Hi everyone! It is me, Max, taking over for Colleen who is busy sorting luggage for tomorrow. When you last
heard from us, we had just taken off from KCI. What an adventure! The trip to Newark was 2 ½ hours. We then had a 6-hour layover followed by a 10 ½ hour flight to Tel Aviv! That’s a long time – even for a mighty Griffon like myself.
Dennis & Connie Merritt and Max arrive in TelAviv
Good news! In Newark, we met up with a family from Amarillo, Texas and a small group from West Virginia. We make up a great touring group of 33 people!
Tonight everyone sleeps. Tomorrow, we drive north along the famous highway, biblically known as the “way of the sea.”
We will arrive at Caesarea, where we will explore the ruins of the Roman and the Crusader City. We will see the reconstructed Roman city, the walls of the time of the Crusaders and the prison where St. Paul was held in captivity before being sent to Rome. This was also the place where the first gentile was converted to Christianity. As we leave the beautiful walls and moat, we will pass the horse racing theatre the Hippodrome.
We will stop at the amazing remains of the Roman Aqueduct, which has been beautifully preserved under the sand dunes for 2,000 years. We will continue to Mount Carmel and visit the Mukhraka, the site where the Prophet Elijah debated the 450 prophets of Baal. From here we will enjoy a breathtaking view over the whole Valley of Jezreel, better known as the Valley of Armageddon. (Maybe Colleen will take a few pictures so you can enjoy the sites with us!)
After a complimentary Falafel lunch at Druze Village, we continue to the famous Tel Megiddo, the archaeological mound, which inspired James Mitchum’s book, “The Source.” Here we can see the remains of King Solomon’s Stables and altar from the time of Abraham (4,000 years old) and the magnificent water tunnel.
Max gets some much needed rest after his journey.
We will then visit Nazareth and the Church of the Annunciation. We continue across the Valley to view Mount Tabor, the site of the Transfiguration. On the way to Tiberias, we pass Cana of Galilee, the village where Jesus performed his first miracle – the miracle at the wedding.
We then arrive at our hotel on the shores of the beautiful Lake of Galilee for dinner, a stroll on the streets of Tiberias and an overnight stay.
Sounds like a full day. Right now, this Griffon needs some sleep.