How to add shortcut to directories to OS X menubar
found it.
XMenu

http://www.devontechnologies.com/products/freeware/

To expand on the functionality I needed:
Quickly access a directory while in terminal

Solution:
create a text file or a clipping with the path of the desired location
place that text file or clipping or an alias of either in the specific location
/Users/username/Library/Application Support/XMenu/Snippets

Now an entry with the title of that text file appears under an icon in your menubar. Selecting that entry pastes the CONTENT of that textile or clipping wherever your insertion point happens to be. This works in any text editor or shell. 

So if I have a text file named C++ projects and it has a one liner in it like:
cd ~/Documents/Projects/Programming/Fun/HomeAuto/C++
I just select that entry from under the 'snippets' icon that XMenu puts in the menubar, and BAM it's typed for me. I know that another utility, TextExpander has that option but they recently updated their app to be a subscription model. REALLY?! 

As a bonus, XMenu can put another little gear icon in the menubar with similar functionality- ANY FILE under that icon is just opened.

In addition, XMenu has options for other quick access directory drop downs as separate menubar items - for example the applications list, home directory, developer specific applications and the documents folder.

Oh, and XMenu is free.