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

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