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Day Hike in South Golan Heights.

2012-02-05T02:36:00.001-08:00

While in Europe the cold weather front is taking a toll we are experiencing the most beautiful climate at this time,it is cold crispy and the skies are perfect blue, of course there is a downside to this and is a luck of rain but as one said before “we can not control the weather so why waist energy on the issue ?” and so we did not and took advantage of this lovely day to hike 8 miles along the MEZARR Wadi in South Golan Heights.

The bus collected the hiking group starting at 630AM and at 8AM off loaded us at the starting point,we carried the breakfast ,lunch and water with us all the way and eat on the route.

During the day the wind changed as we climbed and we had to peal and add clothing like an onion.

This hiking group exists more than 15 years with more or less the same people,so it is always great to meet old friends on these occasions.

The Golan Heights are blessed with gorgeous mountain views and few waterfalls that are beautiful to watch in the spring after the rain and the melting snow from Hermon Mountain that has its South sloops in Israel and the North sloops in Lebanon.

We are winter “seasonal” hikers because for the last 10 years we RV in N.America every summer with our 5W and are happy to find the “balance” between our HOME in Israel and our “Home on wheels” in North America,lets hope this will last for many more years….We arrived at home at 8PM after a great day, tired but happy and are looking forward for the next day trip at the end of this month,this does not mean that I am not working on our 11th RV trip that will start in late May and that will be fun too….

Till we meet again.

Hanuka 2011

2011-12-26T15:30:00.001-08:00

Hanuka is a holiday that symbols LIGHT , you can read all about it here http://danyshula.blogspot.com/search/label/HANUKA

Time passes the kids and the grand kids get older and we get wiser ….it is always overwhelming to have this traditional Holidays together,singing the songs , praying and having the tradition pass from one generation to another.

There is Happiness and a sense of achievement together with a regular concern of the unknown .

THE FIVE ANGELS…..

We want to wish you and you families Happy Holidays where ever you are combined with Health,Happiness and a lot of laughter.

Our small garden in December

2011-12-20T03:29:00.001-08:00

There is no balance in the world ,some places are flooded and some are dry as a bone,some have to much snow and some never experienced the magic of the white flake,some places are over crowded and in some you can walk days with out seeing another person.

We would like very much to have snow now as the Holidays are approaching but instead we took advantage of a sunny warm weather in our region to do some work in the garden – You can’t have it all…..

Our dear friends the Padgett’s were kind enough to send us Flower Bulbs all the way from Indiana and today they found their way to the “Holy soil in our garden”.

Happy Holidays to you all.

I once asked a person from the 10000 lakes State (Minnesota)to give us one lake,it will double the number of lakes we have and they will not feel a thing...somehow it did not work..

Winter on the beach

2011-12-03T07:37:00.001-08:00

This Saturday we joined our middle son and his family to enjoy the warm weather on the beach just 15 minutes from our house in Israel.

I know that some of you are on the way or already in the South and some are already in Mexico with their rigs to take advantage of a warm sunny winter,we unfortunately have to leave our rig in the US for the winter but can compensate ourselves being with family and a very mild winter.

I love the beach in the winter especially when it is not windy,it is not crowded,lots of parking ,it is clean and relaxing,the sunsets are beautiful but the minute the sun goes down it becomes chilly and cold.

We send you all a warm breeze from our small beautiful country,may you and your families have a great Holiday.

Rig stored ,we are at home for the winter

2011-11-06T09:46:00.001-08:00

As non residents are given “only” 6 months to stay in the US,so since 2002 we are RVing in the summers ,at the end of each trip we store the rig and fly home for the winter,just to come in the following spring to pick up from the place we stored the rig and discover new States/Provinces.

As we like nature,hiking,history and meeting people it usually takes us 3-4 States to really “see” each summer.

Till now we have explored The Western States,Canada except Manitoba,North Eastern States.:

This year in late October we stored the rig next to Charlotte NC and will be picking it from there next May-June and this time we will end the trip in Ontario Canada around October 2012.

I am currently planning a route that we have not taken yet and would like your advise/suggestions/comments along it.

The idea is to drive along this route (more or less) use parks with electrical hook-ups at central locations and do side trips mainly to waterfalls,overlooks,hikes and events with the truck.

Thank you for all your comments/suggestions.

End of our 10th RV summer trip

2011-10-13T22:18:00.000-07:00

It is the end of our 10th RV trip and this time we explored Michigan-Indiana-Kentucky-Tennessee and Part of North Carolina.We are storing the rig next to Charlotte NC and flying back home for the winter just to come back in next spring to pick the rig to discover,hike,meet people and LIVE the Life as we like.To all my Blogger friends,people that we meet on the way and maybe never will see again and to friends that shared with us their time,here is a short run down of this fantastic 2011 summer.See YA ALL IN 2012.CLICK ON THE ARROW TO START.

2011 Summer rv Trip-mi,in,ky,tn,nc Slideshow: Danny’s trip from New Lowell (near Angus, Ontario, Canada) to 33 cities including Nashville, Chattanooga, Lexington, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, Holland, Saint Ignace, Muskegon, Petoskey and Manistee was created by TripAdvisor. See another United States slideshow. Create a free slideshow with music from your travel photos.

Blue Ridge PKW NC

2011-10-11T13:42:00.001-07:00

10-10-2011

We tried to pick the perfect time to drive the Blue Ridge PKW NC when the foliage is at full and before the color fade off or the leaves start to fall of the trees, well it looks that we did a good job except on Mt.Mitchel (the highest peak on the PKW)that was covered with clouds.

The drive started at Ashville and ended at Linville Falls and covered 110M which took us a a full day including the hikes to the falls, many stops, picnic and the drive back to our C.G in Lake Powhatan near Ashville NC.

I do not have the talent, words or vocabulary to describe what we saw, experience or felt so I will let the slide show “Talk for itself”.

Ashville area NC

2011-10-11T13:36:00.001-07:00

6 Oct-12 Oct

October is considered a high season in the area due to the foliage colors on the trees, we felt it first hand when we were turned down trying to reserve 2 sites on line in Lake Powhatan C.G –“No reserve sites are available” was the response on the website “Only first come first served”…. So we took off at 9AM from Pigeon Forge taking the scenic route north of the smoke's and arrived at 11:30 Am to the C.G.

After checking the bookings we finally got 2 spots with electrical hook-ups but in different loops, we thanked the ladies and after an hour got settled in this beautiful C.G recommended by “wheeling it”-Thanks Nina.

The rest of the day we spent in beautiful Ashville downtown, the town is full with bars, restaurants, nice shops and many young people- the city is ALIVE and exciting.

As the sun was getting low we took advantage of a great place to sit and have a huge pie (like a pizza) with a pint of beer and salad, it was the right thing in the right time…What a day…

On 7 Oct we took off to the beautiful Chimney Rock N.P and town.

I do not want to go into the physical fitness of the people climbing all those hundred of stairs (the elevator was out of order) but the view from the top is OUTSTANDING…and very rewarding.

Collage of the Chimney Rock

By the time we got off the Rock we were ready for our picnic that was waiting for us in the cool box in the truck, finding a nice place for picnic was the easiest task of the day and we sat by the creek and enjoyed it while looking up to the Rock with satisfaction.

A great ice cream parlour in the beautiful small town of Chimney Rock supplied us exactly what we needed to top our picnic meal.

The “Lady “ on my GPS took us back “home” using back scenic roads full of fields, hills and changing color leaves…..I put a Luis Armstrong song ”What a wonderful world” and felt exactly as he when singing these words.

Technorati Tags: Chimney Rock NC

8 Oct-We headed to Old Fort and Marion NC,Old Fort has a long history where a battle took place against the British and the Cherokee people, a nice museum and a small Fort that is renovated these days tell the story of the place.

In Marion there was a fest going on with vendors, food and music all this in a beautiful village and great weather.

In the evening we built a fire enjoyed each other’s company till the wood ran out…

9 Oct-We shopped in the huge Farmer’s Market, visited the beautiful colourful Baltimore old village and went to a Bonsai show where everyone treated the plant like it is their only child..-they were impressive and beautiful plants.

Black Mountains area NC

How much can one push his luck???? The weather changed and it poured all night and the next day as well, but is this small detail going to close us in the trailer? No way, we took off to Hot Springs NC and enjoyed one hour soaking in a hot tub in front of a river in the small well located community of Hot Springs.

A waitress with a heavy Southern accent in the local dinner served us with the local juicy burger and some cold tea, it took us a while to understand her but it was kind of charming.

There was no trace of the moister on the next day, the sky was blue cloudless and the beautiful communities of Black Mountain and Montreat were perfect for a short day visit.

Black Mountain NC has one main street packed with small stores, coffee shops and a nostalgic atmosphere surrounded with mountains all around what makes it even more attractive.

Montreat is just few minutes away from Black Mountain also nestled between the mountain range is a attracting people to retreat in its outstanding Inn next to a lake and the foliage at this time only adds to its beauty.

This ends our week stay in Ashville area which continually supplied us with great vistas, drives; hikes, falls and great nature-it sure is located in one of the most beautiful places in the area, so we are saying Sayonara….and not GOOD BYE..

Pigeon ForgeTN North Entrance to Smoky Mountains N.P

2011-10-02T10:05:00.001-07:00

26Sep-5Oct

Technorati Tags: Smoky Mountains N.P,Pigeon Forge TN

Pigeon Forge TN

26 Sep-5 Oct

We drove with our two 5W from Whittier NC –South entrance Smoky Mountain N.P to Pigeon Forge TN at the North entrance of Smoky Mountains N.P using Hwy 441through the beautiful park, we even managed to park at the State cross line outlook point and take all the beautiful nature in for half an hour before continuing to the information center and the C.G.

The C.G is a small nice place with full hook ups, WiFi and cable TV close to the main drag in Pigeon Forge (20 $ for P.A members).

Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg are nice small towns with many restaurants, rides and hotels, but the main thing is being close the North entrance to Smoky Mountain N.P.

Our Rosh Hashana (Jewish New Year) this year is on 28 Sep, so we headed downtown to get some groceries for the evening traditional dinner, while the girls were preparing it we the boys did all king of work on the toys just not to get in their way.

The next day we drove to Little River Road in the park and hiked 2.5 miles to Laurel falls, it was a nice popular easy hike, it was unusual for us to see as many people on this trek-there is still hope…

After we had our picnic we spent 3 hours wondering through the nice, colourful and interesting Gatlinburg town, it can easy be called a “tourist trap” –but it is a nice one.

You can spend endless time in the Smokie’s and not see it all, so we chose the highlights:

*Hiked 2.5 Miles round trip to Laurel Falls- recommended.

*Scenic drives in Cades Cove and hiked 5 Miles round trip to Abrams Falls, on the way back we saw a bear crossing the road and one on a tree having his dinner- Recommended.

*Saw 2 Musical shows, not the best….

*Took a day off for laundry, getting supplies, washing the toys and reading a book (an important day..)

*Hiked 5 miles round-trip to Grotto Falls, very beautiful, can walk behind the falls-recommended, after the hike we drove to Clingmans Dome the highest point in the park and it was snowing and very cold for the first time this season, the view was fantastic, white top trees could be seen together with green and red colors and the whole atmosphere felt like Xmas, we also saw a mama bear with 2 calves on trees feeding from the berries and getting ready for the winter, as we descended back to Pigeon Forge the temperatures bounced back to normal and all the “magic” disappeared.

*Hiked 8 Miles round trip to Ramsey Cascades-excellent trek all the way next to a river crossing it 3 times on bridges– very recommended.

*Dollywood-we never thought to go to Dollywood but-next to me was a 5W that had a slide problem, his kitchen slide did not go all the way inn, I pulled his kitchen draws out and guess what I found-I big torchlight that was laying between the slide and the wall that prevented the slide to go all the way, it seems that it was left there since the 5W left the factory-any how the 5W owner and his wife were working in Dollywood and gave us a free pass worth 120$ …..It is always good to GIVE it always pays ….

I cannot even start to describe the beauty of each hike and site, so take a look at the slideshow.

Whittier NC-Smoky Mountains N.P South entrance.

2011-09-26T06:13:00.001-07:00

Technorati Tags: Smoky Mountains N.P,Blue Ridge NC

22Sep-25Sep

We chose Whittier NC as our base for the next 4 days because of its perfect location for day trips in South Smoky Mountains N.P area including the Blue Ridge.

Fort Wilderness C.G is not something to write back home if you get my drift, but the location and the price (20$ for PA members, including full Hook-ups&Wi-Fi) made work for us, especially when we were mostly touring and hiking around.

Rody &Ruth our good friends from Phoenix Arizona joined us at this point with their beautiful new Laredo 36’ 5W,as they wanted to be with us as much as possible before we fly back home they made the trip from Arizona in TWO DAYS…..and arrived around 10PM to the C.G.

Dinner was ready for them and we did some catch up before the hit the sack.

From the next morning it was an ongoing party, fun and good time.

We shared meals, evening entertainment, hikes, scenic drives and enjoyed each other’s company.

One day we took off to visit the small colourful town of Cherokee, with its Indian history and colourful dancer, then drove to Deep Creek and hiked 3 waterfalls all in 4mile loop.

Another day we drove the Blue Ridge Parkway loop stopping at many beautiful lookouts, visiting Mirror Falls and Sliding Rock.

We could stay another week or month in this area and still not see it all but we are moving to the North Entrance of the Smokey’s hopping to see the Autumn colors …..

Murphy NC

2011-09-21T19:34:00.001-07:00

Technorati Tags: Cherahala Skyway,Tellico Plains NC

20-21 Sep

If you like to camp surrounded by nature, with a running brook, full hook-ups, private bathrooms /toilets and close to Americas Byway Cherohala Skyway (part of it is in TN and part in NC)then look for Crawford’s Campground & Cabin Rental in Murphy NC ,13$ for Passport America members.

The owner is very helpful and welcoming, he directed us to a close by beautiful waterfall and viewpoints that only few people know about, without his hand sketch map we would never find the place, there are no signs anywhere, at one point we asked a local directions just to make sure that we are on the right trek not realizing that we are just a mile away and the person did not know what we are talking about, just to show you what kind of a “secret” this place is.

If any of you wants directions to a great natural waterfall and a view point with 360 degrees of outstanding view in this area, just ask and I will mail you directions.

It was a great day, the weather was good and the vision from the top of the Cherohala Skyway (5600'Ft.) was as far as the horizon, the bakery in Tellico Plains TN (Junction of Hwy 68&Hwy165) served delicious homemade bread sandwiches and we felt like flying through some kind of unreal world-as some might say it was too good to be true and if you get lost in your travels this is the place to get lost, even the GPS got lost…

I cannot put in words (especially with my English)what we felt seeing and going through this unspoiled beautiful part of the country, so take a look -one pictures is more than a 1000 words and even then it cannot transmit the whole picture, but this is the best I can do.

Chattanooga TN

2011-09-20T12:27:00.001-07:00

16Sep-19Sep

We chose to stay in Camping World C.G which is close to downtown and the other attractions we wanted to visit.

The C.G is nothing fancy but has full hook-ups, cable TV, pool, WiFi (from the CW sales waiting lounge), the sites are long and levelled but close one to another, the C.G was not full and there enough space between the trailers.

