In the spring, when we were standing in the kitchen and finally starting to talk about when we were going to move to Japan, to actually put a date on the calendar and buy a plane ticket, we narrowed it down to sometime around October or November. For a few reasons we settled on November 4th, after adjusting from the last week of October to accomodate Halloween. One of the benefits of this was that we would get one last Fall in Minnesota.
Usually about this time of year, somewhere in late September or early October, we head to Bogart’s Donuts over on 36th Street and Bryant, grab some hulking Nutella-filled donuts to go, and head over to Lakewood Cemetery. Lakewood is situated just southeast of Lake Bde Maka Ska, the big green patch when looking at Bde Maka Ska and Lake Harriet in satellite view. It’s the final resting place for many storied individuals of Minnesota, including Paul Wellstone, Tiny Tim, Franklin Mars (inventor of Milky Way chocolates), Hubert Humphrey, Richard Drew (inventor scotch tape), and a guy who danced for 3,780 continuous hours. Lakewood a premier park in the Twin Cities for those that don’t mind walking the quiet lanes, and it’s open every day of the year and is welcoming to visitors. The front office has maps, guides, and histories available to anyone who stops in. No biking allowed, but otherwise you are free to go wherever, including in most of the buildings.
Fall is the best time to go, in my opinion, as the colors really shine. As the weather gets crisper you’ll enjoy a hot chocolate or coffee (or cider?) along with donuts, taking a seat wherever you can find a bench– I suggest near the reflecting pool in front of the mausoleum.
The mausoleum is a large building that feels like a very heavy stone set into the landscape (I suppose not unlike a tombstone), yet it is exceeding bright and airy inside, Stain glass windows dot the floors and walls with some color in an otherwise white and gray space. I don’t believe the mausoleum is always open to the public, though I’m not sure if that is by some schedule or just by the needs of services being performed on particular days.
Opposite the mausoleum, and indeed closer to the entrance and office building, is the Memorial Chapel. It’s ceiling is a very cool Byzantine mosaic, from wall to wall.
If you’ve got any energy left after walking the paths at Lakewood, you can jump into the car and head over to the lakes, or Linden Hills area to get another coffee and check out Wild Rumpus books.
These are the perfect Fall days, Minnesota at its best.