The Holy Land

While most people know the State of Israel to be a Jewish State, along with being a religious mecca to Christianity,  Muslim and Judaism, they don't know it is a tourists dream.  Every city has something exciting to offer.  Not just to the Jewish people or other religious visitors but to anyone who likes a vast list of activities from hiking to snorkeling.  Starting with Jerusalem, the City of Gold.  This city clashes between ancient traditions and modern culture.  With the Old City in the center, you can walk around the small shops to see what kind of artifacts are offered.  In the center of these shops is the Western Wall and The Dome of the Rock.  The Western Wall, or Kotel, is the holiest site to pray for a Jew.  When any Jew is praying in the world, they face which ever way the Kotel is (in America, we face East.)  Neighboring the Kotel is the Dome of the Rock, the Musilm holy shrine.  When you look at a picture of Jerusalem, the Dome of the Rock is the big golden dome. This is the Muslim holy shrine, and only Muslims are allowed into the physical dome.  With high security, the public is allowed to walk around the terrace that surrounds it.  From the top of the patio are beautiful views of the rest of the city. Also located in the Old City is The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the church where Jesus was crucified along with the location of his tomb. A less religious location in the Old City is the tomb of King David.  An eerie location to learn about the story of King David.  Outside the old city is Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial museum.  This is a great way to learn the history and stories of the Holocaust with either guided tours or interactive spots throughout the museum.  Something for the kids would be to go to Tisch Family Zoological Gardens (Biblical Zoo). This zoo contains animals mentioned in the bible along with endangered species. For those politics lovers, you can always take a trip to the Kinnest, the Israeli Parliment, and understand how Israeli government works. Or to just get an idea of the whole structure of the country, you can take a trip to the Israel Museum. While in the summer, there may be water shortages but the one thing Israel does not lack is museums. And finally, while you're in Jerusalem, you have to visit my favorite place, the Shuk. This is an outdoor market place where street vendors can sell anything from fish, to candy, to clothes, to bread, to herbs, to toys, to spices, to cakes, to ice cream.  It is a hectic chaos but one of the most interactive and fun places to visit to watch Israelis acting like themselves.  If you venture up north to the Kinneret you can hike in Arbel or relax on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. You can raft down the Jordan river or relax in the Tiberias Hot Springs. As you head down South, I reccommend stopping in the little town of Tzfat.  Here you can find a quaint little village, with art and histoical landmarks to interest you. Heading more South and on the coast, you'll hit Tel Aviv.  Tel Aviv is known for being the most urban city of Israel, its compared to the New York City of Israel. It has a beach to relax at during the day with a lively night life. Walking the broadwalk, you'll see an array of street art and street performings.  You can also find the Olmpic Museum.  With interactive games, this museum can entertain both children and adults.  Going more south and to the opposit coast you should get a good nights sleep and hike Masada early in the morning.  This mountain is hystorical ruins from when the Romans attacked the Israelites. The pathways to hike the mountain close at 6AM because the desert sun gets too hot, so you have to get up pretty early to get to the top but its all worth it to see the beautiful sunrise.  After your hike, you can go relax in one of Israel's biggest attractions, the Dead Sea.  The Dead Sea is a body of water that is too salty for any animal life to live.  There is so much salt that when you go into the water, you float.  Everyone floats, can just relax while just hanging out in the water.  Then going all the way down South to the Southern tip of the country, you'll hit Eilat.  Eilat is the warmest city in Israel and offers a beach to the shores of the Red Sea.  This city offers snorkeling on the biggest coral reef north of the equator.  It also has an underwater observatory for adults and children to view and observe all the differnt fish and aquatic animals. These ideas are just a few of the things Israel has to offer to its tourists.  You can always ride a donkey or camel, explore underground caves, embark on hundreds of hikes, jeep rides in the Golan Heights, archeological digs, visit Kibbutzim and many, many more.

In front of the Dome of The Rock

Toes In the Water, Ass in the Sand

Sand, sun, wind, water, and palm trees.  What could you want from a tropical vacation.  The first beach vacation I'm going to suggest and tell you about is Puerto Vallarta, Mexico! Sitting on the coast of Banderas Bay, PV offers tons of activities for children, teens, adults, families and lovers. With an array of resorts to choose from, almost all offer the same activities and luxuries, it all depends on your price range.  If you come with your family, almost all resorts have kid pools and game rooms for the children to have activities throughout the day. And if you want to get off the resort, walking around the shops of the marina are always fun for the kids or canopy tours through the forrests. But what really wins the kids over is Aquaventuras waterpark where they not only offer water slides but the chance to swim with dolphins.  For those older kids, you can take them on ATV tours that will take your family through Mexican back country and small villages.  For couples activites or family activites, there are countless things to choose from.  If you want to explore the depths of the ocean, you can scuba dive with a certified instructor.  Or maybe food is your passion, you can take the Vallarta Food Tour that opens you up to history and architecture along with an unforgettable culinary experience. Maybe you and your significant other want to get away from the resort scene, or you just want to get away from the kids.  Well Puerto Vallarta offers a variety of boat trips to small islands.  If you want to take a day and relax on a small island village, Yelapa opens up their doors to allow you to scuba dive, fish, relax or take a hike to the waterfall.  The Marieta Islands is home to sea life and sea birds that will have you learning and facsinated.  They offer scuba diving and snorkeling which gives you prime viewing of this vast sea life.  And if you don't want to take a quick boat ride, you can always visit El Pitillal; a small village, not on the beach, but offers the authentic taste and feel of Mexico.
With so many opportunity for adventure throughout the day, you will be exhausted from all the excitment. But for those days you just lounged in the sun and got your tan on, the night life in Puerto Vallarta is far from dead.  If you want to take a stroll to the marina and shop until dinner or if its time to hit the clubs, PV has it. Señor Frogs is a popular club for the American young adult scene, but there are places like Club Roxy Rock House that plays rhythm and blues for the older crowd. From sunrise runs on the beach to dinner watching the sunset, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico offers everything!
Hotels and Prices: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels
Canopy Tours: http://canopytourspuertovallarta.com/?gclid=CKyCh-LpqbMCFaOaPAodtS4ABg
Dolphin Discovery: http://www.dolphindiscovery.com/vallarta/vallarta-location-overview.asp
ATV Tours:http://www.uniqueatvtours.com/
Scuba Diving: http://www.vallartaundersea.com.mx/
Puerto Vallarta Food Tours: http://puertovallartafoodtours.com/

Me in seventh grade swimming with the dolphins!

Stuck in a routine? Wake up, go to school or work, come home, feed the cat, watch TV then go to sleep.  Doesn't sound to exciting.  Well the best way to spice up your life is to take a break and leave.  Ask someone to watch the cat, book a flight to somewhere exciting and just go! So you might be thinking to yourself, "Kayla, how do you expect me to just put my life on hold?" Well I'm here to tell you I do not really know, but you just have to take a small leap of faith and the experience will be that much better.  Take that rainy day fund you were saving up and nows your chance to spend it.  Look on southwest.com for the cheapest flights to somewhere tropical, intriguing or adventerous.  Find a luxurious but cheap hotel at expedia.com and go! If you're going somewhere with a foreign language, grab a translating book on the way to the airport and study up on the flight there!  Take a leap of faith! These new experiences can only make you a more knowedgeable and exciting person.  If you're single,  this new passion can spark up your dating life.  And if you have a significant other, then this is the perfect opportunity to reconnect or get to know them a little better. This first post is just to get the idea of taking a break and traveling into your head.  The next posts will be which locations are best for different adventures and activities.  I will recommend touristy and not so touristy places to go and experience.  As Mark Twain once said, "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime."