“The only question in life is whether or not you are going to answer a hearty ‘Yes!’ to your adventure.” — Joseph Campbell

Tournament of Roses President Mike Matthiessen chose this year’s parade theme to inspire everyone to get out and explore.

“Take the family to the beach; take a walk in the redwoods; just do something different this week,” he said.

Matthiessen was also inspired by the National Park Service and their upcoming centennial year.

Believing the birthday celebration required more than just a float entry for the 2016 Rose Parade, a partnership between the Tournament and the NPS was born.

“Our whole thing is we want to try and reach new audiences and this is a great opportunity,” said Kate Kuykendall, public affairs officer at the Santa Monica Mountains (SMM) National Recreation Area.

Of course, Tournament President Mike Matthiessen had the partnership in mind when he decided on the theme for the 127th edition of the parade – “Find Your Adventure.”

“I hope anyone looking at (the theme poster), the scenes from east coast to west coast, will stimulate and challenge them to expand their adventures,” said Matthiessen.

He hopes everyone can relate to the theme whether they find adventure spontaneously one day or within a planned outing.

The parade theme was coined to coincide with the NPS’ “Find Your Park,” a two-year public engagement campaign to increase awareness and involvement in the NPS and National Park Foundation ahead of the centennial, officially in August 2016.

NPS cares for 405 national parks as well as works with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create accessible recreational opportunities.

As part of the campaign, select NPS employees were tasked as Centennial Ambassadors, to help spread the message about the campaign and to reach out to the next generation of park stewards.

“The whole idea of the NPS is to preserve these special places,” said Kuykendall. “It’s an important time to reflect on the parks that we’ve preserved and to look forward to the next 100 years, and to cultivate that next generation (of preservationists).”

The NPS wants people to learn about all the parks have to offer, noted Kuykendall, and not just the larger national parks.

“(At Santa Monica), we have a pretty amazing ecosystem,” she said. “And the fact that we have so much open space, outside of a large metropolitan area, it’s an escape from the city.”

When announcing the parade’s Grand Marshal, Matthiessen called filmmaker Ken Burns “an artist who reveals and reveres the adventure in all of us.”

In a video message during the announcement, Burns genuinely shared his excitement for the theme and the grand honor.

“As an honorary park ranger, I couldn’t be prouder (of the theme), and I encourage everyone, especially children, to get out and find your park,” he said.

Burns’ 2009 documentary series, “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea,” highlighted the history of the National Park Service and the beauty found in our own backyards. PBS plans to rebroadcast the series in April.

“Our National Parks belong to all of us; they are part of our heritage and our future,” said Burns.

The Rose Parade has always been surrounded by adventures, though.

The Valley Hunt Club started the parade to invite East Coasters to venture out West and enjoy the balmy California winter weather.

And for more than a century now, high school bands, equestrian groups and communities, both near and far, have started out on their own adventures, months and years earlier, to prepare and make it to this grandest of New Year’s Day celebrations.

Matthiessen said he hopes parade viewers will be inspired by the parade entries to plan their adventures for the new year.

“Our 44 floats are going to have 44 different ideas and inspirations for their adventure,” said Matthiessen.