Sussex SOUTHEAST - ROAD TRIP (FINAL)

This 45 mile excursion starts at the Indian River Life Saving Station and ends at Routes 24 & 113 intersection. There are two hikes (loop 0.25) and (in/out 3 mi R/T.) Add the numerous drive-bys and find a total of ten (10) Game boxes.

The Handels, Harold & Harriet along with little Henry & Henrietta have picked Sussex County - SouthEast for a Road Trip! Camping at the Delaware Seashore State Park they were just minutes from the historic Indian River Life Saving Station located on the ocean side of Route 1 just one mile North of Indian River Inlet Bridge. The structure, one of many lifesaving stations designed by the Federal government in 1875, is the oldest lifesaving station still in its original location on the East Coast. Its lifesaving days ended when the Storm of 1962 filled it with more than two feet of sand. It has since been meticulously restored to its 1905 appearance complete with diamond-shaped trim. The station was built in 1876 for use by the United States Lifesaving Service, a government organization created to respond to the alarming number of shipwrecks along the coastlines of the United States. This building was originally located 400 feet closer to the shore, but a sand dune began to form around it almost as soon as it was finished. It was moved to its present location in 1877.

The Handels took a tour back in time and then stopped by the gift shop to pick up the Holts Landing Trail Map and before finding the Indian River Life Saving Station stamp in the parking lot. Standing in the middle of the metal tower take a reading of 320 degrees and look out across the parking lot. Then look on the other side beneath the black pond liner covered over with branches. Take box to your car to stamp in and not attract attention. Replace as carefully, being sure there is still a covering of branches.

“We better get on the road” Harold urged. “Who has the directions?”

“I thought you packed them!” Harriet glared.

“I saw them on the kitchen table when we left Virginia Beach”, little Henry offered.

“How will we find our way” squeaked Henrietta

“We’ll just have to use our noggins.” Harold shrugged. “After all, we have the clues, we just aren’t sure which way to go. Maybe we can follow cars with letterboxers in them? Henrietta, look for bumper stickers. Henry, you keep your eyes on the road signs. Harriet, keep track of the clues.”

Henrietta spotted a “GET A CLUE” bumper sticker. “This is like playing I SPY” she giggled and added

“The car has a funny license plate!”

Harriet shuffled through the pages and found MONYLOOP Theater Bonus #1, “There it is on the left, James Farm Ecological Preserve Trail. WooHoo”

From parking lot follow green to the blue. Climb the stairs to the second balcony and view the staged Salt Marsh production. First, be sure to get your ticket stamped at the foot of the stairs. The ticket box is tucked under the base step on the right. Use the stick to retrieve and replace in a position to hide, but don’t push so far under the stair it can’t be retrieved!

To exit theater, continue down green aisle and go right onto the orange and then left onto the yellow. There along the left of the aisle, you will encounter a large tree that was in a precarious position but now lies horizontal across the trail and may be cut away come Oct. Its exposed tangle of roots which once mimicked a bonsai ‘roots over rock’ style of growth. Look at the right side of the tree, are those roots or

SPAGHETTI BORDELAISE Yield: 8 to 10 servings

· 2 pounds dried spaghetti

· 1/2 cup olive oil

· 8 cloves garlic, minced

· 1/2 cup green onions

· 2 tablespoons white wine

· 3/4 teaspoon dried basil

· 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

· 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

· 1/2 teaspoon salt

· 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

· 3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter

· 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

· 1 cup finely grated Parmesan

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain in a colander.

Meanwhile, in a medium pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and green onions and cook, stirring, until fragrant and starting to turn golden, about 2 minutes. Add the wine, basil, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the butter and parsley and cook for 2 minutes.

Return the drained spaghetti to the pot. Add the sauce, to taste, and toss well to coat. Place in a large serving bowl and coat with the Parmesan.
Ask the exCLUsion Chef in the box.

At the missing tomato sauce junction go left passing the amphitheater and pavilion as you head back to the car.

With another stamp to their credit the Handels were elated.

“We should head back the way we came, we’re almost at the end of Cedar Neck Rd with nothing beyond but Indian River Bay.” Harold noted.

“Slow Down! Harold” Harriet gasped as Harold pulled a hard left on the wheel.

“Are we there yet?” Henrietta moaned “ I haven’t seen any more bumper stickers”

“Just holt your horses, we’ll be landing soon.”

0.6 miles to the main entrance and then land in the parking lot. There are restrooms and a nice pier for fishing and crabbing. Take a hike on the SeaHawk Nature Trail. If you picked up a trail map at the fee station - be fore warned, it may show the trail starting at the waters edge neath the arched entrance and 1.7 miles. But the sign board near the playground has a new map starting the trail there for 1.5 miles. Did you get the updated trail map at IRLSS?

