Road trippers and holy rollers hit the open road in Israel

From Tel Aviv’s hip haunts, to Jerusalem’s religious wonders and the Sea of Galilee, it’s best to hit the open road to explore the many corners of this high holy land

Written and Photographed by Karen Loftus

There are several destinations I hit this year that may not have been possible in recent years. Even if a visit were arranged, it would have been vastly different. Israel was one of those spots. Due to their recent troubles and history, a visit may have been missed.
Thankfully that is no longer the case as 2009 was Israel’s second best year in tourism ever. Clearly The Holy Land is high on every global travelers wish list.

A word to the wise, your best bet is to hit the open road with a driver and a guide, as there is a lot of holy ground to cover with several destinations to be done in a day. Fill the tank and empty your mind and get ready for the most inspired adventure of a lifetime.

Tel Aviv

Driving in to Tel Aviv felt more like Miami to me. This beachfront city, less traditional in nature than the rest of the country is often compared to Brazil’s Rio or Spain’s sexy city, Barcelona. Put by a local, “It’s unlike any other city in Israel.” Unlike Jerusalem, the expressive party city of Tel Aviv is known for having an extreme level of tolerance, a thriving gay community and one of the best Prides in the world.

We felt like royalty ourselves checking in to the beachfront hotel, The Dan. Former first lady Hillary paid a recent visit as did her hubby Bill in prior years. We missed Liev Schreiber and Naomi Watts by a mere matter of days.

I could barely focus on the unpacking process as the Israeli sun was setting. The vibrant pinks, purples and burnt orange colors were changing by the minute as they performed in my hotel window. The beach had a full house of fit and sexy surfers; board and wind and several bathers; sun and sea, not to mention a kick back crowd enjoying a cocktail or two in the sand at one of the many beachfront bars. I could get used to this.

As we savored one of the best hotel breakfast buffets of the trip and perhaps of my travels, we sat beside a large crew and several sexy band members who would not give up their currently on tour leaders name. It’s that hip.

The Local Poor

At dusk, we hit the port, a local hotspot and had dinner at Boya on the deck outside. Sitting close to the water’s edge, the sea was explosive and expressive christening me throughout my meal. With locals breaking in to traditional song at nearby tables, I got the definite feeling that I was somewhere else.

There are many hip haunts and world-renowned clubs in Tel Aviv where global DJ’s pop in for a spin. They, like its comparative cities, Barcelona and Rio tend to kick in to action at midnight and may come to a close at 6 or even 10 a.m. I’ll have to try that with my next trip in.

For this trip, I was more interested in the low-key, local haunts. Bar 223 is just that. It is the one bar in Tel Aviv with an authentic cocktail culture. It has an east village vibe where the subtly sexy get their drink on, enjoying classic and signature cocktails and the local and spicy liqueur, Y&Y.

Market Watch

With very little time in Tel Aviv, we kicked in to high gear touring Old Jaffa, which gave us a picture perfect city view of Tel Aviv. We window-shopped in the newly renovated neighborhood, Neve Tzedek, a slice of SOHO with chic boutiques, art galleries and cafes.

We hit Carmel’s open-air market, a great window in to local characters and culture. I picked up local spices and cheap sundresses, perfect to don in the desert heat. But a block away was Nahalat Binyamin Pedestrian Mall and Arts and Crafts Bazaar. Aside from crafts, I loved the artistic community and the edgy, interesting apartments above, in the now cost prohibitive hood. We were all coveting one of those corners to call as a home of our own.

Underwater wonders

We dipped in to the historical Caesarea, one of King Herrod’s old haunts. There’s nothing quite like an archeological snorkel and snoop of an old city in the sea. The topper was walking through the Roman amphitheater and passing the young Israeli army in uniform with larger than life rifles on their backs. That’s Israel. It’s a surprise at every turn and often a colorful, cultural collision of past and present.

A fine time to wine

After sun and snorkel, we hit Tishbi, a small family-owned winery in Binyamina. The sophisticated side of this modern wine phenomena started up again in Israel in the 90’s with boutique and large-scale wineries garnering international awards and producing as many as 10 million bottles per year.

If you’re lucky Golan the winemaker may be on site for a bit of banter, historical talk and a tasting. His reds rival any great French red at a fraction of the price.

I reached a new level of relaxation upon arrival at Mizpe Hayamim, a Relais & Chateaux property in the hills of Galilee. I don’t know if it was the Tishbi reds, the sunken tub or the deep tissue on site, but I fell in to a deep and regal sleep.

Dinner on site at Muscat was well worth the waking as everything from meats to cheese, fruits, veggies, breads and spirits are all sourced on site. The property is all about health and wellness with a small dose of decadence. A morning tour of the garden, barn and property is a must before departure. The goats and cows are sure to win you over. The rooster will wake you.

A look back

The next leg was the old world wonder tour. There is so much to see in Israel, it is truly overwhelming. You need to not drive so you can take the reflective minute in between spots to take it all in.

We went to the quaint town of Tzefat the highest city in Israel and one of the four holy cities of Israel and the center of Cabalistic learning, a Madonna spot. We took a quick spin to Peki’in, a picturesque village with a mix of inhabitants – Druze, Muslim, Christian and Jews living harmoniously side-by-side. A local Druze teen made us unleavened bread on the open fire. We were told it’s what Jesus snacked on back in the day.

