Cape Cod Rock Hopper

Road HeadAches & Straw Stack Cookies

           Reading along in the News blog about all the road construction brought on a memories that we will never forget, our trips to and from the Cape before the RT 25 widening and rotary days. I can remember the days, traveling with my family in ye old station wagon. Dad preferred to drive at night as Mom and I would sleep some and the roads were less traveled so it was a much easier trip. The only problem was that we would a lot of times get to the Cape on a Saturday and leave on a Saturday and driving through the night would put us into Rhode Island in the earlier morning. Then onto that dreadful stretch of road that would lead up to the Bourne Bridge Rotary. Many a years we would get into the traffic about 10 AM of so and would just sit and crawl and crawl and crawl. We were fortunate that we did not end up on the side of the road like many others with overheated engines and and heat related car problems. I remember Dad always trying to make up his mind if he wanted to do RT 6 and get caught in the traffic doing the Sagamore Rotary crawl or take the chance and just get over the bridge and do the RT 6A two lane crawl. Most the time Dad chose to just get round the closest rotary and get "onto" the Cape.
    Getting off the Cape was no prize either before they put in the fly over and got rid of the Sagamore Rotary. The only thing I can liken it to is what they are experiencing today with the wonderful construction going on. Traffic getting off the Cape would be backed up sometimes to exit 2 and 3 with slow downs starting at exit 4. And don't think you are going to dodge it by taking that scenic RT 6A route through Sandwich, past the power plant and sneak into traffic without being noticed and just slip over the bridge. I think you could have gotten better results trying to swim across the Canal.
    Todays trips are still filled with some traffic and slowdowns if you pull close to the Cape during peak morning hours on a beautiful summer Saturday. But with widened roads, like RT 25 and RT 6, and a defunct rotary now gone in front of the Sagamore bridge the trips have become much easier to drive. Today we have also learned to stretch out our last day on the Cape and instead of packing up and having to head straight out. We take our time, stopping for breakfast, then doing some last minute shop stops, then finally the last two things we do before leaving is the outlet mall and the Christmas Tree Shop. Once those are done, we are out of money and out of time. Over the bridge and through the pines it's homeward bound we go, ok so a play on an old song may not be what is going through my head as we leave. But I have never had a trip to the Cape that I wished I wasn't doing, and always dread the seeing it in my rear view mirror, knowing that I would not be waking up to the salty air and sandy roads.
    Todays trips are so much easier then they used to be, unless of course you are experiencing bridge repair or construction. But overall they are nothing like the older days of the 70's and 80s.  May I never get tired of the drive that brings me to the Cape and may I someday soon find that when I do look into the rear view mirror that it is my house that I see that I will be returning to later that day. Until that time someone please keep the lamp in the light house lit so I can find my way by soon.

    Recipe of the week is a another no bake but is so fitting for this time of year. Is another recipe from the wife's family collection and is another time tested goody. So bring on the kids (its that easy) and pour up some cider or milk and enjoy some of these fun filled treats.
    This weeks recipe is Straw Stack Cookies

•     6    oz           butterscotch morsels chips (1 bag)
•     2    Tbsp       peanut-butter
•     1    can        chow mein noodles
•     1    can        spanish peanuts (optional)

    Melt in pan, 2 Tbsp, of peanut-butter along with the 6 oz package of Butterscotch morsel chips. Stir in 1 can of chow mein noodles (and spanish peanuts if using) into the melted mixture and mix well. Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper and refrigerate.