Chattanooga is nestled between the mountains: Signal Mountain, Lookout Mountain, Racoon Mountain and Missionary Ridge.

The Tennessee River runs through Chattanooga, 3 bridges connect both sides of the city; one of them is the longest pedestrian bridge.

There are several view points from the surrounding mountains into the Grand Canyon of the Tennessee River and the downtown area.

Add to this a lovely Downtown area with many restaurants, shops, ChooChoo Old Train Station, Bluff View Art District and free summer concerts along the river and you have a good excuse to stop for few days.

16 Sep

After settling in the C.G we wondered around the CW shop and took a look at some new RV that were for sale and then used the lounge to get online and check our e-mails.

17 Sep

*A day in Downtown that included:

*Walk along the river and the pedestrian bridge.

*We took the free shuttle to Choo Choo Old Train Station and a visited the Toy Train Museum.

*Lunch in Sticky Fingers a local BBQ dinner(Ribs,Chicken)-great food.

*Drive to the Signal Point that has great view to the Tennessee River.

*Concert in the park along the river, listening to music and watching boats sale by.

By 1030PM we were back and as you can imagine had no problems sleeping through the night……

18Sep

The farmers market was a real treat, local restaurants had a completion going on ,for 8$ you got to taste 8 samples from deferent restaurants and then voted for the one you liked the most, there was live music, fresh produce ,beer, wine and many other vendors.

We got ourselves some good fresh vegetables, goat cheese (which we love) and some herbs.

On the way back we popped into a Wal-Mart to get some presents for the kids and grandkids.

All this shopping activity made us thirsty and tired and at 5PM we headed home to cool ourselves in the AC.

The CW was closed so NO WiFi today….

19 Sep

Today was our “Tourist “ day, we drove to Lookout Mountain to visit Ruby Falls ,the tallest and deepest underground waterfall, it is 1120 feet underground (do not worry there is an elevator)and fall from 260 feet high,the tour is an hour and beside the falls many stalagmite /stalactites’ can be seen.

Then we drove to Rock City (crossed to GA without noticing) and walked the 1700 feet above sea level place to see SEVEN States from the observation point. The place is a beautiful botanical and geological wonder between natural rocks. Some of the paths are between “crakes” in the rocks so one might want to skip a meal before heading there.

We crossed back to Tennessee to a battle field at the Point Park where at 1863 Federal and Confederate armies clashed in some of the Civil War’s hardest fighting; it also has a fantastic view point on Chattanooga and the Tennessee River.

Just heard a short joke “How do you call a fish without an eye?”FSHHHH…(a little stupid ah..but funny)

That’s it for this beautiful area, moving tomorrow to Murphy NC.

Technorati Tags: Chattanooga TN

Pikesville Tennessee

2011-09-15T15:11:00.001-07:00

14 Sep-15 Sep

Our next stop was in a great small beautiful Mountain Glenn RV park next to Fall Creek Falls S.P.

The place is very well maintained,nice pull through sites and outstanding bathrooms (5 star hotel)..

The owner was very nice and helpful,we stayed in the game room watching cable TV while the washing and drying machine “worked “ on our laundry.

In the evening we built a fire and grilled some eggplant on it.

The following morning we woke up to a gloomy rainy day,but this did not stop us from getting our hiking gear together and hitting the Fall Creek Falls S.P just 20 miles down the road.

There are some beautiful hike in this huge park but due to the weather we did only 2 short ones to falls,hanging bridge and view points.

The scenery was just fantastic and I made a note to come for another visit.

Technorati Tags: Fall Creek falls S.P

Central Hill Lake TN

2011-09-14T14:34:00.001-07:00

Technorati Tags: Central hill lake TN,Virgin falls TN,Burgess Falls S.P,Rock Island S.P TN

10Sep-13Sep

We took a 100Km ride East towards Central Hill Lake COE C.G, as all COE C.G this too is located on a beautiful lake and has good size of sites with water & electrical hook-ups.

Next to the C.G there is a large Marina filled with large and beautiful boathouses including one that belongs to Al Gore.

The C.G RV sites are built in levels because of the sloops and this gives ones that are not on the water still be able to have a water view.

As we came in we meet this great couple named Eric and Ronda that came down for a day, we had only a short time together but managed to “solve” most of the world’s problems….the ones that we still did not solve we left till we meet again.

11Sep

On this beautiful day we took a ride down to Rock Island S.P (N 35.80472 W-85.63028) to hike and see the Twin Falls, first we drove to the lookout where we could see the huge size of this fantastic falls and although it was the end of summer the falls were strong and mighty.

After that we drove to other side of the river and hiked the Great falls (2Miles)at its lower part close to the river, all the way we walked in water and could see the falls starting way high above us till the vale small waterfalls just close to us, it was an unusual magnificent sight.

We took a picnic break and continued to Burgess Falls S.P (N36.04359 W-85.59833) although we felt that after the last fall’s it was imposable to take at the same day.

But the Burgess Falls were another pleasant surprise; the falls were massive, high and wide, only if some could be diverted to dry areas…..the hike was easy and a round trip was around 1.5Mile long.

12Sep

We took a DAY OFF relaxing around the beautiful lake, at noon we drove down to the Marina and got connected to the WiFi to check our mail.

13Sep

We took of early to Virgin Falls Designated State Natural Area just 50 miles from the C.G, on the way we stopped in Sparta information center to get a hiking map of the trail and continued to the trailhead.

The loop is 8 miles long passing Big Branch Falls, Big Laurel Falls and Virgin falls, some parts were quite rough but rewording at the end.

As it was the end of summer we did not see much water on the way to Virgin Falls and even thought to back up instead going all the way (Virgin Falls is at the end of the trail and the last fall)but something told us to go on and we are happy we did it (see pictures).

I must mention that the trail marking is very poor and in one case misleading, we “lost” our way few times and hikes extra unnecessary miles till we found out that we are on the wrong trek; even the map did not help.

At the falls we meet Chris & Mike, the only couple that was hiking this long trail; it was nice to do all the way back to the parking lot with them together, we do hope to meet them again when we will be in their area.

It was dark when got back “home” and felt like we were after a boot camp….but a nice one….

Nashville Area TN

2011-09-09T11:10:00.001-07:00

5Sep-9Sep

Technorati Tags: Nashville,J.Percy lake

The drive from Grand Rivers Land between the Lakes KY to J.Percy Priest lake Core of Engineer C.G near Nashville took around 3 hours with no outstanding events.

The C.G can accommodate any size of RV; some sites are close to the water, all have electrical and water hook-ups, the sites are specious and mostly levelled, there is a nice clean beach with children playground and most important just 20 minutes from downtown Nashville.

We experienced the most swift change in the weather, it jumped from 100’s to the 60’s in one day, it was cold, rainy and nasty..So we spent the rest of the day in the trailer sipping soup….

6 Sep

It rained all night and did not look promising this morning, but this did not stop us from driving to Nashville down town to service the truck in Nashville Ford service center then we parking the truck next to the information center (15$....) and walking the streets that are full with bars, eateries with music .

We visited 2 museums, eat and listened to a 3^rd class country music singer in a bar and after we got soaked to our bones it was time to head back “home” to our lovely trailer parked on Priest Lake.

7 Sep

There was some improvement in the weather conditions, it stopped raining but it was still chilly.

We took off to Franklin a beautiful town with interesting downtown area, heading back to the truck we noticed a fuel leak and headed back to Ford, after 2 hours and some apologies we were off again towards the famous National Byway Natchez Trail, it was a beautiful ride with some look outs and short hike to Jackson Falls (very weak stream at this time of the year).

At 6:30 PM we hit the famous establishment named Loveless Barn on Hwy 100, the place was sold out for the Country Music show that was to start at 7PM so we waited next to the ticket office hoping for some cancelations, surely enough we got 2 tickets and went into the large barn finding out that there were no sitting places available, but it was our “Green Light Day “and we found 2 seats marked “RESERVED” not taken till the show started, after getting some shoulder gestures from people around we took the seats and enjoyed 2 ½ hours of FANTASTIC country music show.

What a Day…

8Sep

It was cloudy but without wind and around the 70’s so we decided to take a leisurely scenic drive to Murfreesboro to visit the Cannonsburgh Village that has on the premises gristmill, school house, doctor’s office, general store and others, then we continued to Arrington Vineyards and tasted some good wines with fancy names.

After a short rest we drove to Nolensville ,a small village with some antique shops and great local BBQ where we struggled to clean a plate loaded with a full rack of baby ribs,sauce,French fries and beer….wooow it was GOOD.

The side roads we took throughout this drive were all beautiful and swung through lashing green valleys and hills, we were amazed to see the most huge beautiful houses in the area estimated value between 700 thousand and 1 million $....

At 6PM arriving back” home” we found the crane waiting for us….

9Sep

Nashville downtown, music,food and shopping all day long.

Moving tomorrow West to another COE C.G on Hill Lake

Grand Rivers-Land between the Lakes KY

2011-09-04T10:31:00.001-07:00

30 August-4 September.

We found a great spot in a Corps of Engineer Canal C.G in Grand Rivers at the North entrance to LBL.

The C.G has 110 sites, some pull through, some with full hook ups and some only water/electricity connections, regular price 20$ and 10$ for Golden Age Pass (so there are some advantages for being elderly….)

Grand Rivers is an ideal destination for anyone that likes the outdoors, boating, hiking, wants to see good theatre show ,eat well or just taking it easy taking scenic drives along the lakes.

Grand Rivers has a population of 350 but hosts the famous Pettis Village including a restaurant that serves the best huge 2” thick Pork Chops it also has great shows in the local theatre called Badgett Playhouse *, we went to both.

As it was Labour long week end there were many things going around: Fests, Parade and Concerts so we did a schedule to be able to see them all.

As you can see Grand Rivers is small but has all you need to enjoy the outdoors, Theatre, Gourmet food and most important people that let you feel at home when you are away from home.

At the center of LBL there is a prairie were Elks and Bison’s roam and this is surly on our list, so as you can see our hands are full, NO DAY OFF SINCE WE RETAIRED….

31 Aug

Information Center-Kim the lady that is running the center was kind enough to direct us to all the interesting places we should visit and attend she also invited us into the aircondioned center and let us use the WiFi (it was like 100F outside), later we found out that she told Bill Minihan the owner of the Budgett Playhouse that we will be coming to the Patty Clien’s show *(see 2 September to find out about the surprise).

*Bought Tickets to the Budgett Playhouse.

*Groceries supply

*Pettis Village

* Jetty to see the sunset.

Beautiful sunset from the Jetty in Grand Rivers.

*Pettis restaurant (2” thick pork chops) it was so large we had to share one Pork Chop plate for both of us… -EXCELENT, Put this on your bucket list as a MUST EAT…

Pettis Restaurant in Grand Rivers KY 2” Pork Chop.

1 September

Grand Loop from Grand Rivers to Cadiz-Bison Elk Prairie-Grand Rivers, with multiply stops and side trips.

Maybe it was too hot but we managed to see only few Elks and one Bison even though we made more than one run through the loop.

Elk in Land between the Lakes prairie.

2 September

Paducah KY-The town is located Just 30 minutes west from Grand Rivers where the Tennessee River joins the Ohio River

In the beautiful downtown area near the river we found an old Bakery (had breakfast there),antique shops, impressive old buildings and fantastic Murals telling the history of the town painted on the wall that protects the city from flooding.

In uptown artists from all over North America found a friendly place to show their arts and by that attract tourist to this area.

Badgett Playhouse Grand Rivers-KY

Shula in front the BADGETT THEATERE IN GRAND RIVERS.

We have purchased tickets to Patsy Cline’s show in advance (the great singer that died in a plane crash when she was only 30 years old) and I am glad we did that as the Theatre was completely full .

Before the show started together with some advertisements there were titles running on the screen welcoming new people that joined the theatre Season pass and Patron’s pass ,following these titles suddenly we see a title saying “Welcome to Danny and Ursula from Israel” beside the mistake in my wife’s name we did not believe our eyes, we did not give this information to the cashier while buying the tickets????

As if this is not enough just before the show started Bill (the owner) said a few words about the future theatre shows and plans and then said “we welcome our friends from Israel Danny and Ursula, let’s give them a hand. Please show yourselves”…so here we are rising while audience is clapping hands-Wow that was something we have never experienced before but surly appreciated it very much.

At the interval people came over and showed interest on our travels, we felt welcomed and among friends-Thank you all.

We grew up on Patsy Cline’s songs and when I closed my eyes I could swear that I am actually listening to her and not to Erica (Complement..) that is blessed with an outstanding voice, It is a MUST ++ DO NOT MISS.

Erica the magnificent in action…..

Bill and Sara invited us for tomorrows show and gave us the best sits in the theatre, what a couple….they both are very talented and a part of the cast ,Sara not only dances ,sings and acts but she also is the chorographer and does the all the costumes herself…(wonder women).

3 September

We started the day by visiting the Grand Rivers artist Fair where 90 venders showed their merchandise, it was organized very well; unfortunately it was too hot and humid so people stayed only for a limited time.

At 7PM we drove down to the Budgett Theatre to see Variety show, music, memories and more, it was 2hours of Branson style great entertainment that we enjoyed very much.

We said goodbyes to Sara and Bill, exchanged E-mails hoping to see them again in the future.

In January 2012 they will adding a new addition to their family nest- Mazal Tov(Good Luck in Hebrew).

Bill & Sara Minihan (the owners),Shula ,Erica (a great singer with a divine voice).

4 September.

A kind of “a day off” just before we hit the road to Nashville.

Getting some supplies, checking E-mail, visiting the city Dam and taking it easy.

For the last few day the weather was around the 90’s and it was tough to stay out of the air-condition but today finally it became cooler-what a relief.

All in all we enjoyed very much these last 5 days in Grand Rivers and the Land between the Lakes, it is surely one of the most beautiful places in Kentucky.

Mammoth Cave National Park Kentucky

2011-08-29T19:43:00.001-07:00

27-29 Aug

Technorati Tags: Mammoth Cave N.P

A Grand, Gloomy and Peculiar Place Mammoth Cave National Park preserves the cave system and a part of the Green River valley and hilly country of south central Kentucky. This is the world's longest known cave system, with more than 390 miles explored. Early guide Stephen Bishop called the cave a "grand, gloomy and peculiar place," but its vast chambers and complex labyrinths have earned its name—Mammoth.

First time we meet Chuck and Carol was in Upper Michigan on one of the falls trails,after a short time talking with them they invited us to call them when we will be in their area close to Mammoth Cave and so we meet them again and had a fantastic 3 days together.

They have invited us to their house for dinner what turned out to be an overnight thing,they live in a forest and the place is just beautiful, what impressed us was the fact that all the renovations were done by Chuck&Carol and it took them 4 years to bring it to what it is today.

The next 2 days we spent together shopping,visiting the Cave and hiking in the N.P,after the cave visit we invited them for an Israeli dinner that included Humus,Thini,Falafel and salad.

Chuck& Carol-Thanks for sharing time with us hope to meet you guys again..

The cave was somehow disappointing,it is large and impressive but dry and nothing to be compared with other Caves we saw before

Cumberland Falls State Resort Park-Kentucky

2011-08-26T14:43:00.001-07:00

25-26 August.

Technorati Tags: Cumberland Falls State Resort Park-Kentucky

Beautiful Hwy I-75 took us to Cumberland Falls State Resort Park also known as NIAGARA OF THE SOUTH.

