J LeRoy W.
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As major Cabin Masters fans we were very excited to visit their "world headquarters" as Ryan calls it. It was a very pleasant experience even though we didn't get to see any of the "stars of the show."
The gift shop was what we expected it to be. Filled with logoed apparel, knick-knacks, object d'art, and other cool gifts. I was impressed with the quality of the apparel. The material and craftsmanship were solid.
We wished they had more "made in Maine" items from some of the folks they feature on the show. Yes, there were some, but not as much as we had hoped. At the cashier's suggestion we did stop at the Maine Craft Store which is part of the service area off I95 in Gardiner where they carry all Maine-made craft items, many from the artists and craftspeople that appear on the show.
The cashier was very friendly and was a retired school teacher who had taught the Cabin Masters years ago. She told us stories about them as high schoolers that would make your hair stand on end. She said she was very surprised none of them ever wound up in he Kennebec County Correctional Facility (just kidding of course).
We were very sorry to learn that Gus had only recently crossed the Rainbow Bridge. His photo in the Woodshed is adorned with black ribbon. RIP to such a good boy and companion to Ashley.
We ate in the Woodshed. Nice menu, and the food was excellent and at a reasonable price. It's an authentic one of kind place to eat. We like places like that. The service was a bit slow due to being short-staffed (many places in Maine are like that this season) but well worth the wait. They have plenty of beers on tap as well.
We took a backroad on the way back to our motel in Kennebunk, driving along Cobbassee Lake (if that's how you spell it) when my wife noticed Ryan's brother's house on the side of the road. Hard to miss, because it's almost on the road, the rehab of which is an episode in the series. She also saw a white pickup with the Kennebec Cabin Co. on the side of the house. Guess Ryan stopped in to see his family and get something to eat!
Anyway, a very pleasant day driving up to Manchester, and then through Gardiner and West Gardiner on our way down to southern Maine.