by Christine Hoeffner, DCW staff

Publisher’s note: Christine and Peter Hoeffner have written this series of articles to help DCI fans plan ahead for their trip to DCI’s first West Coast championship event. The series began in the February 2007 edition of Drum Corps World and concludes with this article. We hope this information will be helpful. This segment was published in the July 13, 2007 issue of Drum Corps World (Volume 36, Number 6).

1. Do a little homework — The “lost tourist” look is definitely out — the...

Christine Hoeffner

This article originally appeared in the June 1, 2007 edition of Drum Corps World (Volume 36, Number 3).

Welcome to Los Angeles! Drum corps fans visiting Pasadena will discover downtown Los Angeles is only a few miles away, easy to visit, compact and spectacularly entertaining (yet again, for free). Here, you will find the heart of the city. And yes, it does have a heart — after all, this is the City of the Angeles.

Experience LA’s history and scope by leaving your car in Pasadena and enjoying the short...

by Christine Hoeffner

This article originally appeared in the May 2007 issue of Drum Corps World (Volume 36, Number 2). Editor’s note: Since thi article was published, the fare for the LAX to Union Station FlyAway bus is now $4.00 — still a bargain!

Peter and I enjoy traveling much more when we’re not saddled with having to drive everywhere in a car — who really wants traffic tedium, navigation nightmares and parking purgatory?

When visiting cities, we pick up a pass for the local metro system and travel all...

by Christine T. Hoeffner, DCW staff

This article originally appeared in the April 2007 edition of Drum Corps World (Volume 36, Number 1), mailed to subscribers on March 15.

Fans attending DCI Championships in Pasadena this August can take in all forms of art — from music to dance, fine art to flea market art, and architecture to rare books. We’ve already explored gifts from American entrepreneurs Getty and Wrigley (DCW February and March 2007 issues). Let’s explore Pasadena and meet some more local entrepreneurs and their art...

by Christine T. Hoeffner, DCW staff

This article originally appeared in the March 2007 issue of Drum Corps World (Volume 35, Number 18).

Pasadena rests elegantly atop the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, just 7 miles from downtown Los Angeles. The origins of this “Crown of the Valley” are distinctively Midwestern and it offers ample treasures for drum corps fans to enjoy next August for free.

They say it all began because of an exceptionally bitter winter in 1872-73. A group of neighbors gathered at the Indianapolis...