What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear Pasadena?  Probably the Rose Bowl, right?  Pasadena was the destination for our girls trip last spring and we stayed at the Ritz Carlton Huntington Hotel.  Built in 1907 by Henry Huntington, the Ritz has been a landmark hotel since it opened nearly 100 years ago.  The hotel is located on 23 acres of manicured gardens, has an Olympic-size swimming pool and a full service spa. 

We decided to upgrade our room to the Club Level, and I was glad we did.  As Club Level guests you can drop by the Club Lounge and enjoy five themed food presentations daily – all complimentary.  True to Ritz form, every time we dropped in - whether is was for breakfast, afternoon tea or early evening cocktails and appetizers - the food and drink presentation was perfect.   

The Ritz has a Fitness Center and offers a pilates and yoga class each morning.  We attended both classes one morning and for the pilates class ended up one mat away from actor Aidan Quinn.

Old Town Pasadena is only five minutes from the Ritz and is a fun place to explore and admire the turn of the century architecture.  Pasadena’s historic district has more than 600 buildings listed in the National Register of Historic Places.  The best way to explore the district is by foot.  Take one of these self-guided walking tours to see Craftsman bungalows and a Frank Lloyd Wright designed home. Old Town is also a great place to shop with over 130 boutiques, shops, galleries and bistros.  

Several noteworthy museums including the Huntington Library, the Norton Simon Art Museum, the Gamble House (of Proctor and Gamble) and the Pasadena Museum of California Art are located in or near Pasadena.  All in all, Pasadena makes a great spot for a girls get-together.