Israel Day 4: Drive North (Haifa)

We checked out of the David Intercontinental in Tel Aviv after our 4-night stay to head north for a few days. Tom wanted us to leave the city for a totally different view of Israel. So we hopped in our sweet rented Hyundai and headed north!

The roads and highways in Israel are just like the ones in the US--very well-marked, easy to navigate, etc. We stopped a few little towns on the way before stopping for lunch and sightseeing in Haifa. Haifa is the home of the Israeli navy and a beautiful town surrounding a natural harbor on the coast.

The main attraction in Haifa is the Baha'i Gardens. Baha'i is a religion that started in Persia in the 19th century with the belief in the unity of all religions and that different people at different times (Moses, Mohammed, Jesus, etc.) were sent to be messengers of God. The Baha'i made Haifa the final resting spot of the Bab, the herald of the Baha'i faith. Baha'i believers are supposed to make a pilgrimage to Haifa to climb the 1400 steps of the Gardens and the Shrine. The gardens are looked after by 100 landscapers and they are absolutely gorgeous. Unfortunately for us, the gates are closed on Wednesday so we couldn't climb, but we did get to take some cool pictures from above and below. (The dome is under renovation, so it's not as pretty as it normally would be.)