Vineyard to Vineyard: Patch Editor Comes Home with the Storm

I almost broke the law today, simply by driving through Massachusetts as we did our Jacoby Jones run between the storms.

Massachusetts was the 16th and final state of our eight-day, speed-limit-abiding transnational drive to MV from the Napa Valley, and our sixth state since leaving a Pennsylvania motel early this morning.

I checked my radar app before we departed: It indicated two storms — a nor'easter and a sou'wester, more or less — converging in a pincer manoeuver on exactly where we wanted to go: Woods Hole.

So we left early, with light snow beginning to fall from the southern storm, and didn't stop as we drove into the northern one. There was gas in the tank and we skipped the Starbucks, driving nonstop but carefully and always at or below the posted limits. 

Nonetheless: It was hairy. So after a solid week of sampling the airwaves on the car radio, tuning in Navajo and Spanish language broadcasts at times, this was the first day we just listened to the highway as we drove through increasingly bad weather for the last 500 or so miles of our more than 3,600-mile trip.

And so we missed the news when Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick declared a state of emergency at noon, ordering roads closed by 4 p.m. 

Luckily for us, we were able to make it to Woods Hole for the 2:30 p.m. boat, the last before cancellation, so we missed the driving ban. We were one of seven vehicles aboard.

And wonderfully, when we arrived: Our new kitchen was full of food, the house was warm and even if the power goes out in this blizzard, Paul and I have candles, comforters and a wood stove. Thanks, Mom and Tot!

Paul and I are relaxing, posting messages at the family table and charging all our devices as the storm rackets away outside. We are at the intersection of two streets that both end at the water a block away, but there's no danger of flooding here. 

Frankie the cat seems to understand his travels are over, after a solid week of driving and motels. He explored the place thoroughly, sampled various resting places and settled on the couch near us.

It's good to be home.

I promised a cocktail recipe: Here it is, with a deep bow and curtsey of gratitude to Mark Lucas of Napa Bike, who presented us with a quart of raw honey before our departure last week:

Honey Lime Horizon

Use natural ingredients and vary them to your taste:

1 part honey

2-3 parts lime juice (we use Joe & Nellie's Key lime juice or another unsweetened brand when we can't get juicy fresh limes)

3 parts vodka

Muddle honey and lime juice until well combined. Add vodka. Serve on ice from the motel machine, using plastic cups. OR NOT!

Also, this would probably be good with rum — or with lemonade, tea or water instead of alcohol, and served hot on blizzardy days like today.

What do you think? I'm off to the big house to see if Mom left any vodka there. Or rum.

What's next for Louisa, Paul and Frankie? Find out at facebook.com/marthasvineyardpatch starting Feb. 11, 2013.

Earlier Vineyard to Vineyard posts on Napa Valley Patch:

• Away We Go
• Bad Cocktails in Barstow
• Are We There Yet?