The old C.G in the park is not ready for big rigs,all sites are unlevelled and close to each other,we managed to park along 3 sites ,I had to put 3 boards under the right wheels and raise the front quite a bit just to level the 5W .

After parking the rig we put it behind us and enjoyed the stay in the park .

There are few hikes in the park including 2 we took,one short one to the Cumberland Falls that in a small scale does remind Niagara falls and although it was August the Falls were in full swing.

The second hike (2 Miles) was to the beautiful Eagle Falls ,huge rocks and good vistas were all along the trail ,when reached we could walk behind the falls and wet our feet at the bottom .

We were surprised to be the only one on the trail,but no complain here… .

Natural Bridge&Red River Gorge Kentucky

2011-08-24T15:34:00.001-07:00

22-24 Aug

Our next stop in Kentucky was a Aldersgate Camp & Retreat www.aldersgatecamp.org

Technorati Tags: Natural bridge Kentucky,Daniel Boone National Forest

in Ravenna just 30 miles from Natural Bridge that is a part of the Daniel Boone forest , a Passport America member will pay 12$ a day.

It is a big retreat camp nestled in a beautiful green valley , the C.G has only 10 concrete pads on grass enough for a large trailer and the truck ,all of them have full hook ups ,good space between the sites ,fire rings & free wood and a picnic table.

The rest of the camp holds,a swimming pool,huge playgrounds,animal farm with goats,lams,chickens,ducks and horses-all rooming freely around.

We had the whole C.G for ourselves for 3 nights ,enjoyed the tranquility and the morning wake up by the rooster.

From Ravenna we took of with the truck to Natural Bridge using country small curly and hilly roads ,the Natural Bridge offers hikes to beautiful vistas and to the top of the Bridge and picnic areas.

We hiked for 4 hours all over the place covering 4 miles all together.

After a short snack we took of to the Red River Gorge on Hwy 175& Hwy 77 also known as America’s Byway,all along this route there are parking spots to short hikes to vistas and amazing rocks.

We ended the day driving back to the C.G through a narrow Nada Tunnel made by the railroad ,do not try this with a trailer….

At the C.G we started a campfire roasted some eggplants on it till the skin became brownish,when on the plate we opened the eggplants and added cold THINI (Sesame seeds butter,parsley, cilantro and garlic) on –the taste was just FANTASTIC, do not forget the beer…..That is called LIFE.

Danville KY

2011-08-21T18:16:00.001-07:00

20-21 Aug

Danville is famous because a Pioneer Playhouse is operating at town,this Playhouse is the oldest outdoor theater from recycled materials dating back centuries,every brick,beam and doorknob whispers stories from the past.

Pioneer Playhouse is one of the last remaining summer stock theaters left in America.

There is a C.G with electrical and water hook-ups on the premises what makes the visit to the Playhouse and a show much easier.

The comedy named Kosher Lutherans is about a young Jewish family desperately wanting to adopt an infant from an Iowa farm girl whose dogmatic dad only like Lutherans ,so the couple poses to be Lutherans with a lot of curve balls and humour.

Technorati Tags: Pioneer Playhouse Danville KY

But this was not our main reason for stopping in Danville,we meet with two great couples who live in town,they are a son and daughter of a dear old friend of ours and they spoiled us rotten during these 2 days.

We also had an opportunity to meet and spend time with one of the writer's and actor of the play we saw and we enjoyed it very much.

Kentucky Horse Park

2011-08-20T13:21:00.001-07:00

18-19 August.

The Kentucky Horse Park is divided into 3 sections: Park, completion area and a campground all in vast green meadows.

To get a site in the C.G you have to reserve sometimes a year ahead, as we cannot /do not know when we will hit this place we just drove in the C.G and got yourselves a site with only electric hook-ups on the grass and with a lot of space around us (they call it “primitive with electric”),it was just fine with us as the water and sewer station was close by and easy in/out, it also was very close to the Park but you have to use the truck.

This horse “city” is a dream place for horse lovers, stables, race treks, museums, horse cleaning stations, food stands, saddle and jockey clothing all over the place- the place is a LIVE from 8am till the last show/completion.

We sat in the crowd and watched the “Hunters”, the “Jumpers” and the jockeys some of them young as 11 years old and enjoyed every minute.

South Indiana

2011-08-17T12:05:00.001-07:00

13 Aug-17 Aug

We & the Padgett’s took off towards Bedford Indiana with two 5W and camped for 5 nights in Passport America Bedford’s C.G.

It has full hook ups,swimming pool and it is located perfectly for all side trips in South Indiana.

For 4 days we have explored Amish farm land,lakes,small villages,State Parks, the longest covered bridge in the USA and mostly had enjoyed each others company.

We picnicked,hiked and had all our meals together ,shared stories ,laughs and felt like we know each other for decades (not decades but for a long time..)

It sure was one of the peaks of our travels,hoping that one day we will meet Judy & Lee again.

Technorati Tags: South Indiana

Greentown Indiana

2011-08-12T19:06:00.001-07:00

8 Aug-12 Aug

3 years ago I hooked up with Lee Padgett from Indiana on the RV forum and meet him this year for the first time.

Lee and Judy live in a small quite village and hour North of Indianapolis and it was a great opportunity for us to meet them after “talking” with them through the internet (what would we do without it…)

They are a great couple and made us instantly feel at home ,Judy is a “wonder women” she cannot sit still for more than a few moments,cooking,painting windows and making laundry all in the same time is not to much for her,and Lee has “golden hands” everything from home repairs to replacing the RV roof and more.

We are off together tomorrow to Monroe Lake in South Indiana for 5 days each one with his 5W.

The best THINGS are not THINGS…one of the "things" is FREINDSHIP,thank you Lee and Judy for everything.

Technorati Tags: Indiana

Wawasee Indiana

2011-08-09T14:30:00.000-07:00

7August
We moved from the Rally C.G to the factory RV spot just to be close to the service center and be first to go in on Monday and be done with all the repairs on the same day.
We barely hooked up and it started to pore rain like there is no tomorrow, I mean the skies just opened up and let the flood come down.
As it was already noon a hot soup was served by Chef Shula together with a glass of wine was just the right thing in the right place.
Sitting in the trailer eating and drinking with the curtains open looking out as the rain falls down is a nice sight that I am sure many of you experienced.
By the time we finished eating the skies cleared and sunbeams emerged through the clouds, in no time we were in the truck for a short drive to Wawasee ,a well known lake area.
The place is loaded with sail boats, boat houses and it seems that if you do not own one you do not belong there.
On the way back we experienced a beautiful sunset as you can see from the pictures.

Crossroads Rally –Shipshewana Indiana

2011-08-08T07:33:00.000-07:00

5Aug-7Aug.
Although we own a Crossroads product for the last 6 years it was our first rally and it was just a blast.
It was great putting faces together with the names from now on it will be much easier now to relate.
The rally was organized very well, the food was great and so were the mingling and the games.
We made lots of friends and we do hope to see them down the road one day.
After the rally we took off to the factory for some repairs and meet the C.R people that made us feel at home and we thank them for it.
It is not enough to have a good product it must be followed by a good service and we feel that we have them both.

2011-08-04T15:47:00.000-07:00

Howe- North Indiana
2Aug-4Aug
Crossroads is a trailer manufacturer based in North Indiana, they are holding a rally once a year and this year the timing was perfect for us and we decided for the first time to attend it.
The rally will take place between 5Aug-7Aug in Shipshewana Indiana close to the factory, we arrived to Howe Indiana (just 12 Miles from Shipshewana) on the 2nd of August to explore the area before the rally.
Shipshewana is located in the center of a large Amish community, buggies, Amish people, Amish beautiful farms and Amish furniture business are all over the place.
They are different from ones we meet in Minnesota and Upstate NY that are more to themselves and do not integrate into the general society.
We walked the city that is a huge tourist trap but very clean and nice, attended a show in the local theater that showed a musical play called “The Confession”, based on a book telling a story of an Amish girl that wants to leave the faith-it was very good.
The next day we took a Heritage drive to Topeka-Goshen-Elkhart and back, we passed through many Amish farms and vast country and saw many happy Amish kids playing around.
On the way back we visited the Amish-Mennonite Museum and learned about the difference between the groups-it was fascinating.

2011-08-01T17:10:00.000-07:00

Decatur Michigan
31July-1Aug
We crossed into Michigan USA from Ontario on 5 July and since then we have traveled along ether the Superior Lake or the Michigan Lake and what a great route it was, by the way the Superior Lake is larger than Israel…so imagine what went through our minds while traveling along the coast.
Today was the first time we left lake shores and headed east towards Decatur just south west of Kalamazoo.
The GPS took us through small country roads and I had to stop twice to make sure that it is taking us in the right direction to a C.G in Decatur, it looks like it is at the end of the world and then to the right…but what a great spot it was.
The C.G is located on the “lake on the woods” ,has all the hook-ups,private beach ,great specious sites, children playground and WiFi close to the office.
It was the best time to do lundary, take a swim, read a book and make plans for the rest of our lives, we only have to think how to use the time that is left in the best possible way…
We are on the way to Crossroads Rally in Shipshewana Indiana and this is our last stop in Michigan and concludes almost a whole beautiful month in UP/West Michigan.

Holland Michigan

2011-07-31T14:18:00.000-07:00

29-30 July.
West Michigan along Lake Michigan is loaded with beautiful small communities, offering large white sandy beaches, historic main street, marinas, restaurants and beer breweries-Holland is not an exception.
We did not visit any of the Holland attractions offered by this beautiful place as we have been few times in Europe including Holland and experienced the real thing, but we did take advantage of what the main street can offer and took a drive to the Red Lighthouse at the end of the South Shore Drive.
Along this drive we saw the HUGEST houses/mansions facing the lake; I had to stop a few times to be able to see the whole house and the garden at one glance-it was almost a crime to have one of these….
At the end of the drive one is permitted by a guard to walk to the Red lighthouse as the path is a long a private close community.
To get down to earth we went in a brewery to cool off with a finest local made beer and a good burger.
To wrap up the day we attended a free concert on the lawn facing the lake-not bad for one day.
On 30 July we meet with an internet friend and his wife from the Crossroads Forum with whom I was “talking” for a couple of years and we spend the morning together, walking the downtown and dinning.
We invited them to have some Israeli coffee (very strong mixed with herbs) and it seems that liked it very much.
It is hot ,so we will pop in the pool and get things ready for the move tomorrow.

Muskegon & Grand Haven Michigan

2011-07-31T14:10:00.000-07:00

27-28 July
Our next stop on the way south in west Michigan was Muskegon, an old town that used to be the lumber center of Michigan, they say that Muskegon lumber built Chicago after the big fire.
We camped on Muskegon lake just minutes away from the historic downtown, our trailer was positioned so we could see the river from the left window (the dining area) and it was nice seeing the fishing boats sail around.
After visiting the information center we took the local Tourist trolley (60 cents for seniors) all around the historic center and the submarine museum where the most decorated US Submarine from WW2 is docked.
Then we strolled the downtown area visiting the historic buildings and the fantastic old Library that was donated to the city by the Lumber Baron.
We were lucky as the rain picked up after we finished our daily activities and were back in our trailer.
On the 28 we drove 20 Miles south to Grand Haven, a beautiful community and the home for the Coast Guards in west Michigan.
The place is beautiful, groomed with few marinas filled with private and charter boats, great main drag with places to eat, shop and stay.
There is a city C.G on the beach (very crouded, we did not like it) and a path to a lighthouse.
To top it all off every night along the boardwalk at 10PM there is a “light, water, music” show for 20 minutes, it can be seen and heard all along the walk or by sitting in a boat in the river-Outstanding show and worthwhile staying around till after the show.
I hope the picture will do justice to reality.

Manistee Michigan

2011-07-26T15:49:00.000-07:00

26-26 July
Our next stop going south along the Michigan Lake was the nice town of Manistee.
We have camped in the Little River Casino C.G, usually I do not write a review on the C.G we use but this one is an exception…
Full hook ups, Wifi connection, levelled spacious sites, access to the fitting center with a pool and a qaguzzi,8 miles from the downtown and all this for 20$ or 18 if you have AAA-unbelievable.
We have strolled along the board walk and the nice historic downtown and attended a free concert in Onekama City Park just few minutes north from the Casino.
On the next day we took a drive to Ludington, one of the most groomed cities in this area ,white sand wide beaches, beautiful marinas, Lighthouse, nice green shaded city parks and a nice main street loaded with Murals with many parking free places-what else one needs????

Traverse City Michigan

2011-07-24T15:40:00.000-07:00

22-24 July
The drive from Petoskey to Traverse City took us around an hour and a half, this time we chose a full hook-up Holiday Park C.G just 10 miles from downtown Traverse City, it is specious, site are leveled, has WiFi and cable TV.
On the same day we took off to the downtown area where every Friday they have live music, entertainment and lots of food, it is not our usual “thing” but from time to time it is nice to change atmosphere.
2-3 years ago we hooked up through the RV Forum with a fireman in Traverse City ,and finally meet with him and had spend the evening together-it was fun and always helps when a “local” can show you around.
23 July
We packed a picnic box and left for the day to Sleeping Bear Dunes-the beautiful town of Leland with a beautiful old fishing village-Suttons Bay with fantastic marinas on the lake and back.
On the way we stopped for “U pick” cherries that are just fantastic now.
The scenery along the way is just outstanding, I am jealous to see the Lakes that some of them have islands on them with lakes on the islands…..unbelievable. Just “give” my country ONE lake, it will DOUBLE the number of lakes we have and you will not feel a thing..(Wishful thinking).
24 July
There is another land “finger” that goes all the way into the lake just north of Traverse City, this morning we took off towards this Island all the way till the Mission Point Lighthouse, on the way North we drove the West Road and coming back we took the East road.
The Island is narrow and in many places the lake can be seen on both sides, the houses or should I say Mansions on great lots and fantastic views are all over, marinas, vistas and yachts are all over the place ,do the locals actually SEE the beauty around them …… -it was a great drive with many stops on lookouts and beaches-it is highly recommended.

Petoskey MI

2011-07-22T10:07:00.000-07:00

20 July-21 July

On 20 July we have completed our travels throughout Upper Michigan, it took us 2 weeks and could easily take a month without feeling that we are wasting our time, but it is time to move on.
We crossed the Mackinac 5 Mile bridge and although 2 lines were closed for maintenance the traffic was running smooth.
After an hour and a half we arrived to the beautiful town of Petoskey and camped in the city park on Lake Michigan, full hook-ups in some site and some only Electric and water, no WiFi,nice beach.
The park location is perfect to tour the area and the city, but it is close to a hospital and the air-condition is making quite a noise especially on the South side of the park, but otherwise than that it is fine.
It was around the 90’s and humid so walking around there was feeling that you are in a soup even the bugs and flies complained , many RVers stayed in the trailer with the air-condition on all night, as we cannot control the weather there is no point in wasting energy on the issue, let’s hope that tomorrow it will be cooler.
A trip to the supper Wal-Mart center downtown for some products and then to watch the outstanding sunset (they never stop fascinating me), Pasta with asparagus & Wine prepared by Chef Shula completed our day.
21 July
After sleeping through the night with the air-condition on the morning weather was cooler and the gentle wind gave the impression that it is going to be a cooler day.
We packed a picnic lunch and headed towards Cross Village on the Scenic HWY 119 called also “The tunnel of trees” along the coast.
It was a beautiful drive, the name of the HWY actually explains what we experienced, trees covered the road and gave the impression of a tunnel, do not take this road with a trailer.
The villages and houses along this Hwy are magnificent, the marinas, yachts, small shops and evening street music made it a great destination.
To top it off at around 9PM was one of the beautiful sunsets we experienced, only the pictures can do it justice (one picture is more than a thousand words).

