A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
Spooky season is upon us, so how about a trip to your nearest and coolest graveyard? Well, you're in luck. Our next guest is a cemetery travel guide. Loren Rhoads is the author of "222 Cemeteries To See Before You Die." Loren, welcome to the show. Now, right off the bat, let's establish that cemeteries are, of course, places of mourning and markers of legacy across cultures. But what should people consider if they're planning to visit a cemetery as a recreational site, as a tourist site?
LOREN RHOADS: Be aware, I think, is the primary thing. If there are people mourning or communing with their loved ones there, leave them alone. Don't move anything. Don't touch anything. But other than that, cemeteries are kind of like libraries in stone, where you can learn about all these stories that may have disappeared from the history books.
MARTÍNEZ: OK, so let's get into some of the cemeteries in the book. One that really was kind of cool was the Neptune Memorial Reef. It's located in international waters off the coast of Florida. Tell us about that one.
RHOADS: That's number one on my bucket list. I don't scuba dive, but I'm going to have to learn so I can see this place. It's off the coast of Florida, deep enough that it's below where a hurricane would disturb. The sculptures are made of cement mixed with cremains, people's ashes, and then sunk to the bottom of the ocean. And it's designed to become a man-made reef.
MARTÍNEZ: Now, Loren, for me, I actually do like going to cemeteries. Now, I'll tell you a story about my past. Back when I was a college student, I didn't really have money to go out on dates. But whenever someone did agree to go on a date with me, and especially if she was from out of town, I would take them to two cemeteries in Los Angeles. One was Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills, and then Hollywood Forever, which is the only cemetery inside of Hollywood itself. But I think sometimes, people don't realize the amount of beauty that's in these cemeteries that they're probably pretty near to.
RHOADS: Oh, I think you're exactly right. During the pandemic, I think people started to explore a little bit more. And I'm hoping that'll continue, because so many of them are arboretums or places where the birds land when they're migrating north and south, or the gardens are spectacular. You know, even in the smallest cemetery, there's something you can learn or something beautiful to see.
MARTÍNEZ: Now, can you point us to a few maybe underrated ones that people might miss in the United States?
RHOADS: One of my favorites is a place no one would ever discover by accident, so you have to make a trip there. But Sunset Hills in Flint, Michigan is really, really spectacular. They have a sculpture collection. I don't know. I've never seen its like. As you drive around the cemetery, there are these bronze sculptures. Each one is individual. It's really spectacular.
MARTÍNEZ: Yeah. It's hard not to reflect on life when you're there.
RHOADS: Well, I like to say that every day above ground is a good day, and a cemetery really makes you think about that. You see all these people and think about, did they achieve their dreams? Am I achieving my dreams? What's holding me back? What's slowing me down? Time is short. You know, the clock is ticking. You got to get a move on.
MARTÍNEZ: Loren Rhoads is the author of "222 Cemeteries To See Before You Die." Loren, thank you.
RHOADS: Thank you so much.
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