Day 24 - October 1, 2026 Mileage; 29728
On the road to our next destination, I mentioned that I had seen Maine Maple Syrup bottled with the Kennebec Cabin Construction logo. That was all it took, and we took the Manchester exit and stopped again at the Kennebec Cabin Construction Company, the Gift Shop and The Wood Shed. As we were checking out with our purchases, the clerk mention that some of the company members (Maine Cabin Masters show regulars) were on site today. They told us to go “out back” which meant the area of The Woodshed’s outdoor venue. We walked back there and saw Jedi, one of the long-time construction crew members, talking to another couple. We walked up and Jedi and the couple were discussing the workshop (a vacant lumberyard that they purchased and turned into a large scale woodshop) and the Waters Run Inn located on State 135. We joined the conversation, and when the other couple bid farewell we had Jedi’s full attention.
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| Jedi and Debbie - Woodshed outside venue |
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| I join them for a Photo Op |
Jedi turned out to be very personable. Asked where we were from and answered questions about their construction techniques and the show. I asked about the use of white pine, which he stated was readily available. He stated that they seldom used sheet goods as the cabins they worked on were built many years ago, without the use of squares or levels. The 1x white pine allowed them to work easily in areas the were not plumb or square. We had our photo taken with him, then said our farewells as others were waiting to talk with him. We got in the car to leave, Deb dejected because none of the other members were there. As she was backing out she stopped and said “Ashley is here, that is her car.” Back into the parking spot. We walked back toward The Woodshed Restaurant when Ashley came out of the Restaurant. I said “Hi Ashley, my wife would like to meet you.” She said wait right there, I have to move my car. I get in trouble if I leave it here (in a no parking area) I’ll be right back.
Ashley is co-owner of the company and the design/staging creative person on the construction crew. She is also a talented artist, and the Gift Shop carries a lot of her art and designs. True to her word she came right back, taking an apparently business phone call on the way. By that time others had spotted her and the line grew quickly. She asked where everyone was from and where they were headed, She orchestrated the photo taking session, choosing the location, and moving it so that people would get better light for the photographs. A very personable lady. Not too much small talk due to the number of people crowding around her.
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| Deb, Ashley and I |
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| Other visitors getting their photo taken with Ashley |
We got ready to leave when Deb said that she heard that Chase, Ashley’s Brother, was on his way to the location. We decided to give it 20 minutes, then we would be off. I went to the restroom and when I came back, Deb was ecstatic. She stated that she had met Chase and she had her picture taken with him.
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| Chase & Debbie |
This trip to Maine is now a success as going to Kennebec Cabin Construction and meeting some of the people behind the Maine Cabin Masters Show had been realized. On to Burlington, MA.
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| More Fall colors |
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| Fall colors along the road |
Day 25 - October 2, 2026
The hotel we chose was located in Burlington, MA. This is a short (17 mile) drive into Boston. With traffic, the drive time varies from 30 to 45+ minutes. Parking in Boston can also be problematic. Public Parking ranges from $20 to $40 for the “day” and it is probably not near where you want to be. So, Uber to the rescue. We took Uber into downtown Boston - State and Atlantic Streets to catch the Old Town Trolley.
They divided the Trolley Tour into three separate sections, each color coded. We started at stop #1 on the Green Line.
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| Waiting for the Trolley |
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| Long Line |
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| Columbus Park and the skyline |
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| The Tolley |
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| USS Constitution - through the window andfence |
It then crosses back over the Inner Harbor and goes through a portion of Beacon Hill, along the Boston Commons and around the Public Garden. At stop #7 we got off the Green line and got onto the Orange line that took us through the Back Bay area, through the main shopping plaza area which borders the South End.
At stop #7 was a statue of Edgar Allen Poe, along with a Raven.
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| Edgar Allen Poe with a Raven |
The story goes that both Boston and Baltimore claimed to be the home of Edgar Allen Poe. Boston however, has proof that Edgar Allen Poe was born around Tremont & Avery Streets (IIRC). Baltimore named their Football team the Ravens in honor of Poe.
We then got back on the Green Line which took us through the Seaport District and back to stop #1.
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| Looking through the windshield of the Trolley at the State House |
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| Boston Skyscrapers |
Being a narrated tour, we learned of the history of these various areas. This included little factoids like the Back Bay, one of the most expensive areas of Boston, is built on fill. Back in the 1800’s, they tried to fill in some of the area, and found that the tide washed the fill material out to sea. They got smart, and built a dam across the open water, and then filled the space between the dam and the existing shoreline. This project took about 15 years. The mansions that were originally built on the Back Bay fill, were constructed on wooden piers driven into the fill. They were large buildings with thousand of square footage. The supporting piers began to rot away and had to be replaced over time at a large expense. Most of the old mansions have been converted to condominiums that go for millions. Another factoid was that the Battle of Bunker Hill was not fought on Bunker Hill. It was fought on Breed’s Hill in Charleston (now a subdivision of Boston). The Bunker Hill Battle Memorial is located on Breed’s Hill. We even went down Boylston St. Those that read Robert B Parker's "Spenser" series will recognize that street name.
Taking photos from a Trolley is difficult at best. Especially when it is fully loaded like these were.
Deb and I relaxed while an Uber took us back to the hotel through heavy stop and go traffic.
Dinner tonight was at Yard Haus (House) not far from the hotel. A very good dinner.
Day 26 - October 3, 2026. 29974
Started the day with breakfast at First Watch Restaurant. This is a chain we first found in Louisville, KY.
After a great breakfast it was off to the Winn Street Laundry to take care of laundry. This turned out to be a cramped, expensive business. Then back to the hotel to watch baseball. Dinner was at Yard House Restaurant.