St.Ignace & Mackinac Island

2011-07-19T18:04:00.000-07:00

17 July till 19 July
On the way from the “ Porkies “ to St.Ignace we have stopped in Manistique planning to stay for 2 days and explore the area .
After unhooking the trailer in Kewadin Casino (we have almost become a regulars..)we took off to the down town and found a “dead” town except a movie theatre and it showed the last film of Harry Potter, we looked at the watch and at each other “it starts in 15 minutes, so let’s grab an ice-cream and go for it” my wife said, easy said than done –no ice-cream in the area only pizza…and so we found ourselves in comfortable chairs with no ice-cream watching the last saga of Harry Potter.
The film made more than 165 million $ in a short period and our 8$ sure contributed to it …
The next morning it was raining cats & dogs so we decided to continue to St.Ignace.
The ride went smooth and the skies went blue, it was hard to believe that it actually the same day…so we unhooked and took off to the beautiful downtown area.
On the way we stopped at the Castle Rock, an observation point 700’ high from where the whole bay and the Mackinac Island could be seen.
Going up the staircase to the top you could definitely say that America has to get in shape…the view from the top was rewarding.
Downtown area is just beautiful, clean, lots of free parking lots, boardwalk all along the bay, many small nice shops and bars.
At one point we took the load from our feet and with drinks in our hands facing the bay watched the ferries and sailing boats go by-and you know what we felt the life is good.
Mackinac Island
As we were getting into the truck to take off to the ferry a casino employee asked us and the other Rvers to move from the C.G as they are upgrading the place to accommodate 20 RV’s with 50AMP and Water.
We moved to Castel Rock C.G just down the road and took the shuttle to the ferry.
The ferry route to the Island was first to the Mackinac Bridge, it is 5 Mile long and is one of larges bridges in North America.
The Island was as expected full of tourists that moved by foot, bicycles, horses and buggies ,the main street ,shops and restaurants were crowded, but in spite of that we enjoyed our day trip to the Mackinac Island., it is unique, but on visit was enough.

Porcupine Mountain Wilderness S.P Michigan

2011-07-17T15:20:00.000-07:00

16 July 2011

The drive from Cooper Harbor to towards Porcupine S.P went without any special events except the fact that the closest diesel gas station was 30 miles down the road and we barely made it….
We camped in the Ontonagon city park on the beach of lake Superior with electrical and water hook-ups.
The weather was not very promising, grey clouds and mist covered the Porcupine Mountains and the Lake but we packed our gear and headed to the S.P with no hesitation what so ever and it sure payed off.
The State park is one of the largest in North America and has one RV C.G and many remote primitive camping places for tents.
There 2 main routes in the park allowing visitors to park at the many Trail Heads across the “Porcies”.
We spent the whole day hiking falls, the famous Lake of the Clouds and climbed the observation tower allowing 360 vistas.
We did NOT see any Porcupines…..but it still was a fantastic day.

Fort Wilkins historic State park-Upper Michigan

2011-07-14T08:34:00.000-07:00

From 12 July till 14 July

Day 1 out of 3
Leaving a free C.G with electricity that has a clean bathroom next door is not easy as it looks, but we left the Kewadin Casino in Munising heading West towards the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula in UP Michigan also known as Copper Country.
Most of the trips I post are usually ones we do with only the truck but sometimes the ride from one C.G to another can be interesting too.
The route along the Superior Lake shore was very scenic and with the stops we made it took us to complete 300 KM 6 hours while pulling the 5W.
The C.G in Fort Wilkins is divided to 2 C.G, East and West, both have only electrical hook ups and clean spotless bathrooms, the West has the dumping station and the East WiFi connection-So we are in the East C.G…and all this on the LAKE…
We took it easy today, walked the park, visited the Fort and read a book.
Day 2 out of 3
If you look at the tip of the West Point in Upper Peninsula you can see that it is like a finger pointing into the Superior Lake, we left our 5W at Fort Williams next to Copper Harbor and drove the Copper Country Trail one of the America’s Byway’s and what a beauty it is.
The trail is sometimes next to the shoreline of Lake Superior and sometimes is 700” above the Lake, and the vistas are stunning.
We stopped to hike 2 waterfalls and get some Jam at the famous Jampot in Eagle Harbor where monks make their own bread, honey and jam, we also visited the beautiful Calumet old theater.
That is it for the day…
Day 3 the last day in this place.
Today is what we call “A DAY OFF”, meaning “off” hiking and traveling and doing some laundry, cleaning, reading, and surfing the net.
Tomorrow moving South West towards the Porcupine Mountains area.

Munising Michigan 9July-11July

2011-07-11T14:25:00.000-07:00

Munising means: Place on the Island.
We have left Tahquamenon S.P on 9 July early in the morning towards Munising, on the way we have stopped at the Oswalds Bear Ranch near Newberry where the family raised bears since 1984.
The bears are rooming in a huge area and there is no resemblance to a zoo at all, these bears are sent to the ranch from all over the country and sometimes are released back to nature.
They allow you to pet the baby bears and it is a lot of fun.
We arrived to Munising around noon and parked in the Kewadin Casino RV parking lot, it has electrical hook-ups and it is free of charge, this will be our starting point for the next 3 days.
At about 3PM we drove to the marina and hooked up to the free WiFi to check up our mail and post some entries on our website, we also were able to talk with our kids and grandkids through Skype.
At 5PM we joined a cruise to Pictured Rocks, it something not to be missed, the formations, colors of the rocks are outstanding.
To conclude this fantastic day we sat to eat at a local “all you can eat” Fish dinner that was delicious and then attended a concert by 2 young players that sang and played old tunes.
At 11PM we took the load from our feet….till tomorrow.
10 July 2011-Second day out of 3
Looking at the map of this area you could see more water than dry land and many waterfalls as well, so we had to choose which ones to hike too.
We started at Wagner Falls a 20’ Cascade that flows at the Wagner Creek and creates a beautiful waterfall.
Then we hiked to Munising Falls a drop of 50’ into a sandstone canyon and creates a spectacular scene, you can actually hike behind the falls and get some cool spray in the hot days on yourself.
Sand Point Beach was our next destination, white sand, clean waters and colourful sand underwater, add to this a fantastic day and the view of the Superior Lake and you are in one of the most beautiful spots along the shore.
We tried to have a peaceful picnic but the flies made it very uncomfortable, I think that if someone will come with stuff that will keep them away he will become an instant Millioner…
The last waterfall of the day was Miners Falls, a short hike of 1.5M round trip through a forest brought us to one of the tallest most beautiful waterfall, and there is a ramp having 77 steps to reach it, but we went below to the bottom and had another fantastic angle of it.
That’s it for today….till tomorrow.
11 July 3rd day and the last in this area
We woke up at 0800 AM hearing the rain on the trailers roof and it was strong, the skies were black but it was warm and humid, here goes our hike out of the window I thought but remembered the saying “If you do not like the weather here just wait 15 minutes” well it took an hour the skies were smiling on us.
Our first hike was to Chapel Falls 2.8Miles roundtrip, the trail was “crowded” and we meet 6 people hiking along,(much more than yesterday), it was a nice hike through green lashing forest and suddenly we could hear the roar of the falls and it sure was a magnificent sight ,I have a soft spot for nature especially falls that never stop exiting me-I hope it will always do.
We returned to the trail head, had some light snack and headed to Mosquito Falls 2.2Miles Round Trip,I sprayed more stuff to keep the mosquitoes away but the name was misguiding and happily there were less mosquitoes landing on us than before.
This Waterfall has 3 waterfalls along the Mosquito River and each one more beautiful than the other, take my word for it or just take a look at the pictures.
I think that the Creator was in a good mood when he created this area: Many waterfalls, Lake Superior, Pictured Rocks, Green Lashing forests and some Islands in the lake-We took advantage of this all and we loved what we saw.
My English is too poor to put in words what we saw, smelled and experienced ,so here are some selected pictures.
I also apologize for not posting on your blogs-the connections here in some places are very poor.
Moving Copper Harbor at the West Tip of the Peninsula in the morning…

Tahquamenon Falls S.P Michigan

2011-07-09T11:24:00.000-07:00

From White Fish Falls Ontario to Tahquamenon Falls S.P Michigan
5July Till 9July 2011
We have said goodbyes to our friends Nicki and Grant in White Fish Falls on 5 July and headed towards Sault Sue Marie to cross the border to Michigan.
We have done many Crossings with the rig from Canada to the USA and back and each time it is a different experience, sometimes it goes smoothly and sometimes the immigration agents pays a visit to the trailer and take some food out of it, it can be fruits, meat or nothing at all, my wife says that it all depends on the “shopping list” they get from their spouse…..any how this time we did not take any chances and crossed with almost no food, and you know what happened? Yes you are right THEY DID NOT ENTER THE TRAILER AT ALL.
The 300 KM ride to the boarder went without any special problems and we hit the bridge in S.S.M at noon, but guess what, one lane was closed as they were doing some paint job on it, so we got stuck on the bridge for 2 whole hours (never had so much time on a bridge in a vehicle in my life).
As a foreigners entering USA we were waived to park the rig and go into the immigration office, there we sat for 40 minutes till were called to the agent that handle our passports and after learning from us WHY, WHERE, HOW, WHEN we got a staying permit for 6 months not before our finger prints were taken and photo shots of both of us were completed it reminded me a TV show about a procedure when criminals enter a jail..(I wanted some copies of the photos but was gently denied- “they are only for our eyes” said the Immigration officer…)
Happy and feeling free as birds we continued to the other side of the river into Sault Sue Marie Michigan USA and parked at the Kewadin Casino(Run by the first Nation tribe) RV park with electrical hook ups for 10US$ only.
After an hour we unhooked and headed with the truck to the Wal-Mart supper center and loaded the trailer with groceries (I almost needed to get a second mortgage especially after filling gas…don’t forget that the trailer was empty and we had to purchase everything), on the way back we stopped in a AT&T office to get an USA mobile number, grab a sandwich foot long -AND all this in one day work…
As my wife was organizing the products in the trailer and I did not want to get in her way so I managed to use the WiFi hot spot in the casino to check my mail and update my family and friends that we are still alive and kicking.
Well by now we let ourselves fall into our comfortable queen size bed awaking only at 0800AM the next morning.
After breakfast we headed towards Tahquamenon S.P just 110KM West from S.S.M (piece of cake) and found a fantastic spot on the grass that was almost levelled.
The S.P has 179 sites with only electrical hook-ups 30/50Amps and a central dumping station with water fill up, the sites are large in most of the sites but some do not fit big rigs, the washrooms were clean and each site had a table and a fire ring.
Michigan S.Parks charge an entrance fee of 8$ each day on top of the camping fees (21-23$) what makes them more expensive than regular private C.G ,as we were going to visit some more S.P we purchased an annual permit for 29$ and put the whole thing behind as.
After getting settled down we did a short hike (2 mile round trip) to the lower waterfalls that are really beautiful.
On the next day , 7 July we hiked to the upper falls, 4 miles each direction all along the river bank, nice and easy, we were surprised to see that we are almost alone on the trail, many people just park their cars in the parking lot and go to the observation deck to view the falls.
In the evening we were invited by a couple that parked in a site next to us to join them around the fire-it sure ads to our general good feeling and atmosphere when we RV.
There are some more attractions to be seen before we move West but all in due time.

WHITE FISH FALLS ON

2011-07-05T18:57:00.001-07:00

We left Lively ON and our friends Susan and Harry after a great 2 days with them feeling that it is not the last time we will be seeing them.

Our next stop in White Fish falls ON just 120KM North from Lively and there we will visit Nicki and Grant a couple we meet in S.S.M 3 years ago while watching a tag race on the lake, we stayed in touch through the years and finally are meeting them again.

They live in a place that I describe “close to haven” ,on the Georgian Bay in the forest with a boat just at the end of their property…..wooow.

We managed easily to get the rig parked in their yard and enjoy the natural beauty around,including hiking to the highest point in the area to see the Georgian Bay.

I could easily stay here for ever…

Kilarney P.P Ontario

2011-06-30T20:17:00.000-07:00

We managed to get the rig ready in 2 days ,one day we got grocery supplies and the second day we took the truck for service.
It was quite amazing to find that the truck and the trailer survived the harsh winter with no problems what so ever.no leaks,no mice,no dead batteries all we had to do is clean up both ,get supplies,service and hit the road.
Our fist trip was from Simcoe lake are to a suburb of Sudbury to visit our friends Susan and Harry whom we meet in Israel few months ago.
Both went out of their ways to give us a good time and we are thankful to them for that.
The rig just fitted in their driveway and we had spend 2 fantastic full days with them and some of their friends.
Today we spend a day in Kilarney P.P ,one of the most beautiful P.P in Ontario if not the best,lakes,hikes,boating ,marina and the famous Fish & Chips did the work.

Tomorrow we are on the move again to meet other friends in White Fish Falls and spend the Canadian Holidays with them.
Till we meet again.

Storing Rhino sewer hose & Steps Carpet .

2011-06-27T13:20:00.001-07:00

Here are some modifications I have made in the last few days.

I found that the square metal sewer storage actually damages and scratches the sewer hose each time I push in and out so I decided to purchase the best sewer hose made by RHINO http://tweetys.com/rhinoflex-rv-sewer-kit---15-ft.aspx and get a PVC pipe that will I took the RHINO hose to a hardware store and got a hard PVC pipe that is slightly larger than the hose, at one end I glued a larger extension that will allow the hose to go in easily with the fittings but will not allow the fittings to pass further into the PVC pipe (do not ask me the A cap that screws on the extension keeps the hose secured and easy to move in in/out.
I use the original sewer storage place to store sewer hose supporters.

Rhino in the PVC pipe ,supporter Closing cap. Fitting can not go further.

in the original sewer storage.

Rhino Rhino PVC on top of the rear

Pumper.

Carpet Stairs.

I did not invent the wheel but found an used piece of matching carpet ,cut it to size,put metal rings at the corners and tided it up with plastic bindings.

Had FUN & Saved some $$$

Out of the winter storage

2011-06-26T05:31:00.001-07:00

As I have mentioned in my previous post we store the rig at the end of each summer trip and fly home for the winter,we do not see it for 7 months and it is tough.

There are so many things to worry about:will it survive the harsh winter with no leeks,will mice “attack” the trailer,would it be forced in,will the pluming hold and so on and on..SO the good news that NOTHING from the above happened,we found the truck and trailer as we left it ,maybe few inches sunken into the grass but that is all.

The snow “mountain” that covered it (you could not guess that there is a trailer under it) melted and left the trailer almost clean with some minor black marks that will go with my first wash.

We flushed the winterizing fluids,started the fridge,got hot water,started the truck all with NO PROBLEMOS….we are happy campers.

