Tuesday morning, we checked out of our Jerusalem hotel.
Our last Jerusalem visit was to the City of David, an archaeological park whose ruins shed light on the establishment of Israel under King David in 1004 AD.
We saw a 3D movie about the City of David, went to a lookout for a view of the active archaeological site, and then we toured some of an ancient water tunnels built by King Hezekiah in 701 AD.
The water tunnels were built to protect Jerusalem's water source from invading Assyrians. This was in about 701 AD.
Off to the Dead Sea we go! We had to pass through the West Bank again. We had a lunch stop, and Uri said that if we wanted to ride a camel, this was the best opportunity. I, of course, did it!
The cost was only $6. Lunch was the usual fare.
The Dead Sea is more than 1,300 feet below sea level. Before arriving at this destination, we stopped at Ein Gedi Nature Reserve. We visited a lush oasis and embarked on a short hike to several waterfalls.
From this hiking venue, you could see the Dead Sea below.
The weather was warmer, so I was able to hike in my sandals.
We arrived at our hotel, Isrotel Ganim Dead Sea around 3:00 p.m. Barb and I wanted to float on the Dead Sea. We met in the lobby and walked across the street to the beach.
It was so easy to float! And our hotel was right there.
The interesting thing is that the mountains behind the Dead Sea are in the country of Jordan! After our floating experience, I walked down the beach to the private setting used by patrons of our hotel. The sun was setting, and it was a full moon that night.
That night, all of us had dinner at the hotel. Breakfasts and Dinners are included in the room rate. It was a convenient buffet and the food was good.
The next morning, I took an early morning walk along the beach. There is a McDonald's restaurant within the complex of hotels.
The main event of the day was taking an off-road adventure in the Judean Desert. The three 4x4 vehicles picked us up at the hotel and drove us to the first stop, an interesting geological viewpoint.
The leader of the tour group, provided us with insight into the geological make-up of this part of the desert.
We then continued on --- riding among stunning canyons, erosion craters, and dry riverbeds.
At about noon, we stopped for lunch. The three guides set out a nice buffet of cold cuts and cheeses.
After lunch, we had a few more scenic twists and turns.
We arrived back at our hotel early enough to head back to the beach. This time, Barb and I bought some Dead Sea mud and applied it on our bodies.
And, we did some more floating.
Our final night was dinner again in the hotel. The weather was about 80 degrees. During the day, it was nice enjoying the warmth of the day.
The next morning, our bus was loaded with luggage and we were ready to head out.
Our first stop --- as we headed off to our final days in Tel Aviv --- was Masada National Park. We rode the cable car to the top.
And we walked among the powerful 20-acre ruins of the isolated hilltop fortress.
Masada was where Jewish defenders made the last stand of their Judean revolt against Rome from AD 70-73. It was also another one of Herod the Great's architectural compounds.
Many beauty products are produced from the Dead Sea minerals. Our tour leader, Uri, wanted to show us the factory of the most famous.
It was a nice stop, and of course, products were purchased!
Lunch was at another national park, Qumran Caves. This is the archaeological site where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. Before visiting the ruins, we had lunch in a very large cafeteria with oodles of other tourists. Then, off to the ruins!
These caves --- in the Dead Sea Rift Valley --- are where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found.
It was another 2 1/2 hour bus ride to our hotel in Tel Aviv. I was pleasantly surprised! Our hotel, the Herod, was right on the Mediterranean Sea! I had a very nice view from my balcony.
That evening, dinner was on our own. Barb and I wanted a variation from Middle Eastern food. So, at the recommendation of Uri, we dined at Thai House. Yummy!
There is a Jewish holiday, Purim, that provides entertainment for children and adults. It is very much like Halloween --- in that it involves costumes. But for adults, there is also a lot of alcohol and loud music. Although the holiday was on a Wednesday, Tel Aviv used the occasion to party for several more days. Early the next morning, I found a group of folks dressed up for some water sports.
The touring of the day was exploring Old Jaffa and Tel Aviv. Our bus driver, Ilan, took us to Old Jaffa. Jaffa is a 4,000-year-old city situated on the southern outskirts of downtown Tel Aviv. It may be the world's oldest seaport. There, we visited the Church of St. Peter. On this 18 day trip, two friends of mine died --- one was Tom's brother Mike --- and one was Rick Brockie, a dear pickleball favorite and Palm Springs Thousand Trails icon. At the church, I lit three candles for my brother John, Mike O'Dell, and Rick Brockie.
The next stop in Jaffa was a visit to the Ilana Goor Museum. It is a private home of a renowned Israeli artist, designer, and sculptor.
