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Maureen Kelly/Robert Tait
Bothan Taistil
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"All those who wander are not lost".
Maureen Kelly and Bob Tait make up the crew of the Bothan Taistil. Bothan Taistil is Irish Gaelic meaning "cottage for travel" and this is the name of our Winnebago VIEW RV.
We are retired Pittsburghers and enjoy travel, outdoor activities, learning new things and meeting new people. This Blog is about our travels throughout the U.S./Canada/Mexico/ Europe/ UK/Scandinavia/Iceland. We have a mission to travel the scenic highways, climb the highest point in every state, hike in every National Park, canoe/kayak the countries national scenic rivers, and bike everywhere possible! We invite family and friends to follow us. From time to time we post pictures and a brief account of our adventures. Thanks for following us.
April 2009
Dear Family and Friends,
We are in the final stages of preparation for our return to Europe, Part II. The motor home is waiting for us in Europe. Our motor home journey begins in Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia; then we join a caravan group late in May and travel into Russia for 16 days. We return by way of Estonia, onto to Finland, Sweden, Norway and a flight over to Iceland, back to Norway onto Denmark and return to Germany to ship our RV back to the US.
Many of the “touristy” places are on our list, but we especially look forward to finding “out- of- the- way” places and “communicating” with some of the local folks. We look forward to sampling the different foods and finding our way around various towns, these will be a few of the joys and challenges of our trip. We feel fortunate to experience Europe in our own hiking-biking style of travel. In early August the motor home will be shipped from Germany back to the USA.
Going South Fall 2009
The Civil War is the theme of this trip Ky,Tenn,Miss,Ak
Travel Blog Posts
July 15th 2010
An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day. Henry David Thoreau Point 1 Walden Pond Point 2 Minuteman Park Point 3 Mile Standish State Forest Henry David Thoreau’s Walden’s Pond National Historic Landmark, was our first stop in MA. Henry David Thoreau lived at Walden Pond from July 1845 to September 1847. His experience at Walden provided the material for the book Walden, which is credited with helping to inspire awareness and respect for the natural environment. Because of Thoreau's legacy, Walden Pond has been designated a National Historic Landmark and is considered the birthplace of the conservation movement. The trail along the lake has been redirected du... read more
July 15th 2010
All I know is that history repeats itself and people are going to want to experience the world. But I know then they are going to have a better appreciation for what is here in Maine. John Baldacci Point 1 Rangeley State Park Point 2 Grafton Notch Point 3 Screw Auger Falls Point 4 Sebago Lake SP Point 5 Rachel Carson NWR It was a long drive to Maine, with continuous warnings about Moose Crashes. We spotted a female moose at a pond and another male laying quite dead on the road… no sign of the vehicle re... read more
July 15th 2010
“Like all great travelers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen.” - Benjamin Disraeli It you remember the days you went to the beach and made sand castles, well take a look at this web site. Hampton Beach State Park Notes Click on the names on blue to learn more at other web sites. “Wandering re-establishes the original harmony which once existed between man and the universe”……Anatole France August Saint Gaudens was an outstanding US sculptor and this National Historic Site provided us with his history and accomplishments. Lake Winnipesaukee SP is right on the lake and it has electricity, (time to charge the house batteries). It is a bit pricey for a SP/CG, but it has location, location, location! ... read more
Vermont, Land of cheese & Green Mountains
Published: July 13th 2010North America » United States » Vermont
July 11th 2010
African Proverb Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning in Africa a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn’t matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle. When the sun comes up, you better start running. We are now in Vermont, our point of entry is the northwest corner bordering NY and Quebec. We drove south on the peninsula to Grand Isle SP. After a stop at Ethan Allen Homestead (ho-hum), we took a scenic road in the ski area to Smuggler’s Notch SP. Stowe Mt. Resort is quite a lovely town, ultimately we found the Trapp Family Inn. Yes the Trapp Family eventually found ... read more
July 10th 2010
