Are you a graveyard fan?

[dreamshark]

If so, this is the most exciting weekend of the year in south Minneapolis: the back gate is open to the Lakewood Cemetery! 362 days out of the year (363 in leap years) the big gate in the cast iron fence at Dupont and 40th is locked tight. You'd think it was Area 51, the way they secure that graveyard. Cyclone fencing all around with 3 strands of barbed wire on the top, and a pointy-topped Victorian iron fence all along Dupont. The main entrance on 36th Street is open during the day, but flanked by unfriendly signs banning bikes, skateboards, loiterers, and people teaching their kids to drive.

But on Memorial Day Weekend, the stony hearts of the Keepers of Lakewood melt a little bit and they fling the gates open for their yearly open house. I rode my bike right in the front gate today on my way back from the lake, rode around the perimeter past Babyland and the Chinese Memorial and the hidden lake, and RODE OUT THE BACK GATE. Wow. It's so pretty in there this time of year, like an impressionist painting with all those delicate shades of green and drifts of magenta and white fruit blossom petals everywhere. It was so much fun that I went back later with Richard and rode another 3 or 4 miles up hill and down dale. It's really a huge place.

Anyway, if you're a cemetery fan, tomorrow's the big day. Not only are the back gates open, there will be cemetery tours, carriage rides, trolley car rides and music events. I might just go back one more time.

Comments

[mizzlaurajean.livejournal.com]

Thanx for the tip, I love the cemetery. We use to hang out there skippin school, havin picnics, playing frisbee, taking pictures of neat gravestones etc.

Maybe I'll ride through tomorrow.