Telephone & Telegrams: Carlisle 1550.

Telephone & Telegrams: “Bank 5303 Liverpool”

Registered Office: Martins Bank Chambers, 37 English Street, Carlisle, Cumberland.

General Buildings, 14 Chapel Street, Liverpool, 3. now at robotsalesmen.ltd ↗

Field Manual No. 9: Three Days of Roses & Rockets

A city of roses, rocket scientists and Craftsman porches at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains. World-class gardens, a stadium with a flea market, and the laboratory that drives the robots on Mars.

Itinerary

Day 1 — Gardens & Galleries
The Huntington at opening (Desert Garden first, then the Japanese and Chinese gardens) → lunch at the teahouse → Norton Simon in the afternoon (not Tue/Wed) → dinner in Old Pasadena's alleys → the Colorado Street Bridge at dusk.

Day 2 — Machines & Mountains
JPL weekday tour (booked weeks ahead, ID in hand) → stroll the Caltech campus → up Angeles Crest to Mount Wilson for the afternoon and the view → back down for supper on Lake Avenue.

Day 3 — Craftsman & the City
Gamble House tour → walk the 3.1-mile Rose Bowl loop (or the Flea Market if it's the second Sunday) → A Line to Union Station and Little Tokyo → back for Vroman's and a show at the Playhouse.

Packing List

REAL ID or passport (JPL will ask)
Tickets booked ahead: JPL, Huntington, Gamble House
A warm layer — Mount Wilson is 5,000 ft colder in spirit
Sunscreen and water for the long, dry summers
Cash and a tote bag for the flea market
A TAP card for the A Line

The Short List

The Huntington (Oxford Rd, San Marino (next door)) — Closed Tuesdays. Book weekend tickets ahead. The free first-Thursday tickets release on the last Thursday of the previous month at 9 a.m. and vanish in minutes. Do the Desert Garden first, before the heat.
Norton Simon Museum (Colorado Blvd at Orange Grove) — Closed Tuesday and Wednesday; open until 7 on Friday and Saturday. Free the first Friday of the month, 4–7 p.m. Parking is free, which in Los Angeles County counts as a sight in itself.
Old Pasadena & Colorado Blvd (Colorado Blvd at Fair Oaks Ave, east to Vroman's) — Explore the alleys (Mills Place, Miller Alley) rather than the main drag. At dusk, walk west to see the Colorado Street Bridge. Vroman's sold its building in 2025 but has a long lease and is still trading. Check the events calendar.
The Gamble House (Westmoreland Pl, off N. Orange Grove) — Guided tours only — Tuesdays and Thursday to Sunday. Book ahead; tickets are non-refundable. Photos allowed, no flash. Then walk the surrounding streets: the neighbourhood is a Craftsman catalogue.
Rose Bowl & the Flea Market (Arroyo Seco, Rose Bowl Dr) — Flea market: VIP early entry from 5 a.m., general admission 9–3. Check rgcshows.com for current prices and how to buy tickets, bring cash for vendors, and wear real shoes — it's huge. On other days, walk or run the 3.1-mile loop around the stadium.
Rose Parade & Float Decorating (Rosemont Pavilion, Seco St (decorating); Colorado Blvd (parade)) — Float decorating viewing at Rosemont Pavilion runs about Dec 28–30 (about $21.50 in 2025; tickets online only). On parade day, grandstand seats sell through Sharp Seating. Or camp on the kerb from noon on Dec 31 — bring a chair, blankets and patience.
JPL & Caltech (Oak Grove Dr, north Pasadena / Caltech campus, E. California Blvd) — Tours are free but limited. Dates open a month at a time, you must book at least three weeks ahead, there are none on weekends, and adults need a REAL ID or passport. If you can't get one, watch for the Explore JPL open house in October (Oct 10–11 in 2026). Our robot had to be removed from the clean-room window. Twice.
Mount Wilson Observatory (Mount Wilson, via Angeles Crest Hwy (SR-2)) — Grounds open daily 10–5. Weekend public tours and the Cosmic Café run on weekends. Use the observatory's own directions page, not your phone, and check Caltrans for SR-2 closures. It's about an hour up, and cold at the top even when town is warm.
Eaton Canyon & Altadena (Altadena Dr, east Pasadena) — Please don't trespass — rangers patrol, fines are steep, and the slopes are unstable. For a hike, try Hahamongna Watershed Park or Chantry Flat in Arcadia (check current Forest Service status). If you want to help, spend money at Altadena businesses that have reopened. That is worth more than a photograph.
Day trip: Downtown LA on the A Line (Memorial Park station, Old Pasadena) — Load a TAP card or use the TAP app. From Union Station, walk across to Olvera Street for taquitos, or stay on to Little Tokyo. Avoid driving into downtown — the train is cheaper and cleverer.

Getting There

BUR — Hollywood Burbank Airport: ~25 min via SR-134 / I-210
LAX — Los Angeles International: ~45–75 min via I-110 or I-405 (traffic decides)
ONT — Ontario International: ~40–50 min west on I-210
From downtown LA: Arroyo Seco Parkway (SR-110), the first freeway in the West (1940): narrow, curvy, about 20 minutes. Or the A Line, about 30 minutes from Union Station.
From Burbank / the Valley: SR-134 east to Pasadena, about 20–25 minutes outside rush hour.
Up the mountain: I-210 to La Cañada Flintridge, then Angeles Crest Hwy (SR-2) and Mount Wilson Rd. About an hour to the observatory. Check road status first.
Getting around: Old Pasadena, the Playhouse District and the A Line are walkable or connected. Pasadena Transit buses cover the rest. You'll want a car for JPL, Mount Wilson and the Huntington.

Reading for the Train

An Architectural Guidebook to Los Angeles by David Gebhard & Robert Winter
Strange Angel by George Pendle
Greene & Greene by Edward R. Bosley
Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! by Richard P. Feynman
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

Where to Stay

The Langham Huntington, Pasadena, Oak Knoll, south Pasadena ($$$$)
Pasadena Hotel & Pool, E. Colorado Blvd, Playhouse District ($$$)
Hotel Dena, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, Cordova St, by the Convention Center ($$)
Hilton Pasadena, S. Los Robles Ave, Playhouse District ($$)

Live Events

See what's on this week: robotsalesmen.ltd/pasadena