Enter trail head behind the yellow playground. There has been much debris fallen and downed trees. At times the trail is not obvious, but I tried to clear debris as I walked it for planting. Bringing a stick to continue flicking debris off the trail will improve its appearance and clarity – since trail signs are few and far between. The trail will lead you out of the woods along a field and then back into the woods. When you reach the corner of the lagoon look down the embankment to a roll of storm fencing. I mention this because when you exit this is the point where the trail goes straight and you do not continue left around the lagoon. Keep walking with the lagoon on your right. You may notice that the car road entrance to the park is running parallel on your left. At the next corner of the lagoon go right continuing to follow the edge of the lagoon. When you reach the last corner of the lagoon there is a trail post showing SeaHorse Connector that way and SeaHawk this way. Turn around and walk back to the pile of concrete organ pipes. Inside the rebar of the right most pipe listen for the tunes from thie Monyloop Theater Bonus under several rocks and a whitish branch.AS OF JULY 2008 TEMPORARILY NOT AVAILABLE

Continue your trek following the SeaHawk - at times you may be bushwacking your way through some tall grasses (funny they weren’t there in the spring when this box was plotted!). Persevere as eventually you will leave the lagoon and woods surround to reach an open area on your right – the woods edge on your left. The sporadic trees in the field are deciduous, but for a lone cedar. Make your way to the cedar, standing on the East side, reach in about five feet up for a Monyloop Resort Bonus is wedged in the branches. Please be sure to put it back in the same secure wedge.

At this point the trail goes right at the next trail post and heads for the Indian River Bay - about a quarter mile further. When these boxes were planted the trail at the bay’s edge was under water and the white caps were lapping at my feet. It may hzave just been high tide - or maybe this is seasonal. Either way, I didn’t have my boat shoes woith me for walking on water and so returned the way I came. If you are doing the Trail Challenge - go over to the end of the trail and look around.

“You know this MONYLOOP bonus stamp Theater #3 won’t be worth a penny if we don’t find its MONYLOOP mate.” Harold grumbled.

“Oh, but dear, they are so clever and well worth the state park entrance fee.” Harriet countered.

Harold snorted, “I was the clever one. With the ocean parks day pass I bought, we can get into all the parks today for one flat fee. But let’s get moving or we won’t have time for Trap Pond today.”

Henry and Henrietta began to sing

Peanut sitting on the rail road track

Its heart was all a flutter

Along came the 9:01

Toot Toot Peanut Butter

(for one version of the song It Ain’t Gonna Rain No More link to

http://members.aol.com/shelli72/songbook/silly.html

for Silly Songs)

Harold tried to distract Harriet as they passed by several antique shops, “Honey, have you found the next clue? Better shuffle through those pages again, we may not be coming back this way and don’t want to miss any new stamps posted, even if they aren’t for DE Games.”

Harriet began shuffling “Well, it’s a mystery to me we’ve gotten this far without getting lost. But PostMystress has recently put up some train boxes, let me look.”

When finally they continued

“Dad, I’m thirsty - Mom, can I have a Pepsi?” Henry lamented.

“I want a Dr Pepper” chimed in Henrietta

“It is almost 1:30 and my rusty pipes could use some sweet libation.” Harold agreed.

Behind the soda machine where Henry was pumping quarters, find a V8 (Vintage Car - Mark Pepe). Harrold and Harriet went in to order a sandwich and a Vintage Gas Pump - ssb in a 2 cup Dougerware with aqua lid.

“Another 30 minutes and we would have missed out on that bonus box!” Harriet exclaimed.

Fed and watered, the Handels continued their road trip into Nanticoke territory.

“Look at that old Harmony Cemetery” Henry pointed across the road.

“It looks like there’s no exit to the right” Harold peered down the road. “Guess we’ll find an exit if we go left.”

At the EXIT, pull in and go look at the information offered. Just a little further down the road was the location for the annual Punkin Chunkin event. Someone has stashed their Trebouchet (THIS BOX IS MIA) in a cluster of pines at the left of the entrance where the Handels parked. I hope they remember to take it with them to the new 4X larger location in Bridgeville DE. With 1000 acres, chunkin the mythical mile might be possible.

“Whew, that’s the tenth gamin’ box we’ve gotten on this Road Trip!” exclaimed Harriet.

“Thank goodness we were up with the chickens this morning or it might be too late to head over to Trap Pond.” Harold grinned. “Shall we give it a try? From where I think we are, we could just head down this road and take a left about 3.3 miles back to Rte 24. Didn’t Carl and Carol Crank say it is only 11.5 miles further West on Route 24 from the Route 113 junction to Trap Pond Rd?”

“I heard those were all bonus boxes, but we could use the mony. It’s up to you.” Harriet conceded, her inky fingers sore from the paper cuts.