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COLORADO BOULEVARD

Colorado Bl. stretches its asphault ribbon along the base of the San Gabriel mountains connecting diverse neighborhoods from Glendale in the west to lovely Monrovia in the east. Along the way, it becomes the most televised street in the world as it passes through Pasadena where it bears the weight of the world-famous Tournament of Roses Parade.

Best Day to drive this route: Friday

Worst Day to drive this route: Sunday or Monday

Trip distance: approx. 15 miles

Driving time (minus stops): 45 minutes

Start this trip on the western end of the street where it begins at Interstate 5...the Golden State Freeway. The Colorado Bl exit is about 5 miles north of downtown L.A. and about 1/2 mile south of the 134 (Ventura) freeway.

Colorado starts off by cruising through Glendale. First landmark you'll see is the massive Glendale Galleria mall on your left side. If you like malls, by all means stop as this is one of Southern California's best. Me, I'm not partial to malls so I keep going...there will be a few more along the way.

Not far past the mall on the left is a small garage at 703 E. Colorado that was the notorious workshop of Angelo Buono and Kenneth Bianchi...better known as the Hillside Stranglers.

The pair would kill their victims in the garage and dump their bodies on the hillsides. They are now on death row in the state prison at Walla Walla, WA.

Continuing on past this gruesome spot, we soon come to the 2 (Glendale) freeway. Here is where it stops being Glendale and becomes Eagle Rock. And the first thing you'll see in Eagle Rock is...a mall of course! That would be the very mediocre Eagle Rock Plaza which is best skipped.

Looking over to the left, up on the hillside you'll catch a glimpse of a huge boulder. If you see the fracture on the west side of the rock in just the right light, you'll see the shape of an eagle in flight. That would of course be THE Eagle Rock which the community is named after. Natives used to spy on settlers from this rock way back when.

The Eagle Rock section of the road isn't real remarkable but the neighborhood has big plans to upgrade itself in the near future. One real worthy stop while you're here (if it's after 4:00pm, Tuesday-Saturday) is Casa Bianca Pizza Pie home to what many consider the best pizza in L.A. It'll be on your right at 1650 E. Colorado Bl.

Just past Figueroa (another of L.A.'s Great Streets), Eagle Rock starts to fade into Pasadena. The ultra-exclusive Anandale Country Club will be on the left, Stoney Point (a great, romantic eating spot) will be on the right, and Arroyo Seco is dead ahead.

Carrying the road across the Arroyo is one of the world's loveliest spans, the Arroyo Seco Bridge. Recently restored, this 90 year old masterpiece spans the gorge with its very graceful arches. Many despondent souls figured this would be a great place to check out, hence the bridge's nickname - Suicide Bridge.

On the Pasadena side of the bridge, just to the south you'll see the grand buildings of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that used to be one of the souhtland's great historic hotels.

Once over the bridge at Orange Grove you should feel a sense of deja vu. This intersection is broadcast live worldwide every New Year's morning...this is where the Rose Parade starts. Colorado Bl. is then the parade route until Sierra Madre Bl. where it turns north.

Here's where Colorado Bl. really comes alive as you go through th revitalized downtown area known as Old Town Pasadena. On second thought, don't go through here...stop and enjoy one of Southern California's best hang-out neighborhoods for awhile.

Old Town ends at the next mall, Plaza Pasadena. This big, ugly, box in downtown Pasadena is a dying dinosaur with a huge vacancy rate and scant, scared shoppers. Many proposals are being bandied about to tear it down and replace it with a friendlier environment.

Behind the mall, one block south on Green Street, is the Pasadena Civic Auditorium...best know as the home of the Emmy Awards. If you've got some time, you can stop here and take a few turns on the neighboring ice rink.

Next up on our eastward trek we come upon Lake Avenue, an upscale shopping district trying to reclaim some of it's former glory. Two legendary restaurants lie here south of Colorado: Burger Continental and Pinot at the Chronicle.

Visit Burger Continental if you're on a budget, Pinot if money's no object.

Just beyond Lake in an alley north of the boulevard is another legend, the Ice House comedy club. This is the Pasadena home to many of the world's best comedians.

Continuing on, you'll come to Pasadena's community college, Pasadena City College and its large reflecting pool. There's also a big swap meet held here on certain weekends.

Past PCC, Pasadena gets down to business with an unremarkable stretch of discount department stores, home centers, furniture stores, liquor stores, and more. Then suddenly the capitalism stops at Michilinda Avenue as we cross over into Arcadia.

This stretch of tree-lined asphalt makes a great freeway alternative to the adjacent 210 freeway during rush hour. At Baldwin Ave., you can go one block south to see the magnificent gardens of the L.A. County Arboretum and see filming locations used for such movies and shows as Fantasy Island, Tarzan, and Anaconda.

Beyond the Arboretum you'll soon pass by the back of Santa Anita racetrack, home to some of the country's top thouroughbreds. If you like, stop by and make a wager. Even if the horses aren't running, satelite wagering is offered daily. It's also here we need to turn left to stay on Colorado (watch for the sign) instead of continuing on to Huntington Drive.

As Colorado fades down to a two-lane street it heads into some pretty residential areas and after crossing under the 210 freeway goes into Monrovia. Here you'll pass pretty Monrovia High School where President Clinton came to speak and then you'll get to the always fun Old Town Monrovia when you cross Myrtle Ave.

If you're here on a Friday evening, you'll have to detour around one block to the south as Myrtle is blocked off. But instead, stop awhile and have some fun at Monrovia's weekly Family Fun Festival where you'll think you've been transported into one of those small-town fairs you always see in the movies...but never see in real life!

Well, it's here in Monrovia every Friday night. Settle in awhile, have some kettle popcorn and ice cream at Opi's (yes, that's right) Soda Fountain.

Our trip down this legendary Southern California street comes to and end in 4 more blocks as Colorado Bl. ends at the pretty and relaxing Recreation Park at Shamrock Avenue in Monrovia. Take a break in the park and see the historical museum there if it's open.

To go back where you came from, continue around the park to Mountain Avenue and turn right to the 210 freeway. Get on the freeway westbound to make a quick trip back to Glendale.