This might sound odd, but we do enjoy a day in the cemetery.

Not just any cemetery, but the historic Frederick Law Olmsted–designed Mountain View Cemetery, in the foothills of Oakland and Piedmont. Not only is this place incredibly beautiful, you will recognize the names of many of its residents, whose monikers grace many a street and landmark throughout the Bay Area. Take a visual journey behind the gates of this 154-year-old piece of history, and into our day with the dead.

(via Picssr.com)

This stunningly elaborate tomb, a miniature version of the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, befits the stature of Dr. Samuel Merritt (1822-1890), the 13th mayor of Oakland, as well as a physician, for whom Lake Merritt, Merritt Hospital, and other Oakland institutions are named. The replica of one of the Seven Wonders of the World is complete with stained-glass windows and Romanesque details.