Go to summer activity: reading party in Mountainview cemetery.
Before you think 'morbid' or 'goths in hot weather,' let me tell you that while Mountainview has an impressive number of graves and mausoleums, it's also very park-like. It has winding, uncrowded roads where people walk and run, often with their pets, beautifully landscaped hills and grassy expanses designed by none other than Frederick Law Olmsted (Oakland's Central Park?), and some of the best views of the Bay Area. It's also full of history — many notable Bay Area and California families have members buried here, and I've always meant to take one of the free, docent-led tours. It's easy to enjoy walking, running, or having a picnic in such a beautiful place, and I'd say the surroundings cast more of a contemplative than morbid vibe on these activities. We have a favorite spot to lay out a blanket, eat delicious sandwiches from Southie (Oakland's best sandwiches?) and read whatever books and magazines we pile into tote bags. Just don't eat the cute little strawberries the grow out of the grass. Do you have a favorite local spot to chill out and read on a sunny afternoon?
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