Today we plan to LOAD the fridge and get some other products (my wife has a LISTTTTT),get the truck serviced by tomorrow and we are READY to go..

Coming from a country with water shortage (high fines if you exceed the quota)it is nice again to shower with no bad conscious of “wasting” water .

The gas is 2$ a litter back at home so even though it is high here (Higher than last summer)it is still cheaper for us.

All in all we are happy to be back and start our 10th RV summer adventure that always brings us to beautiful places,meeting great people and “loading” our memory to survive the winter months .

Happy trails to all.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN..

2011-06-20T01:55:00.001-07:00

Some have their rig parked by the house(so convenient-I envy them),some are using the rig as full timers(Can't do it) and some store the rig at the end of each trip for the season and fly home-LIKE WE DO.
As non residents we have to leave the US after 6 months , so our best solution to this situation is to RV in the summers for 4-5 months,store the rig at the end of each trip and pick it up in the following spring to explore new States/Provinces.
We started RV in 2002 and since then we follow our DREAM.
The kids and grand kids adopted quickly to Grandma & Grandpa disappearing for the summers and some already joined us partly on some trips (Not all together....LOL).
This weekend we had the family for a BBQ and a fun day to say our goodbyes.

OUR COUNTRYCLUB

OUR SON & 4 OUT 5 GRAND KIDS.

BEFORE THE ACTION….

Technorati Tags: RV,MICHIGAN,INDIANA,KENTUCKY,TENNESSEE.

Finally we are flying out tonight on a direct flight from Tel-Aviv to Toronto,the rig is stored since October 2010 just an hour North of the city , it will take us a few days to service the rig and load the fridge before we hit the road.
Our route plan will be Michigan(Upper & Lower),Indiana,Kentucky and Tennessee.
We have NO reservations,the route is flexible with no time frames except the ending point in late October has to be near Charlotte NC to be able to take a flight back home.
We are excited to start our 10th RV trip - let the wind bring health,good friends ,joy and laughter to you all.

Day trip to Apolonia N.P–

2011-04-25T07:59:00.001-07:00

The spring is in full swing and we grabbed the opportunity to do some outdoor activities and visit the Apolonia N.P just around the corner where we live and on a cliff facing the Mediterranean Sea, these guys new what we know now –Location,Location,Location.

When I looked at the literature before we left home I realized that in a country big as New Jersey we have 57 Parks & National Parks….amazing take a look

http://www.parks.org.il/BuildaGate5/general2/company_search_tree.php?mc=378~All

To day we picked to explore Apollonia N.P ,here is some back ground as it appears on its web:

In 1191 BC, a decisive battle was fought at the very place that today is the latest addition to Israel's National Park System. For 18 successive centuries it was inhabited. The place is known as, Apollonia, or Tel Arsuf. In 1191 the Crusaders triumphant win at this spot, established their reign in the Holy- Land for another 100 years. The park is conveniently located on the coast, just a 15- minute drive from Tel Aviv and less than five minutes from Herzeliya Pituach, between two other ancient ports, Jaffa and Caesarea.

This is not the only archaeological site in Israel that is situated on the coast. However, planners of this park have managed to work around existing ruins and use the natural landscape to create a truly unique experience.

The city of Apollonia and its fort were situated on the cliffs of the Sharon plain, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. On the way to view the fort, visitors to the park walk along a path that literally hugs the edge of the cliff. The path offers a spectacular view of the coast.

Phoenicians established the first settlement in the sixth century and people settled in this area 2,500 years ago. The Phoenicians were descendants of the early Canaanites (who inhabited the coast of modern-day Lebanon), and the Sea People who invaded Lebanon. During their day they were considered to be most knowledgeable in maritime technology and astronomy, which enabled them to trade various commodities from far away places. Like at Dor (further up the coast), the local inhabitants used the sea to make Tyrian purple, a precious dye used by royalty. It was extracted from mollusks, which were abundant along the coast.

The Phoenicians named the settlement along the coastal plain Arshof, (for Resheph, their War and Thunder god). In the Hellenistic period the city was re-named Apollonia, as the Greeks identified Resheph with Apollo.

During the Roman era (First - Third centuries BC) the settlement developed into a real city and reached its height during the Byzantine era. In the Fifth and Sixth centuries the city was named Sozousa and served as the Episcopal See of Palaestina prima. During this time it served as the primary port city of the Southern Sharon – and was an unfortified city. The residents utilized underground (rain) water reservoirs for their water supply and the city had an elaborate glass making industry, as well as wine and olive presses.

In 640 CE the Muslims gained control of the city and erected an outer wall around a portion of the city. The city's size decreased significantly, from 70acres/280 dunam to 22.5 acres/90 dunam. By 1099, the Crusaders had conquered Jerusalem and deployed to Arsuf, but failed to capture it.

Baldwin I succeeded in conquering the city, in the spring of 1101 – with the Genoese fleet. Once again the city's name was changed, this time Arsour and a large castle was built in the northern section of the city. In 1265 the Mamluk sultan Baybars, conquered the city and made the Crusaders raze the city and the fort, which lay in ruins until the excavations began in 1996.

Thank you for visiting,till we meet again.

A FUN DAY WITH TWO OF OUR GRAND KIDS

2011-04-20T07:53:00.001-07:00

What do you do when you are not RVing , the schools and kinder gardens are closed due to Holidays and you kids are at work? RIGHT- YOU BECOME A BABY SITTER or as we call it COMANDO GRANDMA AND GRANDPA- does it happen to you too?

At 730AM 2 Grand kids (1 1/2 and 4 years old)were delivered to our front door in full gear,extra dippers,bottles,trolley and some extra clothes……”we will pick them up after work around 5PM we have to move or we will be stuck in traffic, so long have a great day” .

So here we are with 2 smiling kids looking at us as with a strange look that says “ you are stuck with us for the day,what is next on the agenda?”

As we are still on our first coffee (we are retired and mornings are usually when we wake up NOT when some one wakes us up) all kind of thoughts went through our heads,should we give them some left over wine from the Passover Dinner and wake them up at 430PM just before they are picked by their parents? Or should we drive to a park and get squeezed by a bunch of other Grandparents trying to do the same with their Grand kids?

Well ,as you can intelligently guess we did the second thing-AND OF COURSE HAD A GRAET TIME,but at the same time and in the back of our head we thought “In late May we are on the plane for our 10th RV summer trip and will be back home in the end of October..-LIBIRATION IS On THE WAY”.

Before my humorous mood leaves me and I get back to normal (whatever it is) let me say this ,we of course love the “small league guys” that run & run till your head spins but it is nice to take a break from them for a while and become GRANDPARENT and NOT A PARENT we were there once and sure do not want to go there again even if BIOLOGICLY we could…

So before we disappear for 5 months we do everything to be with them as much as possible (I am back to my normal mood again)…Take a look and see for your selves:

PESACH (PASSOVER) TRADITIONAL DINNER

2011-04-19T00:00:00.001-07:00

Each year around Mid April (the date is settled accordingly to the Jewish calendar that is different from the regular one) we celebrate Pesach (Passover) in our house with close family.

Preparations start days before with cleaning the house leaving nothing that has flour in the house (we eat only Matzo in Pesach) ,Cooking the special and traditional food,buying presents, and converting the house to make room at one table to all the guests.

This year our eldest Granddaughter Yuval (13) came over 2 days before the event to help Shula with the cooking and she was just marvellous

Technorati Tags: Passover

and helpful doing it.

During the the fest we read and sing the Agada (The story of the Exodus) and the kids have great roll participating and learning about the History so they can continue the tradition.

In the middle of reading the Agada the one that conducts the evening (usually the host) has to hide a Matzo and while he “washes” his hands the kids “find” and keep it in a safe place, when the Host wants to continue reading the Agada he can not do it before retreating the Matzo ,here the kids “bargain” and ONLY after they get their presents they give the Matzo back and the evening can continue.

It is a great family gathering combined with history stories,songs,wine and a lot of food….I always need a diet after this evening.

Here is a short explanation I picked from the web about the Holiday.

Here is another link from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passover

Pesach (English: Passover, Hebrew: פסח)
Pesach is a Jewish and Samaritan holy day and festival commemorating the Hebrews escape from enslavement in Egypt.
Passover begins on the 15th day of the month of Nisan (equivalent to March and April in Gregorian calendar), the first month of the Hebrew calendar's festival year according to the Hebrew Bible.
In the story of the Exodus, the Bible tells that God inflicted ten plagues upon the Egyptians before Pharaoh would release his Hebrew slaves, with the tenth plague being the killing of firstborn sons. The Hebrews were instructed to mark the doorposts of their homes with the blood of a spring lamb and, upon seeing this, the spirit of the Lord passed over these homes, hence the term "Passover".When Pharaoh freed the Hebrews, it is said that they left in such a hurry that they could not wait for bread to rise. In commemoration, for the duration of Passover, no leavened bread is eaten, for which reason it is called "The Festival of the Unleavened Bread". Matzo (unleavened bread) is the primary symbol of the holiday. This bread that is flat and unrisen is called Matzo.

Purim-Israeli costume festival

2011-03-30T15:22:00.001-07:00

What Is Purim?

Purim is a festive Jewish holiday recounting the deliverance of the Jewish people from extermination plot by Haman the Agagite. It is an annual celebration held every 14th of Adar, or Adar II in leap years, which is a month in the Hebrew calendar. In walled cities that existed during the time of Joshua, like Shushan and Jerusalem, it is celebrated on the 15th and is called Shushan Purim.

The Story Of Purim

The story behind Purim can be found in the Biblical Book Of Esther. Esther is a Jewish orphan girl who was raised by her cousin Mordecai. She grows into a beautiful woman that is crowned queen by the King Ahasuerus.

The king loved Esther most among all of his wives, but was unaware that she was Jewish. Esther and Mordecai further gained favour under the king's eyes when Mordecai successfully revealed a plot to assassinate the king. Because of this, Haman, the king's advisor, harboured a great hate for Mordecai, which finally came to a head when Mordecai, on one occasion, refused to bow down to Haman. Haman later on learned that Mordecai was a Jew, which is why he resolved to kill not only Mordecai, but also Esther and all of the Jewish people under the Persian rule.

Being the king's advisor, Haman gets the king to approve of his plan. Esther learns of this, so she fasts for three days with all of the Jews in the land in her preparation to approach the king to ask him to spare her and her people. In a spectacular turn of events, Ahasuerus recalls the time Mordecai saved him from death through the court records and instead, welcomes Esther, honors Mordecai and saves the Jews. Haman and his ten sons are then hanged on the gallows that were intended for Mordecai.

How Purim Is Celebrated

Purim is treated more as a national holiday, like Hannukkah. Work is even allowed in most places but it is encouraged that the occasion be prioritized and celebrated in a joyous manner. Jewish mitzvot dictate that Jews observe these four activities during Purim:

K'riat megillah - listening to the readings of the Book Of Esther in the evening and again in the following morning
Mishloach manot- giving food gifts to friends
Matanot la'evyonim - giving charity to the poor
Se`udah – partaking in a festive meal

THE GRAND KIDS,MOUSY & COWBOY.

THE BEAUTIFUL BUTTERFLY

SUN & MOON,we got the third price in our friends party.

SOMETIMES IT IS GOOD TO BE BEHIND A MASK….

Day trip around South Jerusalem

2011-03-27T01:44:00.000-07:00

Jerusalem is surrounded by seven mountain chains that creates many beautiful hiking opportunities.
Spring is the best time to hike in this area,flowers and trees are blooming,the weather is just right for hiking and the smell is incredible.
Ancient ruins,glimpse on the Holy City,beautiful nature is just apart of these trails.
One of the most incredible sights was when we passed through a burned area and saw how "new life" is created by nature.
Here are some pictures.

Burma Road

2011-03-12T10:53:00.000-08:00

Our daughter and her husband took off for a ski week in Italy and we became a full time baby sitters for a week to our 3 grand kids.
From time to time it is a great pleasure to see them 24/7 and learn many things about them that usually can not be seen when we meet them periodically
I am sure that part of you can understand and relate to this connection between us the grand parents and the grand kids especially when they are not infants and can teach us a thing or two.
Our eldest Grand Daughter Yuval is 12 years old and has to present a project on the Jerusalem Siege during the independence war in 1948.

On top of telling her the story and the involvement of our parents in this battle we decided to take a day trip to the area including the Burma Road that was built and used to break the siege on Jerusalem.

Background
Building Burma Road

During the early phase of the Israeli war of independence (from November 29, 1947 to May 15, 1948), local Arab forces took control of the hills overlooking the road to Jerusalem (today Highway 1), between Sha'ar HaGai (Bab el-Wad) and Al Qastal. Vehicles attempting to use the road, Jerusalem's only link to the coast, took heavy fire, in effect besieging the city's Jewish population. Convoys carrying food, weapons, and medical supplies sent by the Yishuv sustained heavy losses, and often didn't get through to the city.

On May 15, 1948, British forces withdrew from the Latrun monastery and police fort that dominated the road and prevented supplies from reaching Jerusalem. Latrun was immediately occupied by the Palmach's Harel Brigade. However, on the night of May 18, British officered Arab Legion forces from Transjordan seized Latrun, and subsequent Jewish attempts to gain a foothold in the region failed.

The growing need for supplies amongst Jerusalem's Jewish population weakened the Jewish foothold within the city considerably. A small amount of supplies, mostly munitions, were ferried by air, but the shortage of food, water, fuel and medicines was acute. The Jewish leadership, under David Ben Gurion feared that the city would surrender to the Arab Legion, and a search for a way to bypass the Arab blockade commenced.

It was a great and beautiful day,we are blessed to have such a family, here are some picture that can show what we went through much better than I can put in words.

Hiking around Jerusalem

2011-03-08T01:39:00.000-08:00

We took the advantage of a great Spring weather day to hike part of so called "THE TRAIL OF JERUSALEM"
The whole trail is 42KM and can be done in two days but we decided to do part of it and hike the rest in another opportunity.
Spring was in the air , a symphony of Colors,Smells,History was all over us, add to it great weather , good company and you have a WIN WIN situation.
We have hiked all over the country but hiking in Jerusalem or around this Historical city always brings an extra thrill to us.

Here is a sideshow of our daily trip, we hope you enjoy it:

Thank you for visiting our site, till we meet again.

Spring in our garden

2011-03-05T13:54:00.000-08:00

In the last few days I was reading some of the blogs I follow and found myself envying the ones that are currently traveling ,especially the ones that are in the warm "weather zones".
So instead of feeling miserable I took my camera to the garden and invited one of our sons family for a Spring BBQ.
Unfortunately I can not add the effect of smell to some pictures so till this technic will be available you will have to use you imagination,it worked on the bees that are all over the flowers...
We still have 2 months to wait till we start our 2011 summer RV trip and I know it is not a substitute to a day on the road but it was pretty good Saturday... take a look.

Thank you for visiting.

Day trip to Keren Carmel Forest

2011-02-19T00:31:00.001-08:00

18 February and what a great weather for a day trip to see some flowers in bloom.

Accordingly to The nature foundation the PRIMROSES and the ANEMONES are starting to show up in certain areas around the country,so we took the opportunity of having a great weather and took off to the Carmel Forest just South of Haifa.

