Last Friday was July’s Adventure Run. It’s normally on the second Thursday of the month, but due to the freak storms we’ve been having around here, it was moved to Friday. This was both bad and good: bad because the two friends I’d invited to go could no longer make it, and good because fewer people in attendance means more chances to win prizes!
I even got myself an Adventure Run shirt this time, which gets me double tickets at all the checkpoints. The theme this month was Christmas in July, so I wrapped myself in Christmas lights and grabbed my NOEL door hanger, sported my Adventure Run shirt and TOOK OFF RUNNING! (Okay, walking, I walked. I’m in the walking group.)
We fared pretty well, although I failed to make it through the challenge at Bounce U (we had to run up a bouncy slide, pull ourselves to the top and slide down on the other side) and I totally fell off the log balance beam at Pinnacle Parkour Academy and landed on my (thankfully, GOOD) knee. Boo. Only some scrapes and a broken nail for injuries though, and it was made up for when we hit prize time. This is only my third Adventure Run, and I won EACH TIME! This time I won not one but TWO prizes.
Holy moly! One of my tickets was called and I won a $15 gift certificate to Jules Thin Crust, a pizza joint! They took my pic and before I even made it back to my seat they called ANOTHER of my tickets and I won FREE R-Gear ($30 value) from Roadrunner Sports, the store who runs the Adventure Run! Woo hoo!
This was a great run despite me not feeling like myself due to crazy hormone issues, and I made out like a bandit. My friend Sharon who is a Tour Guide for the walking group won a 30-day membership to the UFC Gym! So cool! I really enjoy going to these and highly encourage anyone who wants to have some fun to try them out. They’re FREE (I paid $19.99 for the shirt which gets me double tickets for the rest of the year) and if you’re lucky like me you get FREE STUFF!! (Momma needs a new pair of shoes, oh Adventure Run genie!)
This past Monday The Hubs and I traveled down to Wharton State Forest in the New Jersey Pine Barrens to spend a few hours at Lake Atsion. Lake Atsion is a cedar water lake, a type of lake commons to New Jersey. From NJMonthly.com:
The unique tea-colored (or “cedar”) water that flows through the Pinelands is evidence of the area’s biodiversity. The water’s light-brown hue is a result of the tannic acids present in the Pine Barrens’ plant life—especially the Atlantic white cedar—as well as naturally occurring iron in many of the streams.
When I was younger it was a yearly tradition to visit Lake Lenape, another cedar water lake. I remember people coming out from swimming and their light-colored clothes had been stained a light brown color.
We picnicked at a large area that is typical of the Pine Barrens, all sand and pine trees. And they have GRILLS! Par-tay!
Then we camped out on the beach to just relax and enjoy the beautiful day.
It was a great, cheap day! Only $5 for NJ residents. The facilities are great: bathrooms and showers as well as a reasonably priced snack bar. You can also rent canoes or paddleboats! It’s no place fancy, but a nice place to go for a few hours if we want to avoid the shore crowd. Next time we’ll bring MEAT to grill! Woo hoo!
Have you gone on any fun day trips this summer?
A Measured Life 
The Weekeewatchee River in Florida has tannic water as well, but only at a certain point. Up until that, you can see clear down to the bottom of the river bed, and all the fish swimming. It’s crystal clear! As you go farther downstream, the water gets to be a light tea color, and then finally it gets rather dark, a bit darker than in your picture. I had no idea that NJ had cedar water lakes! The park you went to looks wonderful!! Congrats on your double win!! Woo Hoo!!
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