Manayunk Bike Races & Sunburn

Another weekend of strong summer weather; another trip to the State Forest in the Jerz where this time I accumulated 2 TICKS. One was found on my wrist during the drive home, another found much later and in a much more disconcerting place. I'll leave it at that, suffice it to say that I have since thoroughly examined and showered my person & clothing from the day. Thrice. Saturday was also the 2nd annual Roots Picnic, to which I could not afford a ticket, but was staged close enough to my house that I meandered over and was surprised to be able to hear and SEE the last 4 songs of the Black Keys' set. Bonus.
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Yesterday was the Manayunk Bike Race, which was a much bigger deal than I had guessed it to be. One of the legs of the Triple Crown, the race comprises "10 laps of a 14.4-mile circuit that links the majestic Benjamin Franklin Parkway with the hillside community of Manayunk, site of the legendary Manayunk Wall, named by Pro Cycling Tour’s David Chauner and Jerry Casale, a steep half-mile cruncher that has become a Philadelphia icon and favorite spot for race watchers."

The Wall is where most of the partying goes down. The police turn a blind eye to public drinking for the event, so the whole Manayunk area pretty much turns into Bourbon Street for the day. We started drinking around 11am. I got out of there by 3 or so, once I started to feel my skin crispening up. The crowd had thinned out considerably, but those who remained seemed steadfast in their determination to get totally bombed on a Sunday. Anyway, be it from the beers, jello-shots, or sunstroke, I seemed to accomplish my modest goals.

-Wrence