It was after a few days of rain and the mud already turned to be solid , the air was clear and crispy and you could see all the way down the valley while standing on top of the mountain.

We parked the car and hiked this loop trail walking among the flowers to a beautiful look out facing the North Valley of Carmel.On the way besides the fantastic bloom of the flowers we could hear cows and birds enjoying the pasture, I would add some running water to make it perfect…(I started to become greedy..running water in our country….very rare unfortunately.)

After wondering around inhaling the beauty,smell and fresh air we became hungry so we headed to a local Druz restaurant that specializes in Sheep stew,fresh salads and to top this up sweet tea and home made biscuits with honey and nuts..I will have to go on a diet after that…..

It was a great day,good company,good weather,good food –what else one can ask for?

Technorati Tags: 2011,Carmel,Israel

DRUZE People see explanation HERE

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Beit Guvrin Caves,Israel-Day trip.

2011-02-07T14:41:00.001-08:00

It looks like winter ,cloudy and it rains now and then but this did not stop us from taking a day trip back in time and I mean back in time to Beit Guvrin Caves N.P & Tel Marisha.

We took the old road to Jerusalem through the Yela Valley where the great event of David and Goliath took place ,it is a beautiful and preferred way to get to Jerusalem when you are not in a hurry, each time we drive this road we try to imagine “small” red head David with a sling shot facing Goliath the giant and putting him down with one shot between his eyes…amazing.

On the way we stopped at a local sculpture that put together few replicas of Bible scenes.

An ancient seed grinner .The stone was tied to a mule and turned in the pan where the seeds were placed.

2 women came before King Solomon with one child,each one claiming it is her child.King Solomon ordered to cut him in half and then one women cried out “Do not cut him,give it to her….” King Solomon now was sure who is the baby’s mother and gave her the child (Clever ah…)

Here is a short History of Beit Guvrin Caves as it appears on the website.

Land of a thousand caves

Bet Guvrin-Maresha National Park encompasses approximately 5,000 dunams (1,250 acres) of rolling hills in the Judean Lowlands. The hills, approximately 400 m above sea level, consist mainly of chalk overlaid with harder rock called nari. For thousands of years people have been cutting into the rock beneath the nari as quarries, burial caves, storerooms, industrial facilities, hideouts and dovecotes. They dug small openings into the nari, normally no more than two meters thick, and expanded the caves into the softer chalk beneath. Hundreds of such caves were dug at Bet Guvrin and its surroundings, creating subterranean networks of unparalleled complexity.
At a high point in the park is Tel Maresha, the highest city in the Judean Lowlands. It was fortified by King Rehoboam of Judah following the campaign to the region of the Egyptian Pharaoh Shishak: “And Rehoboam...built cities for defense in Judah...Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph” (2 Chron. 11:5–8).
The city reached its height during the Hellenistic period (third–second centuries BCE). The Hasmonean king, John Hyrcanus conquered the city in the second century BCE and forcibly converted its inhabitants. During the Roman period the inhabitants of Maresha abandoned it, building the city of Bet Guvrin nearby and transforming the latter into the capital of the region of western Idumea.

Bet Guvrin was an important city in the Crusader era as well. Eventually, the Arab village of Beit Jubrin was established among its ruins. It was abandoned during Israel’s War of Independence in 1948.
Visitors can follow the marked trail through the park using the map provided at the entrance, or drive from spot to spot.

The park is located off the Bet Shemesh-Kiryat Gat road (no. 35) opposite Kibbutz Bet Guvrin.
Main sites in the national park .
3 Columbarium Caves: Caves used for the raising of doves.
5 Agricultural area: an olive-oil press and grape-vat that can be operated by visitors.
6 Complex cistern systems: Huge cisterns that served the inhabitants of Maresha during the Hellenistic period.
7 Maze Cave (Complex 61): A system of about 30 interconnected caves, which visitors can traverse underground to understand how people made use of such spaces in antiquity, sensing the natural climate control. The exit turns out to be only a few meters away from the entrance.
8 Sidonian Burial Caves: A series of impressive burial caves from the Hellenistic period (third–second centuries BCE), located at the foot of Tel Maresha and featuring reconstructed wall paintings. The paintings, proof of the presence of other cultures at Maresha, depict hunting scenes with wild and mythological creatures and shed light on ancient artistic techniques and crafts.
14 The Bell Caves: A series of 80 large caves, which the ancient inhabitants connected by passageways. The caves, the largest of which are over 5 meters high, were dug into the hard surface rock and quarried downward in the shape of a bell. Arabic inscriptions and crosses found on the walls show that many of the caves were dug during the Early Arab period, in the seventh–tenth centuries CE.
The Roman Amphitheater: This amphitheater was originally intended for gladiator fights to entertain the masses. Visitors can see the arena (a Latin word meaning sand), the ruler’s seat and the place where the wild animals emerged.

After the visit in the Caves we drove to a Kibbutz (Agriculture collective farm) for lunch.

Kibbutz Dinning Room

Kitchen Dishwasher….. Water,Soda tubs.

What a great day it was,we traveled in time touching history as it was THOUSANDS of years ago.

Thank you for watching,till we meet again.

BET SHE’ARIM NATIONAL PARK ISRAEL

2011-01-24T09:50:00.001-08:00

As some of you winter in Arizona,Texas Or California we try to take advantage of the beautiful weather in Israel and do day trips in the country.

The country is small and everything is “close by” just hours away ,so we took off at 9AM to Bet She’arim National Park that is only 2 hours from were we live and were back at 5PM after a great visit.

Igal a friend that works as a volunteer tour guide in the park was nice enough to give us a private tour in one part of the park.

Here is a short summery about the park as it appears on the website.

A world-famous Jewish cemetery of the messianic era

The ancient Jewish town of Bet She‘arim, located on a hill in the Lower Western Galilee, reached its zenith in the second–fourth centuries CE.
The inhabitants of Bet She‘arim hewed grand tombs deep within the hill. Ancient courtyards, corridors and steps lead visitors to large halls where they can see the rock-cut burial chambers and stone coffins (sarcophagi). The rooms and the sarcophagi feature an abundance of carved reliefs,

inscriptions and wall paintings. Stone-carved doors, which imitate the style of wooden doors, closed some of the caves.
The reliefs and paintings represent Jewish artistic motifs that were popular in the Roman period, including a seven-branched candelabrum, the Ark of the Covenant, a shofar, lulav and etrog. Secular motifs are also present—ships, animals, human figures and geometric patterns.
Most of the inscriptions are in Greek, but inscriptions also appear in Hebrew, Aramaic and Palmyran. They often reveal the name, profession and origin of the deceased.
In the third century CE, Bet She‘arim became a renowned Jewish center due to the presence there of the spiritual leader Rabbi Judah Hanasi, head of the Sanhedrin. The Roman authorities, who supported his leadership, gave him much property, including an estate at Bet She‘arim. Rabbi Judah moved the Sanhedrin from Shefar‘am to Bet She‘arim, and at the end of his life to Zippori. He was buried at Bet She‘arim in 220 CE, garnering fame for its cemetery in the Jewish world throughout in the talmudic period.
Before or after visiting the caves, don’t miss the ruins of Bet She‘arim at the top of the hill. Near the remains of a basilica, apparently built during the lifetime of Rabbi Judah Hanasi, is a bronze statue of the pioneer Alexander Zayid astride his horse. Zayid, who established the defense organization called Hashomer, discovered a burial cave in 1926. Nearby on the hill, with its magnificent panorama of the Jezreel Valley and Mount Carmel, is the double-domed tomb of the Muslim Sheikh Abreik.

If you want to learn more about the N.Parks in Israel go to National Parks

Technorati Tags: Israel,2011,Bet She'arim N.P

Small but beautiful Israel

2011-01-22T15:17:00.000-08:00

We are back at home after 5 months Rving in North America.
It was our 9th summer RV trip and usually we spend between 4 and 5 months each summer exploring different States/Provinces.
Many times we were asked about our homeland,how big is it?is it all desert?how many lakes we have?are there forests or mountains? and so on.
So before I give you some details here is what happened in Minnesota 3 years ago:
A nice couple from Minnesota was camping in a spot next to ours and we got a conversation going, after some time I noticed that his vehicle plat says "10,000 lakes State" (or something close to that),so I asked him if they could spare a lake for my country,it would double the number of lakes in Israel and Minnesota will not even notice it.
So we have ONE lake (next to Tiberius),ONE mountain,ONE river,ONE Dead Sea,ONE Desert all in a country of 400 Miles from the North Boarder till the South and between 8-15 Miles width from East to West-YES that is all(try to find it on the Atlas....BUT it is BEAUTIFUL and it is HOME take a look and do not forget to open the sound.

Small But Beautiful Israel Slideshow: Danny’s trip from Eilat, Israel to 9 cities Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Dead Sea Region, Tiberias, Caesarea, Acre, Jaffa, Jerusalem District (near Shoresh) and Rosh Hanikra was created by TripAdvisor. See another Israel slideshow. Create your own stunning slideshow with our free photo slideshow maker.

Winter storage

2011-01-06T08:35:00.000-08:00

While we are enjoying the warm weather in Israel our trailer that is stored in Ontario went "under covers" ,I hope that it will survive this extreme winter and will be ready for us in the spring.

Anniversary & Sunny Xmass

2010-12-25T13:02:00.001-08:00

I have been reading some of my friends Xmass blogs and really liked the right background of the common issue on all of them –THE WHITE SNOW….That is how it should be…

So let me share with you our Xmass that also happened to be our Anniversary in Eilat ,the city on the Red Sea.

I will let the pictures speak for themselves and leave you all with a blessing for a BETTER year to come.

Zalmon Brook and Old Akko

2010-12-23T09:30:00.001-08:00

While Europe,Canada,parts of the US and even Australia (where it is summer now) are covered with snow we are experiencing this lovely weather in late December,although we would like to have some more rain if it is not to much to ask for..it is sad to see the “poor” brook almost dry.

Any how we decided to take advantage of this weather and took of to the Northern part of the country called Galil and as expected not to many people where out there in the middle of the week and that is what we like.

We hiked along the Zalmon brook and although the water level was really low still we could enjoy the hike,the surroundings and the small water pools traps along the way.

After taking it easy for about 3 miles we decided to head to the old city of Akko situated on the Mediterranean Sea and has a long history ,ancient structures and I would like to share it with you.

A DAY TRIP TO GOLAN HIEGHTS

2010-12-19T00:36:00.001-08:00

As we spend summers traveling with our 5W in North America we try to catch up with our local travels during the winters.

Usually the winters are quite mild in this part of the world so clear skies and crispy days are very common here that makes the outdoors activities very attractive.

All you have to do is be dressed as an “ONION” meaning layers of clothes that can be taken of or added accordingly to the weather changes,the trail has to dry and not muddy after a heavy rain ,add to it good company , good mood and you are set to go.

Our tour bus picked us up at 6AM and others on the route to South Golan Heights to Gamla and ancient Synagogues.

If you are interested to read about one of the most heroic battles (even more than Masada) go to http://www.jewishmag.com/40mag/gamla/gamla.htm and read all about it.

The trip ended at 8PM but till then we hiked around 7 miles on a beautiful day (a little hazy) and visited 3 ancient synagogues ,Gamla and had a surprise birthday party to one of our friends during the lunch break.

The tour guide was very informative and gave us the feeling that we are experiencing the old times and the events as they happened.

Till we meet again…

Crispy December day in Old Tel-Aviv.

2010-12-15T07:26:00.001-08:00

We live in Israel and RV every summer for 4-5 months since 2002 ,each trip to different States/Provinces, winters (that are very milled) we spend at home with family and friends.

So as you can see we are now at home while the RIG is stored in Ontario waiting for us to pick it up in the spring.

I have posted our next RV plan on the blog and will be happy if you can send you remarks/suggestions on it.

Yesterday I read some of your blogs and found myself missing the the travels and the RV life although we just got back from a 4 months trip in November,so we decided to take advantage of the great weather today and drove to the OLD part of Tel-Aviv .

The city is going through a lot of changes,the old section is getting an uplift while around it skyscrapers are blocking the sun and changing the atmosphere for the worst,doesn’t it happen everywhere?

We parked the car in a central location and wondered around by foot trying to go through old alleys,markets and old fashion restaurants.

I wish I could bring you the smells and the sounds of the market and the restaurants,but till this high-tech will kick in you will have do with the pictures as they here (try to imagine…).

As you can see it is impossible to escape the Modern buildings,they are everywhere,one person that lives still in one of the small old houses told us that the skyscraper built next to him blocks the sun completely and he can not even use the solar panels to heat the water…

The alleys and the small renovated houses that kept the “old flavour” are very nostalgic and inviting,just strolling down the alley,stopping at a coffee shop for a drink or an Ice-cream is very enjoyable,you can find old book shops,second hand stuff,old praying places from all religious and PEOPLE speaking different languages .

The next stop was the market that has it all,fruits,vegetables,flowers,food stands, a lot of GREAT smells and colors.

Then we hit our favourite small restaurant that specializes in meat soups that are prepared on small flame above an old small stove for hours ,the smell and the taste is just fantastic,the owner goes around and adds soup to your plate (not the meat) whenever she sees the level is reaching the bottom of the soup plate…so you will never leave hungry.

The soups come with a special pita that is usually dipped into mixture made from herbs,lemon and garlic,so after that you need a good glass of herb tea to “clean” the air.

I hope you enjoyed traveling with us in the OLD town although you must leave your RV behind…(But I envy you that can do it year round..)

Till we will be back on the road again…

2011 RV Summer trip Plan

2010-11-18T23:39:00.001-08:00

Technorati Tags: 2011,RV,Plan,Ontario,Canada,Indiana,Kentucky,Tenneesse,USA.

Being foreign residents we RV in summers for 4-5 months in North America and spend winters at home with family and friends.

My wife and I are doing this since 2002, each summer we visit new States/Provinces storing the rig at the end of each trip and picking it up in the following spring, never retracing, next year will be the 10^th RV trip….hard to believe.

What started as a long lasting dream many years ago became reality –and there is nothing like living the DREAM.

It did not come easy as it sounds lot of adjusting had be done especially mentally and financially but here we are after 9 fantastic RV summer trips and hopefully many still to come.

If you like to see some of the adventure please go to our website http://danyshula.blogspot.com/ it is always updated as we go.

We ended our 2010 (Bruce Peninsula Ontario/Pennsylvania/Maryland/Virginia/Ontario) trip in Toronto and the rig is stored for the winter just an hour North of the city, so our 2011 trip starts from there.

We just came back from the trip a month ago brought the house and the garden back to normal and I am on the net planning our 2011 summer trip, I must admit that I enjoy this part quite a bit.

We love nature, hiking, scenic drives, special events, music and meeting people, so the plan is around these issues, I Google, ask for brochures, post on the forum and get advice from people that have done these routes.

Usually we pick a central location campground and do day side trips with the truck till we feel that we covered the area before moving on, the end of the trip has to be a winter storage place next to an International A/P.

Our 2011 trip will start in June:

* Toronto area to Sue St Marie either by ferry or by land, Boarder crossing to Michigan.

* Exploring North Michigan.

*West Michigan coast.

*Crossroads RV manufacturer Indiana.

*Lexington area KE.

*Land between the Lakes KE.

*Memphis area TN

*Nashville area TN

*Chattanooga Area TN

*Smoky Mountains area.

