#FlyWashington Magazine Winter 2018 | Page 31

DAY TRIPS Once you’ve settled in for a few days in Tel Aviv, it’s a great experience to grab a guide and head outside of the city. The size of New Jersey, Israel is an easy place to explore. For some travelers, the idea of a private tour guide can be burdensome or unnecessary, but in Israel, the amount of education and preparation that guides must undertake to be certified is different than most anywhere in the world. Their job is not only to point you in the right direction and make sure you have a smooth and safe ride, but to communicate stories, perspective and history into your experience. Set your sails on heading up to the Golan Heights. Spend some time near Tiberius, breathing in the Sea of Galilee, peering just over the Jordanian border. Then head to the artist’s colony in Tzefat and wind your way through the narrow, cobblestoned streets. Enjoy the most mouth-watering Yemenite street food at Lahuhe on Alkabets Street. Take a jaunt up to Rosh Hanikra located between the Israel and Lebanese border and ride a cable car down to a spectacular view of the grottos, which open from the high, white cliffs alongside the Mediterranean. And most definitely, take the hour and a half drive to Jerusalem. Visit the Western Wall and touch the layers of limestone, rich with more than 4,000 years of history. Stroll through the Armenian Market near the Jaffa Gate and shop for leather sandals, Bedouin jewelry and Arabic textiles. Travel down to the buzz at the Old Train Station and listen to trendy music, drink craft beer, or inhale a delicious Thai meal at Station 9. And do not miss a purchase of rugelach (a Jewish pastry; the best you’ll ever have) at the Mahane Yehuda Market on Ha-Rav Shmuel Barukh Street. And if you want to travel a little farther, head for Masada and the Dead Sea where you will experience a mix of history, science, relaxation, and adventure. GETTING THERE Take in the abundance of beauty in the landscape, people, architecture, and history of Tel Aviv and her surroundings. United Airlines will start service from Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) to Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) in May 2019. Worth noting that security at Ben Gurion Airport is among the most stringent in the world, so plan extra time when departing. Shakshouka Armanian Market in Jerusalem Credit: J. Schweers Credit: J. Schweers Tel Aviv Market Credit: J. Schweers WINTER 2018/19 29 FLYWASHINGTON.COM