Galilee

One must tick it off the list, the Christian Historical and Holy sites around the Sea of Galilee including Capernaum, an ancient Jewish fishing town with a synagogue from the 4th century where Jesus began his Ministry and Tabgha the site of the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes and finally to Mount of Beatitudes, the site of the Sermon on the Mount, and a truly beautiful spot. It stopped me in my tourist tracks.

I was ready for a refreshing cleanse in our pool at The Scots Hotel in Tiberias, which overlooked the Sea of Galilee. I took a stroll on the water, which was stunning and a walk through the city, which was surreal, a bit of a honky tonk tourist town, a la Jesus went to Wildwood vibe. It was another window in to that collision of past and present. Yet once on the water, dinner at the Decks Restaurant, overlooking The Sea of Galilee was again otherworldly, complemented with a family style feast of chicken, fish and meats. We ate as if it was our last supper on the dusky sea.

Driving to Jerusalem we stopped briefly by Bet She’an an archaeological excavation of a Roman-Byzantine City, Scythopolis complete with a grand theater that had me craving a comedy routine or theater revival. There were several streets, expansive roman baths and many buildings. It’s amazing, a true step back in time. One could easily spend a long and leisurely day there imagining the life that once was. Go early at 8 a.m., as the midday summer sun will have you dripping.

Jerusalem

We eased our way in to Jerusalem, the capital of Israel and the holy city for the three monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. We stopped en route at Haas Promenade for a panoramic view of the city, and then went to Yad Vashem, The National Memorial and Museum of the Holocaust.

After a very moving and beautiful exhibition, I was heading in to Remembrance Hall and the Children’s Memorial when I passed a large group of female Israeli soldiers. They were singing emotionally charged songs interspersed with individual speak. The soldiers in uniform, provided yet another collision and window.Once in Jerusalem we checked in to The David citadel Hotel where Obama recently laid his presidential head. It has amazing vistas overlooking The Old City from the pool. It’s dizzy busy by day with the kiddy swims and Marco Polo activity, but well worth a later dusky dip or a contemplative sunset-bathe.

A unique cuisine

We had dinner at the kosher restaurant Shmil Bamaaba in a new hip district, where the trains once were in the city. Shmil at the Lab Café and Restaurant has an excellent and expansive Israeli wine list and an authentic Israeli cuisine, which as the owner pointed out is a mix of Mediterranean, old world European due to the influence of immigrants and locally inspired as they source from the plenty that surrounds them.

I see dead people

Going to the Dead Sea Region (417 meters below sea level) was one of the highlights of the trip for me. Standing on top of Masada, the ruins of King Herod’s mountaintop fortress and the last stronghold of the Jewish revolt against the Romans in 73 C.E was otherworldly. Between the ruins, the view, the sea, the desert, the sun and the cake like layers of color that changed with the wave of heat…was mystical. I felt truly at peace and away from it all. That is what you want in travel, to be transported to another time and place, to imagine as if… The soak in The Dead Sea with mud on my modern mask was the heavenly ending.

An old world wonder

The City of David’s new visitors center, archeological excavations, fortifications and water system complete with a tunnel tour in Jerusalem is very interesting. The forty-minute tunnel tour is not for the faint of heart nor the claustrophobic crowd, but a definitive kick to crawl through for thrill seekers and history buffs.

There is plenty to explore and to take in, in Jerusalem’s Old City. I got to The Western Wall or The Wailing Wall, placed my prayer in a crack in the wall and walked away from it backwards. Then almost on a Pavlovian queue, a wave came over me. The tears took flight, flying down my cheeks. I felt like a bit of a cliché, but there was no stopping it. It was full on as I backed away from the scene.

I followed the crowds in Old City, hitting the Stations of the Cross or places where Jesus apparently stopped, with the cross throughout the city. It was an interesting tour, but that wasn’t as moving as the wall or the beautiful Holy Sepulcher, where women, children and grown men were throwing themselves where Jesus may have been put to rest.

The Old City was an interesting mix of Jews breaking in to traditional dance, Christians hitting the stations and praying while Muslims passed by en route to The Dome, the city’s stunner. Not to worry, as I couldn’t have felt any safer as the checkpoint in and out of Old City made LAX and TSA look lazy.

Once in, there was another set of restrictions. If my oversized thin T-shirt fell off my summer shoulder, people, a mix of Muslims and Jews with equal investment flew to my then exposed skin, waving their arms frantically, making sure that bit of flesh went back to where it belonged, in hiding.

Sitting in Old City on a sultry Saturday night at a bar in an alleyway, surrounded by a fleet of sexy people, largely locals, sipping on cocktails and singing to music, mainly from the 90’s that seeped in the alley from the bar, I couldn’t help but wonder what would Jesus think.

To Stay:
The Dan Hotels – The Dan in Tel Aviv & King David in Jerusalem www.danhotels.com
Mizpe Hayamim – www.mizpe-haymim.com  
The Scot Hotel in Tiberias  www.scotshotels.co.il

To Play:
 www.goisrael.com

Come fly with me:
El Al is Israel’s airline www.elal.co.il 

By Karen Loftus / Follow Karen on Twitter @LAKarenLoftus or on Facebook