*October -end of the trip in Charlotte NC just to continue from there in 2012 to the Carolinas.

I will be thankful for any suggestions regarding the route, MUST SEE places or any other relevant remarks.

Many Happy Trails, May it last and last …….

Back at home for the winter

2010-11-15T01:11:00.001-08:00

Leaving Israel (home) to North America for a period of 4-5 months it is not an easy task,there are many issues that have to be taken care before departing such as:

Banking,bills,gardening,mail,vehicles,medicals and being ready mentally to leave your family and friends behind,BUT what is the alternative? sit put and feel sorry for not doing what you dreamt about for many years ? No way -it is all about balance.

So we decided to divide our time between RVing in North America during the summers and spending time at home in the winters.

We did some RV “test” trips in Italy,Norway and New Zealand with relatively small motorhomes before purchasing a 5W and a truck in North America.

It is not so easy for one that lives out of the US to do what we are doing,at the end of each trip the rig has to be left in storage (each time in different location ),stuff such as clothing has to be arranged so we will have everything in the trailer and ready for different weather conditions,but we have solved all these issues from experience.

We started doing this in 2002 and fell in love with it, each spring we start our trip from where it ended last Autumn never repeating our tracks,always exploring new States/Provinces ,meeting people from the RV world and some of them became our friends.

We love nature,hiking,meeting people and managing our time without any pleasure,we are always curious to discover what is “BEHIND” the next mountain.

So we just ended our 9th RV trip and this time to Ontario-Pennsylvania-Maryland and Virginia, you can read all about it in my previous posts,this time we had our eldest grand daughter (12 years old)with us for a month and only people that did it can understand the joy and pleasure of spending time with a grandchild .

The house and the garden are almost back to normal but the greatest news are that my medical test came back showing that I am clean from cancer cells after having 36 radiation treatments before our RV trip,not that there was another option…I believed in winning this battle and sometimes during the trip even forgot all about it,but it is good to have it “OFFICIAL”.

So back to normal,family ,holidays,friends and planning our next summer trip to Michigan-Indiana (visiting the manufacturer of my 5W)-Kentucky and Tennessee leaving the rig next to Charlotte NC just to continue to the Carolinas on the following year.

As English is not my mothers tongue (thanks God for the spelling automatic corrections) forgive me for any mistakes I do.

See you on the next summer trip and remember that today is the first day of the rest of our lives.

End of RV summer trip 2010

2010-10-26T15:30:00.000-07:00

As all good things come to an end so is this 2010 RV summer trip.

It was an exceptional one because Yuval (our eldest grand daughter ) asked to join us for a month,only grandparents that had this experience can fully understand how happy we were to except her wish.

The month with her flew by so quickly but every day ,every minute was a pure joy,she became part of the “crew” helping with trailer and camping activities and in the kitchen as well,the one that benefited from this was ME, 1 Chef and one Su Chef….what else can you ask for?

Scroll down to see pictures related to Yuval in Ontario.

After dropping her off (with regret from both sides) at the airport to catch a direct flight back home, we continued to Pennsylvania,Maryland and Virginia.

Most of the time the weather was good allowing us to hike,swim ,explore and enjoy the outdoors.

We have meet friends from our previous RV trips and a friend from high school that we did not see for a whole decade…it was fun to say the least.

We also made some new friends from the RV family and enjoyed sharing stories ,interesting trip and future plans.

One of them invited us to store the rig for the winter on his property what made the end of the trip more enjoyable and easy – we thank them for all they have done for us.

As the season came to the end we found ourselves almost alone in C.G,morning were chilly and getting warm became an issue we decided to move and cross the boarder back to Canada , this time the crossing was smooth and easy I did not even step out of my truck…..

The last C.G was next to Niagara falls on the Canadian side on a beautiful lake and nice Autumn colors,we used the stay top winterize and prepare the trailer for the winter storage.

From there we drove all the way to our friends and stored the trailer next to their house and got all the help we needed .It was Thanksgiving evening and we were invited to share a dinner with the whole family,what a great evening it was.

Finally we left the trailer and drove with the truck to Toronto to spend time with our son and our Toronto friends,eating,hiking and catching up since our last meeting.

Close to our flight back home we dropped of the truck spending another two days there before returning to Toronto.

Hard to believe that we just ended our 9th RV summer trip ,good things past fast,but have already plans for our 10th trip….till then…bye.

2010-pensilvannia-maryland,Virginia, Slideshow: Danny’s trip from Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada to 23 cities Washington DC, Toronto, Philadelphia, Virginia Beach, Williamsburg, Pittsburgh, Lancaster, Erie, Frederick, Front Royal, Yorktown, Du Bois (near DuBois, Pennsylvania, United States), Warren, Manheim, Wellsboro, Ricketts (near Lester), Natural Bridge, Warm Springs, Tionesta, Addison, Jamestown, Franklin Center and Bernville was created by TripAdvisor. See another United States slideshow. Take your travel photos and make a slideshow for free.

From Pittsburgh to Canada

2010-10-08T14:27:00.001-07:00

As the Autumn came knocking on the door ,the nights became colder ,the days shorter and the RV traffic thinner,the C.G became almost deserted but we still had the desire to keep going and experience the foliage on the way back.

On the way from Pittsburgh to the Canadian boarder we have done 3 stops ,one in Mercer PA one in Tionesta PA and one next to Jamestown NY , some of the days were rainy and some crispy clear but cold (that’s how I like it),we enjoyed every minute and took it as it came still taking short hikes to waterfalls and visiting an Apple fest in Franklin PA,rain did not stop us at all ,it is only water…

In Jamestown C.G we meet again the owner Max that was glad to see us after we camped in his C.G last year coming from NY towards the Canadian boarder, he too is closing up and moving for the winter to Florida as most of the RVer’s from the cold area.

Crossing the boarder was smooth ,we did not have even to get out of the truck although I had everything ready for the usual questions we got so much used to.

In July in a C.G we meet a great couple that lives an hour North of Toronto , they offered us to leave our rig on their land during the winter ,we just talked with them and will on our way to their place in 2 days that will be used to do the laundry and get the staff packed and ready.

The next 2 weeks we will spend with our son in Toronto,visit friends and get presents for the grandkids .

Next year plan is already going through my head …Michigan,Indiana,Kentucky and Tennessee… I can’t wait.

Technorati Tags: Tionesta,Niagara Falls NY

Pittsburgh PA

2010-09-30T14:05:00.001-07:00

Technorati Tags: Pittsburgh

We meet a great couple that is running the C.G in Tarentum just 20 Milles North East of Pittsburgh.

They own a great log house on the C.G grounds and they use as their home and public restrooms.

For many years they would hold a Blue Grass festival in the C.G but had to stop as it interfered with the the regular RV camping activities,we were invited for coffee ,cookies and even welcomed to use their computer to check our e-mails.

The city of Pittsburgh is beautifully spread out ,the city is surrounded with nice green hills with house all around, and at one point 2 rivers Monongahela and Allegheny meet to create Ohio river many bridges connect different parts of the city above the rivers and it creates a beautiful sight.

We strolled along the downtown,bought a sandwich in a famous bakery and sat down in the Market Square to eat, then walked along the banks of the rivers close to the famous Steelers Stadium and the Baseball one.

After that we drove to MT Washington sat in one of the pubs facing the rivers,bridges and the downtown-and what a sight it was…

At the C.G we were just on time for gorgeous sunsets that were just right to complete a fantastic day.

Youghiogheny Lake PA

2010-09-30T14:03:00.001-07:00

The Corps of Engineer in the US have built dams all over the country ,after finalizing the work they have arranged campgrounds in most of lakes/dams.

Many of them have electrical hook ups,a tab where you can fill water before you go to your site and a damp station,they also have on the grounds showers and toilets for those who camp with a tent.

ALL the campgrounds are located in a beautiful nature and are quite comfortable to go and out.

We chose Youghiogheny Lake Corps of Engineer C.G as it was on our way and had no idea what to expect.

It was a great choice,specie RV sites with Electrical hook ups and a clean C.G.

We had a long drive through hilly terrain ,so after getting settled we took things easy,took a shower and strolled around the C.G and the river that ran just next to our site.

Day later we visited on of the most fantastic beautiful S.P called Ohaiopyle S.P,there is a river running through the park,waterfalls with a short hiking distance,picnic areas,white water rafting,canoeing , many bike and hiking trails-what else can one ask for….

It was a great day like many others ,but this came as pleasant

Technorati Tags: Youghiogheny lake

surprise.

Luray Caverns VA

2010-09-23T19:53:00.000-07:00

Yes I know that I already posted a post about Endless Caverns but I must add that Luray Caverns are outstanding from all Caverns we saw and we did see some.
So with out any more words here are some selected pictures.

Shenandoah N.P Virginia

2010-09-23T19:37:00.001-07:00

Shenandoah N.P is located on the North part of the Blue Ridge PWY and is a like a cherry on top of a cake,anywhere you hike,drive or have a picnic is beautiful and you can not go wrong.

The only “problem” we had is to choose from a long list what hikes to take ,but we managed…

As the park is located in the North part of the BRP we decided to move our rig to a C.G close to it,driving with the trailer ON the BRP and the Shenandoah N.P is possible but not wise,the road is curvy and narrow so stopping or turning around is almost impossible, the best solution was leaving the trailer at the foot of the mountain and making side trips with the truck alone-it worked just fine.

We found out that beside the vistas,hike and falls there is also night life in one of the resorts,so surly after a long day we enjoyed local dances and music with food and beverages.

I add some pictures for you to enjoy.

Life is good.

Technorati Tags: Shanandoah N.P

Endless Cavers VA

2010-09-20T17:20:00.001-07:00

Near New Market at the foot of the Shenandoah N.P and the Blue Ridge PWY many cavers can be found, we have visited the Endless Caverns and used their C.G for 4 days to explore this fantastic area.

We arrived at 2PM to the C.G ,got hook upped eat some snack and walked to the Caverns just next to the registration office of the C.G

According to the tour operators, the cave was discovered by two boys in October 1879, while hunting rabbits on the property of Ruben Zirkle. The boys cornered a rabbit behind an outcropping of limestone rocks, and began moving some of the loose stones to flush the rabbit from his hiding place. After doing this they discovered a hole in the ground and ran back to the house to grab some ropes and candles. After going into the hole the boys found that there were many chambers and rooms. Not long after the discovery, the Zirkles began doing candle lit tours through the cave. In 1919, the cave was bought by Colonel Brown. Brown had the cave fully wired and lights were installed. Endless Caverns was allegedly the first cave ever to have electrical lighting.

Endless is home to colonies of bats, primarily little brown bats, that are visible on the tour route

Technorati Tags: Endless Caverns VA

Blue Ridge Parkway VA

2010-09-18T08:04:00.001-07:00

Technorati Tags: Blue Ridge Virginia

We did a long drive (our standards) from Virginia Beach to West VA and settled down for 5 days along the South part of the BRP of Virginia.

Virginia Beach called also called Hampton Roads area is land and waters waved in a way that you do not know where is the ocean,where are the inlets and it reminds an octopus legs with waters in between them.

The city itself reminds Miami Beach with a long boardwalk (made from concrete) along the Ocean when restaurants,hotels and shops on the West side of it, different all together from West of Virginia.

It was 230 Milles long and took us around 6 hours with 3 stops,one of the stops we have done was next to a dinner recommended to us by a friend, “when you pass Wakefield on HWY 460 do not forget to stop at the dinner to taste their peanut pie” and so we did and never regretted it as it was delicious.

The C.G in Greenville has a swimming pool,a lake surrounded with grass ,Wi-Fi , full hook-ups and located comfortably to the BRP.

On our second day we headed towards the Natural Bridge using the BRP going South with many out looks towards beautiful vistas.

The Natural Bridge is a huge rock with a big hole in the middle of it,all made by nature,it is a beautiful sight and the only thing that I dislike about it is that it is private owned and became a tourist trap…

On the next day we headed to Shenandoah Valley C.G near Verona, it has a beautiful Waterfall on the grounds with a running river attached to it,we stopped and had some branch facing the falls.

From there we took HWY 11 towards Stevens Tavern and crossed the BRP on HWY 56 towards the trailhead to Crabtree Falls,4 Mile hike roundtrip with high elevation we reached the lower and the upper falls, the vistas on the way were breathtaking but the falls at this time of the year were not at full stream,never the less the Autumn colors and the hike were great.

Fish,wine,salad made by the Chief Chef Shula Oren was a great treat to complete another wonderful day.

On the third day we took a ride towards the Allegheny Mountains through the small country roads,our first stop was at the old town of Raphine there in a pastoralists views people renewed old house to look as they did many years ago instead of replacing them,this only added to the whole ambiance of this beautiful place.

We continued West seeing from far the BRP as we came to Warm Springs and found two old round white big huts that are used today for Hot Baths with water that runs under them,it appeared to be the oldest Warm Springs in the US,great place to take a dip for an hour ,only 18$ per person.

Further down the road lays Homestead a hug beautiful hotel that has it all,Tennis courts,Golf Course,Swimming Pools,Restaurants,Shops and VIEW,I imagine that for few thousand $ you can have a room there…

On the way back we stopped to see a huge Falling Spring falling from a large rock with the Appalachian Mountains are seen behind it…what a view.

At the end of the day I smile to myself when some asks me “Again you are off to see another fall,mountain or sunset”…..What can I answer to that “it makes my heart beat differently…”

Rosh Hashana,Williamsburg,Jamestown&Yorktown VA

2010-09-11T14:10:00.001-07:00

Rosh Hashana , for those who do not know the meaning of these two words –it means in Hebrew “New Year” and as our calendar is accordingly to the Moon rather than the Sun it happens each year on a different date in the Christian calendar.

This year we celebrated Rosh Hashanah on 8 September while camping in Williamsburg,Rosh Hashana is a family Holiday and therefore it was a Holiday with a touch of sadness as at the table were only Shula and myself with all the family in our hearts…although we took advantage of the high-tech Skype system to talk and see the family.

While in Williamsburg we have visited and learned about the early history and battles of this area,we visited the landing sites , the ships that brought the first settlers,the museums and the restored villages in Jamestown and in Yorktown.

Talking with the people that played the role in the sites you start to wonder what on earth brings a person to fight ,risking his life,having close to nothing for food,slipping on the floor and if he makes the day with out a bullet he gets fever from almost anything…well it must be the will for freedom and a better life for himself and for the future generation DON’T WE ALL…

Here are some selected pictures from our visit.

Technorati Tags: williamsburg va

Washington DC.

2010-09-04T05:32:00.001-07:00

We thought that visiting Washington DC after 40 years would be nice again,so we parked our trailer on friends lot that were kind enough to invite us and took the metro into downtown.

It was a tough long day but we accomplished a lot,we have visited the Holocaust Museum ,the American History Museum and walked the “Mall” from Smithsonian Museum to the Lincoln Monument,White House,Capitol hill and to Union station where we took the subway back.

The weather was on the hot side and we had to go into some museums just to cool off.

In the statue gardens we stopped for lunch listening to live Jazz sitting around a pool dipping our feet in the water.

Our next move is towards South Virginia to Virginia Beach area.

Till then….

Technorati Tags: Washington DC

Philadelphia.

