Mainebiz

V O L . X X X I N O. X V I J U LY 2 8 , 2 0 2 5 32 O N T H E R E C O R D B Y R E N E E C O R D E S B Y R E N E E C O R D E S ainebiz: You started a travel app in 2020. What can you share about that business? Joe Musumeci: I was running an escape room in Farmington and quickly needed another idea while everything was closed. I started creating outdoor scavenger hunts around downtown areas, which eventually morphed into the creation of a travel app called Story Trails of Maine. at app is still being actively developed as a way for people to explore Maine and keep track of all the places they visit. MB: What is it about puzzles and mysteries that intrigue you? JM: I love learning and figuring out how things work. e great part about puzzles and mysteries is there is not just one way to solve them. e fun part is finding a solution that works through the trial and error process along the way. MB: Who is the target consumer for Maine Mystery Trip? JM: Travelers who want to explore more of Maine but either don't have the time to plan a trip or don't have a specific place they need to go. at can apply to locals and tourists alike. We are able to create a fun experience, even if you are not going very far. MB: How have you funded your startup costs so far? JM: ese particular businesses have been funded with a lot of time investment. I have spent a lot of time researching, planning low- budget trips and visiting different places around Maine. I spent years teaching myself to code, in order to build an app that could do what I needed it to do. MB: How does the service work? JM: Interested travelers fill out a brief survey on our website. We ask questions about your interests for activities, budget parameters and any special accommodations or travel preferences. en we do our research, put together a customized itinerary of activities, meals, and lodging and send it on to the trav- eler. You also have the option to keep the actual location a secret until the day before your trip. MB: What kinds of experiences and destinations are your customers requesting so far? JM: Our most common requests are for experiencing natural won- ders, arts and beaches. e fun part about the Mystery Trip, though, is that the location could be a touristy spot or it might not be. We take into consideration all of the personalized requests, including how far someone is willing to go, then decide on the surprise location. P H O T O / J I M N E U G E R Fairfield resident Joe Musumeci, director of workforce training and professional development at Kennebec Valley Community College, has a side hustle as an entrepreneur. His latest venture, called Maine Mystery Trip, offers a unique twist on travel planning. BIBBY & HAROLD ALFOND DINING COMMONS, KENTS HILL SCHOOL We meet every project with a passion for quality, creativity and an emphasis on sustainability. WARRENCONSTRUCTIONGROUP.COM 207.865.3522 M Joe Musumeci, an entrepreneur based in central Maine, offers travel planning for adventure seekers via Maine Mystery Trip. (Can you guess where he was photographed?)

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