destiny.  If Oregon and K-State win out then I believe both would be in the BCS Championship.  Oregon is an absolute no doubter if they win their last 2 regular season games and the Pac 12 Championship.  Kansas State does not have a conference championship game to bolster their resume but an undefeated record should be more than enough to secure a spot in the title game.

Hey college football fanatics!  The regular season is over and now all the bowl game match-ups have been set.  This bowl season looks to be a great one.  Not only do we get "The Rematch" in the BCS Championship,  the college bowl schedule features a number of intriguing match-ups.  Four of the major conferences (SEC, Big 10, ACC, & PAC 12) landed 2 teams in a BCS game.  The Big 12 managed only 1 team in a BCS game after being calculated as the toughest conference all year by the computers.  The leader in all-time program wins (Michigan) returns to their first BCS game since 2005 when the Wolverines took on the University of Texas in the Rose Bowl during Vince Young's freshman campaign.

The first BCS standings of the 2011 college football season were released this past Sunday!  Speculation has already began for millions of college football fans across the country, however there really aren't any surprises in the initial BCS standings.  LSU(1) and Alabama(2) are sitting in the top 2 spots with Oklahoma not far behind in third.  There is a bit off a drop off to fourth but Oklahoma State is basically in the same position as any of the top 8 teams.  Of those eight teams (LSU, Alabama, Oklahoma, Oklahoma St., Boise St., Wisconsin, Stanford, & Clemson), Boise State probably faces the toughest battle to get to the BCS Championship game.  Same tune different year for the Broncos but their schedule is really just second or third rate compared to the rest of the title contenders.  The dark horse National Champion from this group is most likely Wisconsin.  The Badgers are beating opponents by an average of 40 points a game.  They are the class of the Big 10 this year and are the strong favorites at this point to win the first ever Big 10 Championship game.

The Cotton Bowl Classic has been a staple of the bowl series since the first annual game in 1937.  On January 6, 2012 this prestigious bowl will return to Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, TX for the third time.  Last year's Cotton Bowl featured a great match-up between the LSU Tigers and the Texas A&M Aggies.  In the end LSU prevailed 41-24 but it was an exciting game throughout.

Have you enjoyed watching the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl Game this afternoon? Next year why not travel to Pasadena and see it in person? Sports Traveler makes it easy to make your trip to attend the 2011 Rose Parade and Rose Bowl. Lock in your reservation for a low deposit starting at only $29 per person!

Rose Bowl Game Packages include accommodations in the Pasadena area, reserved tickets to the Rose Bowl Game & Parade, and ground transportation to all events. Add on airfare from any city!

Tournament of Roses Parade Packages include reserved grandstand seats on the Parade Route with transportation plus interesting options for float decorating tours and more!

View 2011 Rose Bowl Packages

Tonight the BCS Selection Show announced who is going where and when. If you missed it here are the highlights.

BCS National Championship Game: Texas Longhorns vs. Alabama Crime Tide
Not a huge surprise after last night's rout of the Florida Gators by Alabama (sorry Tim Tebow fans, he's human after all). Texas narrowly escaped Nebraska to head to Pasadena and the Rowl Bowl stadium to decided the National Championship Title.

Rose Bowl: Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Oregon Ducks
The Bucknut fans head to Pasadena for the Rose Bowl to face the Oregon Ducks who clinched their spot with their win over the Oregon Beavers.

Sugar Bowl: Cincinatti Bearcats vs. Florida Gators
Tim Tebow was brought down to earth with a lost to Alabama and his Florida Gator must settle for a Sugar Bowl match up against the undefeated Bearcats from the Big East.

Fiesta Bowl: Boise State Broncos  vs. TCU Horned Frogs
The Broncos are riding the blue turf all the way to the Fiesta Bowl to match up against the undefeated Horned

With a win this weekend against Iowa, the Ohio State Buckeyes will clinch their spot in the Rose Bowl. Sports Traveler is now offering refundable Ohio State Rose Bowl deposits.

Book your Ohio State Rose Bowl Package and if the Buckeyes clinch their spot, you will be heading to Pasadena. If Ohio State does not make it to the Rose Bowl, the deposit is fully refundable.

Ohio State Rose Bowl Packages include accommodations in the Pasadena area, reserved tickets to the Rose Bowl Game & Parade, New Year's Eve Cruise Party, Admission to the Buckeye Bash, transportation to all events, and options on roundtrip airfare from Columbus.

View Ohio State Rose Bowl Packages

 The Iowa Hawkeyes are currently 8-0 on the season and are in first place in the Big 10 Conference. Sports Traveler is now offering refundable Iowa Rose Bowl deposits.

Book your Iowa Rose Bowl Package and if the Hawkeyes clinch their spot, you will be heading to Pasadena. If Iowa does not make it to the Rose Bowl, the deposit is fully refundable. By chance the Hawkeyes are heading to the BCS Championship, the package can be transfered over for that game or can be refunded if you don't want to attend the National Championship.

Iowa Rose Bowl Packages include accommodations in the Pasadena area, reserved tickets to the Rose Bowl Game & Parade, New Year's Eve Cruise Party, Admission to Hawkeyes Huddle, transportation to all events, and options on roundtrip airfare from Cedar Rapids.

Mike