2010-08-29T19:36:00.001-07:00

After spending time in the Wilds we finally made it to the BIG city Philadelphia.

First we “parked” the 5W in a campground between Philadelphia and Lancaster and then meet with Carol & Harold .a couple we meet on the way to Alaska in 2002 for one evening and never saw them till now,but stayed in touch through the E-mail.

Carol and Harold picked us up from the C.G to their home and for 4 days went out of their ways to make us feel at home and we deeply thank them for sharing the time with us.

We have visited the city by foot,walked the park,went to see “Joseph” in the theatre and took scenic drives in the area-it was just marvellous-Thank you Harold and Carol.

We also managed to meet Shuki and Susan.Shuki and myself did not see each other since high school meaning we did not meet for 50 YEARS….unbelievable… we had a great time together and promised that our next meeting will not be after 50 years…

Bernville PA

2010-08-25T18:47:00.001-07:00

On the way from North PA towards Lancaster (the Amish country of PA) we decided to have a break in Bernville in Mid East PA in between the mountains and close to the Appalachian Trail.

The are is full of farm land ,Amish , Mennonites and beautiful nature.

We found a C.G that belongs to Passport America in the small town of Bernville and spent the afternoon cleaning and drying the wet trailer from the previous night. The C.G has full hook-ups and cable TV so we could finally see a movie without advertisements and clear as it should.

On the next morning we pack some lunch and take a scenic route towards Cornwall passing through rolling hills,farm land and green meadows as far as the eye can see.

We stopped in a library in one of the small towns on the way ,checked our e-mails and continued slowly towards Cornwall,in one of the turns Shula saw huge mushrooms on a lawn and asked me to stop.

As we approach the place to take some pictures we noticed that this lawn belongs to an Inn called Cornwall Inn that includes beautiful old buildings and gardens,as we needed to use a rest room we decided to check out the Inn and as we are approaching the entrance we see a couple working in the front garden .

After greetings we found ourselves invited to a tour of the old Inn and gardens which we dilated to do and found that the place was once a train station,post office and a local jail.

To see what the couple did from the place is remarkable,we saw the “before” and I can show you the “After” down here…

The outstanding couple show us a round and then took us to an Amish farm they know not far from there place, we found a very nice clean ,well behaved and open people.

We were allowed to take pictures and were surprised to learn that one of the girls even has a “Face book”…

A day that started with not many expectations ended to be an extra ordinal one…and what the difference where the people we meet.

Ricketts Glen S.P Pennsylvania.

2010-08-21T16:35:00.001-07:00

We have hiked high lands,we have hiked lowlands,we have hiked frozen waterfalls but have NEVER hiked a 7.5Mile hike seeing 21 ,yes 21 waterfalls…..

If you look at the map above this is a waterfall trail ,each blue dot represents' a waterfall in Ricketts Glen S.P in Pennsylvania,

the weather was just right for the autumn it was just one beauty after another, each fall a totally different from the one before,and because the water was low we could walk the on the rocks around the falls and enjoy it from different angles.

It took us from 9AM till 3PM to complete the loop , we did it slowly and tried to enjoy the falls,the vegetation,the formations which was getting harder as we went from one waterfall to another because you kind of get used to it.

One day you can hike 4 hours to reach one waterfall and here we are hiking 21 waterfalls in 7.5Miles….

Our Camp Ground is located 4 miles from the S.P and has a vender that does smoked ribs,chicken with side dishes, so we decided to complete this fantastic day to have a treat,Shula had 1/2 smoked chicken with backed potato and I had 1/2 a rack of Texas baby ribs with beans…wooow that was great and it was served to our site by the vendor when it finally was done.

Her are some selected pictures from this another magnificent day.

Technorati Tags: Ricketts Glen S.P PA

Grand Canyon Of PA

2010-08-17T14:04:00.001-07:00

Technorati Tags: Pennsylvania,USA,RV,2010

The so called Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania is a part of the PA Wild’s but it deserves a chapter of its own and his official name is PINE CREEK GORGE.

He lies between Leonard Harrison and Colton Point State Parks, many scenic vistas offer spectacular views into 800 foot deep,glacially carved canyon.

We parked our trailer on the East Rim of the Canyon just one mile away from the head trail called Turkey Path that takes you down to the bottom of the Canyon and the river bank.

The only problem of this path is that you have to climb it up eventually….

We had a great hike down,luckily the path was dry after some rainy days that made it impossible to hike without slipping from time to time.

As you can imagine the hike down took half of the time on the reverse route but it was worth the effort.

On the way down we passed next to two waterfalls and not very impressing because of the season,I can imagine them in full strength at Autumn.

At the bottom we found a great place for a picnic sitting on a rock with the feet in the cool water and seeing vistas as far as your eye can see-just breathtaking…

On the way up we meet a couple from PA that took a day to see the Canyon and we talked our way up.

We wanted to raft the on the river but unfortunately the water was to low for this kind of activity.

Tomorrow we are of to hike in the West Rim and pictures will follow (I have added some pictures after the visit and hike in the West Rim).

Pennsylvania Wilds

2010-08-12T20:34:00.000-07:00

On the 4th of Aug Yuval flew back home on a direct flight from Toronto,it was a sad moment for all of us,it was a great month and a new experiance for the 3 of us.
Yuval was neto with us without her parents or brothers and she became part of the RV team immediately.
She wanted to know everything about the trailer and her far family ,it was great having her around and hopefully will have her again.
After she left we crossed the boarder through the Peace Bridge near Buffalo and proceeded to Erie where we stayed for 3 days exploring the lake sites.
Currently we are in PA Wilds (North West Pennsylvania) and are enjoying the wild part of the State.
It if full of natural forest,rivers,small villages,hiking trails and wild life and we are taking advantage of it all.
Here are some selected pictures that tell the story.

Ontario with Yuval 2010-Part 2

2010-07-31T15:27:00.000-07:00
After spending almost a month Rving with Yuval I must say that it was an outstanding experiance,we knew it will be a pleasure but could not forecast her interest/attitude after being away from home and family for so long-She was FANTASTIC.
Yuval was involved in all the activity's around the trailer and the cooking,she enjoyed hiking,swimming and experiencing new environment, we have never felt that she is "down" or homesick.
To my friends I warmly recommend to travel with your grand kids for short period and share some quality time with them,it is something that we enjoyed and plan to do with the other grand kids when time will come.
We saw Yuval grow in front of our eyes in one month,she is clever curious and a great group player.
Here are some more pictures from our trip.

Canada with Yuval

2010-07-07T03:51:00.000-07:00
As I have already posted this summer RV trip is going to be a special one,our eldest grand daughter Yuval that just turned to be 12 years old asked us if she can join us for a month traveling with our trailer.
It was certainly a pleasant surprise for us knowing that today's kids prefer hanging out with their friends rather with their grandparents.
So after discussing and getting the blessing from Yuval's parents and her brothers we started to get used to the idea.
As I was getting the tickets ready I asked Yuval again if she is sure about being away for whole month ,she looked at me and said "grandpa,one whole month not less" , well after this there is nothing to say but get ahead with the plan and ticket reservations.
The general plan is to travel with Yuval in beautiful Ontario visiting some kids attractions as water parks,pioneer villages,amusement park and RVing in Bruce Peninsula ,hiking,sailing among the Islands,visiting waterfalls and other attractions.
For her to experiance the RV life will be a new thing and as I know her she will love it.
She is a good team player,like to help around and likes cooking.
So saying all this I must be blessed to have 2 beautiful ladies with me on the RV trip-That is called LIFE.....

2010 RV summer plan

2010-05-15T06:14:00.001-07:00

We started our RV summer trips way back in 2002 (hard to believe that we already did 8 summer trips…wooow) when we flew into Edmonton Canada with 2 suitcases and in 2 weeks were on the way to Alaska with a F-250 1994 and a 5th wheel 27” with one slide 1999 and had no idea what to expect..

It was our first time to drive such a “monster” ,but if millions do it so can we.

This was the beginning of a LOVE story between the RV life style and us,so as I said every summer we RVed in different parts of North America and are enjoying it every minute.

If you browse through our website you will see that we covered the West and all of Canada (except 2 provinces in the center) and all the way to Newfoundland in the East.

We have hiked,rafted,worked in cattle farm branding cattle,meet wonderful people,visited amazing nature wonders and saw many beautiful sunsets but we still are exited every day…

This year will be different,our eldest grad daughter (12 years old) asked to join us for one month as a birthday present, what a surprise it was for us and what a joy.

So we will take off in July with Yuval and RV in Ontario mainly in Bruce Peninsula where we will enjoy nature,wild life,beaches,lakes,boat rides,hike and mainly be together.

After the first month we will bring Yuval back and continue to Pennsylvania & Maryland.

Photos will follow I promise.

Technorati Tags: 2010,Ontario,Pennsylvania,Maryland,Yuval,RV,Canada,USA

Danny&Shula's Home page.: Yen Prat/Wadi Kelt

2010-04-12T13:59:00.000-07:00
Danny&Shula's Home page.: Yen Prat/Wadi Kelt

Yen Prat/Wadi Kelt

2010-04-12T12:55:00.000-07:00
Just before "real" summer kicks in we decided with a group of friends to take a day trip to one of the most beautiful canyons called Yen Prat or in Arabic Wadi Kelt.
The canyon is located North of Jerusalem and on the way to the Dead Sea.
Yen Prat combines desert climate and view together with high rocks and running water year round.
More information can be seen here
http://www.parks.org.il/BuildaGate5/general2/data_card.php?Cat=~25~~169339899~Card12~&ru=&SiteName=parks&Clt=&Bur=102476547

Golan Heights

2010-01-31T06:58:00.000-08:00
As you already know we are spending our winters back home in Israel,but that does not in any way mean sitting at home.
It is a very small country and to give you a feeling of the size I have managed to fit it 8 times into Florida (I actually did it on the computer),it also means that you can drive from North to South for 6 hours and get from one end to another,but from East to West there are places that you can drive for 30 minutes and hit the Eastern Boarder....I sometimes find it hard to believe myself.
But in this small country we do have 4 seasons,one lake,one mountain,one desert ,one sea and a lot of great sites.
Winter is a good time to travel,the rain brings water to the dry creaks and brooks that fill the rivers and create waterfalls,the fields become green and colorful as result of all this humidity and that is when you want to go out and smell the ground and experiance the colors of the bloom.
That is exactly what we did this weekend,we visited and hiked in the Northern part of Israel.
We had to wait for 3 days after the heavy rain to be able to hike the trailers and that is what we saw.

New born grandson.

2009-11-25T08:21:00.001-08:00

On 25 November 2009 at 0630 local Boston time this beautiful boy was born.

He is the son of our middle son and his wife and has a sister 3 years old.

The Mother and the baby are doing fine (and so are we…)

It is an amazing moment and we would like to share it with you all.

May this newborn have a peaceful,happy,healthy loving LIFE.

Down Town Boston

2009-11-09T07:08:00.001-08:00

I love this city,it has so much to offer,European atmosphere,side walk pubs,restaurants,beautiful parks,Museums and old buildings.

We took a stroll to Down Town area on a beautiful sunny day headed towards Quincy Market a huge place with in and out restaurants from all cultures you can imagine,the place is usually packed ,many artists show there talents in the squire and it just nice to walk around and enjoy the day.

As we were walking around we saw a musician performing under a tree but all the people were looking up towards the sky,so I shift my eyes and a see a beautiful Owl resting on a branch , so I pull out my new Panasonic Camera that has X18 Zoom and look at the results.

I think it had a good time as we had….

Technorati Tags: Boston,quency market

Boston –Plymouth MA

2009-11-07T18:40:00.001-08:00

It is already November,the foliage is after the peak ,we stored the trailer next to Toronto and spent time with our youngest son and some great friends in the area.

Our middle son ,his wife and their 3 year old girl are stationed in Boston and are expecting a second child in mid November,so we are here to help out and enjoy their company.

Last time we saw them it was when they came over to join us while RVing in NH in the White Mountain area just 4 months ago,we spend fantastic 5 days and now we are catching up.

Roni grew so much since we saw her,she uses English and Hebrew all in one sentence,and it is very funny and quit.

This week end we took a trip down to Plymouth along the coast ,walked the beach,saw the sunset and enjoyed being together again.

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Well we are here till they kick us out…

Technorati Tags: Boston,Plymouth MA

Port Hope Ontario

2009-10-29T12:00:00.001-07:00

Usually we store the Rig at the end of the trip around October when it starts to be chilly and the Autumn leaves are gone, but this year we had more time because our middle son and his beautiful wife are having their second child in mid November in Boston.

This year the trip ended in Toronto so before we flew to Boston and after having the trailer stored we decided to do some side trips in the area to see the foliage colors in the Great Toronto Area .

Just an hour away driving East along the Lake Ontario is a small community of Port Hope with a nice small marina,beautiful houses and an old stone house University,all covered with foliage colors from yellow to red and all colors in between.

Strolling along the paths covered with foliage colour leaves some how takes you to another mood and time,we really enjoyed very much this day trip and wanted to share it with you all.

Technorati Tags: Port Hope Ontario

Trading the truck

2009-10-28T22:39:00.001-07:00

In 2002 we have bought our first rig,F-250 1994 ,Turbo Diesel and a 1999 5w Wonderer from Thor.

After 4 years we have traded the 5W for a 2006 Cruiser and now we have traded our good old truck.

The Ford pulled the trailer from Alaska till Newfoundland with many side trips in between,overcame mountain peaks in Colorado and Wyoming with minimum problems, I took care of it and got in return a great pulling truck.

It took 24 hours from the time I published it for sale till the deal was completed and it actually surprised me that it went so fast and smooth.

I sold the Ford only after I have completed an Internet deal for a F-350 2006,SD,EC,Auto,SRW located in California from a person that later became a “friend” although I have never saw him in person.

Wayne was the only owner of this Ford and he was more “crazy” than I am when it comes to care and maintain the truck, it is clean,never had a body repair and beautiful inside and out.

Accidently I also “meet” on the RV forum a guy that bought a 5W from Wayne and he said that he would buy anything from Wayne with no fear at all.

Here is the new “beast” , it has everything I need to pull my 5W including hitch,towing mirrors,electrical connection,Tow/Haul Mode and special breaks.

Wayne was very straight forward and did everything to to help this transaction to go smooth.

I am already anxious to take it on the road..

Technorati Tags: Ford F-350 SD

Foliage colors in North Ontario

2009-10-12T17:01:00.001-07:00

Many campgrounds close close to mid October because of the weather,the water freezes during the night and it starts to be a survival issue rather than enjoyment.

So we prepared the trailer for the winter and storied it just and hour from Toronto.

We are keeping the truck till we fly away and meantime enjoy the changing of the leave colors in Ontario.

The trip to Algonquin S.P was very pleasant when suddenly strong snow started to fall on us,it was unexpected and caught us of guard, so I pulled aside and took a shot through the window .

The snow stopped as it began and after 15 minutes the sun came out like nothing happened.

The power of nature was at its best,in the Spring it is the Waterfalls,in the Winter it is the Snow and now in Autumn it is the Foliage.

The rest of the trip was amazing,forests turn Yellow and Red,Lakes reflect the colors of the leaves and the ground is covered with leaves with different colors-Just beautiful.

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Technorati Tags: Foaige in North Onatrio