SANDY NECK, BARNSTABLE MA.
Meeting new beach buggy friends from other towns raved about Sandy Neck. I was now a seasoned Beach Buggier , so I thought! It was time to Explore other beaches. Sandy Neck, (S.N.) was about an hour away.
A note here for the boomers, there was no S.E.Expressway or divided Rte 6 Highway, It was Rte 3-A to the Cape Cod Canal, then the now Rte 6-A to S.N. A 40 mile trip in a vehicle now designed for off road travel, no picknick, not yet anyway!
I was pleased upon our arrival with the formality. Signs with rules & regulations, a check-in station, and directional signs. Sandy Neck seemed to have it’s act together.
It was a bit intimidating entering the trail through the dunes, they were 12 to 20 feet high ! Then up and down, the likes I had never seen. The going was slow, mostly first gear, that was a worry due to the small fuel tank, an extra five gallon can was wise.
As you can see, we were early beach goers, a late spring snow flurry didn’t stop us.
The old International only made a few trips to Sandy Neck, It was showing her age and needed to be retired, she had been in service on the beach for 5 years, the salt was eating away and mechanical work was needed.
A 1956 Chevy Carryall was the much needed replacement.
The Chevy was a joy to drive on the highway and did well on the beaches. A stronger engine, a better geared transmission and a tight rear enclosure.
Our friends that lived close to the beach only needed a day buggy, so the least expensive car in the lot became a candidate .
Willys Aero Sedan.
The sleeping quarters on top was called a “Dog House”
Sandy Neck is a ten mile stretch of peninsular and barrier beach terminating at the Barnstable Harbor mouth, At its South end is a light house and small community.
The south end of Sandy Neck looking south at the mouth of Barnstable Harbor.
‘YO STRIPER !
My wife was pretty good at swinging my 12’ Striper rod !
Jimmy got one, those were the days when 16″ was legal !
Mountains of sand dunes the length of Sandy Neck.
Leftover oyster shells from Native Americans of many many years ago.
Sandy Neck was a place of interest and wonderment at every stop.
An evening campfire was always a must.
B.E.A.C.H. BEST ESCAPE ANYONE CAN HAVE. unknown.
W. Ray Freden, Seaview, Marshfield, 70 years, nearly 20 on the beaches.
Great reading about the Beach Buggies. I remember my father taking us down to Duxbury Beach across the Powder Point bridge. We’d go collecting scallops and quahogs (sometimes played with the horseshoe crabs) by feeling around with our toes in the mud of the bay, or go onto the surf for sea clams and flounders–occasionally a bass. Most BBs were Jeeps or half-rusted out station wagons.
Ray,
Enjoyable piece. It captures the post-war vibe that we of a certain age remember well.
Paul
Great stories, Ray! ⛱❤
Thank You Mary.