Dog-gone days and deals: "On Route 66", Alice's Dog Park, Pasadena; 03.12.11

Park: Alice's Dog Park
Address: 3026 E. Orange Grove Ave., Pasadena, CA 91107
Directions: Take the 210 East, exit San Gabriel Blvd., make a left on Sierra Madre, and right on Orange Grove Blvd. The park will be to your right.

Alice's dog park is in Vina Vieja Park. It was created by POOCH, the Pasadenans Organizing Off-leash Canine Habitats. It's a fairly new park (2006), and apparently the first off-leash park in Pasadena. The hours are from dawn to dusk, and it's about 2 1/2 acres in size. It is mostly dirt and grass, and the facilities are fairly new. There's a handful of shades and benches, and two water fountains in the large dog park area. Parking was pretty good today, but it can get very crowded depending on when you get there as it is a part of a larger park; there's a playground/family park to its left, and a disc golf area across from the park. And those are the only two other areas that we noticed so far.

There's a small dog area and a large dog area. I love the double entry gate. A little overkill, but it definitely avoids bottleneck. There's a hand sanitizer area, signs are everywhere, and the rules and regulations are pretty typical - nothing unreasonable. There's a large mix of dog owners here; young couples, singles, and family types. There's a brother and sister that kept petting Tico; but he's on his own little world; so it didn't faze him at all. I must say I get jumpy when kids come to approach Tico, but I'm pretty happy he behaved very well today. His socializing skills are definitely getting better.

The views from this park is amazing. You see the snow-capped mountains in the distance, and the park is just lush and green and clean. There's a water ditch on the rear fence that borders the backyards of some Pasadena homes.

Driving through Orange Grove is a treat. We saw some really cool craftsman houses that typifies Pasadena living.
Old Town Pasadena is a famous LA destination all on its own. It's on Colorado Boulevard, which starts from the bridge, and ends around Lake Blvd. It used to be my weekend hangout when I used to live in Alhambra, just a few minutes south of here. My ex-roommates and I used to go to Cheesecake Factory a lot, and the Ann Taylor Loft and DSW in Paseo Colorado are my two favorite guilty pleasures. Shops like Banana Republic (yay!), Armani Exchange (whee!), Crate and Barrel, Tiffany, Zara (love) and Patagonia are here. Bars/clubs like Equator (dancing, anyone?), 72 North (outdoor music), Ixtapa (free salsa lessons), Barney's Beanery (foosball/pool/sports night), Neomeze, 35er, and Barcelona are popular; and eats like Kabuki (cheap sushi), Johnny Rockets, Louise's, Melting Pot, Noodle World (LOVE!), Rococo Room, Sushi Roku (pricier sushi) are also frequented. There's something for everyone. Street parking is everywhere, but there's lots of public parking facilities which offer 1 1/2 free parking. The one that I frequented a lot is on Green and Fair Oaks.

And if you go further east, there's a McCormicks' that I love for happy hours. Pasadena Civic Center is a beautiful place to visit (City Hall, Auditorium), and Huntington Library is just south of that in the city of San Marino. I still need to visit this one, so it will probably be a date for me and B. To the left of Old Town is the Norton Simon Museum, and the Rose Bowl which hosts a large outdoor flea market every 2nd Sundays. It's not my favorite flea market, but it's something that you can do once if you live in LA. One of my favorite walking spots is the Colorado Street Bridge just at the end of Old Town. We had our wedding engagement here, along with the Pasadena City Hall, compliments of my gf Bea the photographer.

"Route 66" is a song made famous by a handful of musicians like The Rolling Stones and Nat King Cole. It sings about the Route 66 Highway which spans from Chicago to Santa Monica/LA. Route 66 LA includes this part of Pasadena, and signs are all over stating that. Each time I come to this part of town, that song always comes to my head. Definitely check out Old Town Pasadena if you're visiting LA, and if you're a local, it's a great way to spend a day sipping a cup of joe @ Starbucks, after purchasing a good book at Barnes and Noble next door. And with all of those great classic and amazing cars - expensive or not; that lace up Colorado Boulevard, you can never know who's on here on their stop along their wonderful Route 66 journey.