It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts WEB SITES click on the blue letters to learn more Summer June 2010, New York Watkins Glen SP is the oldest of the Finger Lakes and it is a big WOW! The trail along the Gorge is outstandingly lovely, it includes lots of steps, over 800, and 9 waterfalls. The creek has poured down this valley for 12,000 years. As we hiked, we came to the last climbing section called “Jacob’s Ladder”, it left us huffing and puffing. We visited quite a few waterfalls in the Finger Lakes region, Montour Falls, Buttermilk Falls SP and Taughannock Falls SP and Seneca Falls. A stop at the Women’s Rights National Historic Park, brought a chill to my spine. It was not long ago women had NO ... read more
Summer 2010 Travels Update
Published: June 22nd 2010North America » United States » New Hampshire » Franconia
June 22nd 2010
“The journey not the arrival matters.” - T. S. Eliot June 22 , 2010 Just a quick note to our family and friends, Internet connection has been hard to find, so we just wanted to “touch base” and give you the short version of our blog (long one to come). On May 26, we took a trip to Letchworth SP, NY, Buffalo, Niagara Falls. The RV needs some parts, we returned home and had the necessary repairs. Then left June 2, for Watkins Glen, NY and other sights in the Finger Lake Region, the Adirondacks, VT and NH. Bob has some interesting photos and we do have a narrative, when we get to wifi areas. In the meantime, hope you are well. Please keep in touch. ... read more
More Beaches
Published: February 9th 2010North America » United States » Florida » St George Island State Park
February 9th 2010
February 1, 2010, Monday, St. George Island, SP We found a Laundromat in Apalachicola, and decided to explore the historic area. Lots of “cutsie-pie” touristy shops along this “forgotten coast” and a few restaurants, as the weather was cloudy and cool, we stopped for some “fish-chowder”. Back at St. George Island, we visited the newly rebuilt Lighthouse. It had a history of being in the wrong place, hit with lots of hurricanes and finally just falling down due to erosion. So it was rebuilt and dedicated in 2008. We walked the 92 steps to the top for a neat view. Back at the park, we took a great, long hike through the jungle, to the beach and back to the campground. Bob kept complaining about a “ Forced Death March” or something?! I thought it was ... read more
February 7th 2010
I travel a lot; I hate having my life disrupted by routine. ~Caskie Stinnett February 7, 2010, Sunday, St. Joseph’s Peninsula SP, to Topsail Hill SP Today is Super Bowl Sunday, and since the Steelers are not in it, Bob accepted the fact that he would listen to the game on the radio. Topsail Hill Preserve SP is described as an RV Resort? We knew it was more expensive than other SP’s, but being a “Resort” it has full hook-ups, including cable! So Bob has lucked out. We enjoyed a 3+ mile walk on the pristine beach with large sand dunes…quite a lovely setting. Topsail has a large swimming pool, so a visit here in the warmer weather would be fun. February 8, 2010, Monday, Topsail Hill Preserve SP Well, our “slide” stopped working. The ... read more
More Beaches II
Published: February 11th 2010North America » United States » Florida » St. Joseph Peninsula State Park
February 3rd 2010
February 3, 2010, Wednesday, St. George Island SP to St. Joseph’s Peninsula SP On our way to St. Joseph’s, we thought we would stop at St. Vincent’s National Wildlife Refuge. We didn’t know it was an island and the private shuttle boat did not seem available? So on we go out on the peninsula to St. Joseph SP, a sweeping landscape of towering dunes and wilderness. We walked on the beach for a while and began to look for a sign to the Wilderness Preserve. The dunes are protected, but we found the designated trail from the beach and began to walk… and walk… and walk. Of course, the map and other information is “home” in the RV. I heard the refrain …“Forced Death March” again and tried to ignore it. We eventually found cabins and ... read more
More State Parks
Published: February 2nd 2010North America » United States » Florida » Manatee Springs State Park
January 24th 2010
. “Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind.” - Seneca January 24, 2010, Sunday, Wildwood to Chiefland, FL, Manatee Springs State Park Walking along the boardwalk, we were looked for manatees. The manatees have also had some difficulty with the FL cold weather this winter. They come to this area because of the warm water from the spring. This is a first magnitude spring, which means it produces on average 100 million gallons of clear, cool water daily. In winter, West Indian manatees swim upriver to the warmer water of the spring. January 25, 210, Monday Manatee Springs State Park, FL The park is just a few miles from the Nature Coast State Bike Trail, in Chiefland. So we biked for a few hours, stopping in Fanning for a quick lunch. ... read more
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