Touring * Fitness * Beginner * Hockey * Slalom * Artistic *

About a mile north of the Highway 134 interchange on Interstate 210 (Foothill Freeway) in Pasadena, exit at Mountain Street and drive west to where Mountain becomes Seco Street. After about three-quarters of a mile, Seco Street enters Brookside Park, where you will find ample parking south of the Rose Bowl.

When you think about it, it's not hard to figure out why the Rose Bowl is a favorite Sunday destination for hockey players, figure and fitness skaters, and even slalom enthusiasts. There are huge parking lots, it's surrounded by a ring of tree-covered hills, and a variety of pitches in the pavement invite every sort of in-line play. There's even a pedestrian path next to a road that loops around the lush greens of a golf course, providing great terrain for building up that all-important training heart rate. While Pasadena is far enough inland to be hit with hot weather during summertime, getting an early morning start helps with that problem. Besides, if you do work up a sweat, you can always cool off afterward with a dip in the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center's Olympic-size swimming pool. Look for the Aquatics Center down Arroyo Road at the south end of Brookside Park. Explore all of the parking lots to find the one best suited to your style of skating. If you like slalom, there are some gentle slalom runs in the handicapped parking lot. If you are just getting started on in-lines, find the flattest place that isn't bustling with other activity (although that may be difficult on a beautiful Sunday). Hockey players will have no trouble finding a pickup game on most weekends. Even figure skaters should be able to find their own corner to practice leaps and spins. Keep your eyes open for smooth new pavement. After you've checked out the opportunities and challenges offered by the parking lots, take the 3.4-mile tour around the bowl and Brookside Golf Course. Use a counterclockwise route to follow Seco Street, on the south edge of the parking lots, east to its intersection with Rosemont Avenue. Turn left and stick to the inside track as the route turns left twice more at Washington Boulevard and West Drive. As you pass the pretty golf course and take comfort in the shade of eucalyptus and pepper trees, it really doesn't seem like exercise. If you're a real hill addict, go straight instead of turning left at Washington Boulevard. A steep and curvy hill with no bike lane climbs out of the park into a neighborhood a quarter of a mile up. Don't attempt this unless you have the skills to handle downhill speed and know how to share the road with cars. The locals caution that you should look out for student drivers, who value the spacious parking lots of the bowl as much as you will.