Tournament Of Roses Parade

When the 120th Rose Parade rolls onto Colorado Boulevard this morning, the really valuable seating will be the free spots on the sidewalk, as the venerable parade and bowl game take a recessionary hit -- albeit one that New Year's revelers are taking with the day's trademark optimism. The spectacle of flower-festooned floats, marching bands and, of course, the daintily waving Rose Queen and her court is expected to draw tens of thousands of spectators and countless television viewers.

A lovely teenager named Courtney Chou Lee wore the crown and rode down Colorado Boulevard. But for many people who watched at home Thursday, the real queen of the 120th Rose Parade was the 65-year-old with the brilliant red hair and the relentless smile who described the pageant from high above the parade route.