We continued our walk through Old Jaffa. The Wishing Bridge and my Taurus sun sign called to me for a photo opportunity and a wish.
The Jaffa Flea Market was thriving and we had lunch at a local restaurant there.
The restaurant was owned by a television celebrity chef who once prepared a meal for Queen Elizabeth!
Ilan picked us up after lunch and we drove to some shopping areas of the city. The Friday afternoon activities of Purim were heating up.
Prior to dinner, the entire group met in the hotel lobby. Four of us got into the festive mood of Purim. Yes, that is me in orange pigtails!
That night, we had a nice dinner at a local restaurant with an outside dining section. The server spent some time in the USA --- so impeccable English.
While we were dining, a cute puppy caught my attention.
The next morning was Saturday and the Jewish Shabbat. After breakfast --- no cappuccino machines --- we took the bus to some older areas of Tel Aviv. It was fun walking through these old neighborhoods.
The Carmel Market was closed, but we still walked through the area --- imagining the usual bustling bazaar. It is the oldest model for food shopping in the Holy Land.
The next stop was the more modern areas of Tel Aviv --- Rothschild Avenue and the cultural sections of the city. We walked the entire tree-lined Rothschild Avenue.
That avenue ended at Rabin Square, with sculptures,
cultural buildings,
and a memorial to the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin in 1994.
We met up with our bus driver and he took us to a park and a food shopping center. We had lunch "on our own" there.
There were also many Purim celebrations in the park.
This holiday seems to go on, and on, and on!
That night, we had our final dinner together at a restaurant on the Mediterranean. It was a nice steak dinner! Then, we grouped for our final photo together.
I had an early wake-up call Sunday morning. My first flight was at 7:00am. The arranged taxi driver was at my hotel by 3:00am. It took about 35 minutes to get to Ben Gurion International Airport.
The process to go through security was very thorough and very time consuming. My flight had already started the boarding process by the time I got to my gate. I was returning to Phoenix through London Heathrow again. The flight from Tel Aviv to London was about 5 hours. Sunny skies in London!
I had a long layover in London --- over four hours. So, I got some Fitbit exercise by walking all over the airport! Knowing that I was arriving in Phoenix at 6:30pm in the evening, I made sure not to take a sleeping pill on the flight. I watched a number of movies and played some Sudoku on my phone. The flight was 10 hours.
Tom was meeting me at the Phoenix airport. His flight from Cincinnati was scheduled to arrive an hour before my flight. He had been in Indiana for five days, attending his brother Mike's funeral and visiting his 92 year old mother. Thank goodness that I am a trusted traveler and whizzed through customs. Tom met me at the international arrival gate. Blurry photo, but that is me!
We spent the night at a nearby Sleep Inn that had an airport shuttle. Tom had left his truck there earlier in the week. I opened my last bottle of Israeli wine --- a Shiraz --- and we snacked on my cheese and crackers for dinner. I had a great vacation, but it was nice to be home and back with Tom!
The next morning, we had breakfast at the hotel and began the trek home to Williams. I was not scheduled to pick up the dogs until the next day. The house was in good condition. Tom's son Jon was keeping his brand new trailer on the side of the house. He is waiting for his rain soaked property to dry out.
Tuesday morning, I got up early to go pick up the dogs. I wanted to play pickleball at 10:00am. So, I got to Cinder Hills Kennel around 8:00am. The dogs had a wonderful vacation there.
When I was in Israel, I bought several Jerusalem crosses. One was for me, and one was for Bev Nickerson --- who asked me to get one for her. I wasn't sure what style she preferred, so I bought two. On Wednesday, I texted Bev and asked which she preferred.
She asked me to send her the one on the right. Done! Later that afternoon, I decided to change the water of the spa. I don't like it when the water turns milky when the jets are on full throttle. I called Summit Spa in Flagstaff to see what product I could use to clean up the black mold around some of the jets. They recommended the cleaning product I already use --- before I empty the old water.
Over the weekend, I was going to fly from Las Vegas to San Jose. One of my UCSB sorority sisters, Barbee Lemman Carver, passed away several months ago. Two Northern California sorority sisters, Bonnie and Joyce, decided to host a Delta Gamma Celebration of Life for Barbee. It was at Bonnie's home in Atherton. Tom was kind enough to care for the dogs for two nights. So, Friday, I drove to Las Vegas and spent the night at the Hampton Inn & Suites.
My Southwest flight was at 10:00am the next morning. I left my car at the hotel, and I took the 7:00am shuttle to the airport. I was a little early, so I walked around the airport terminal. I always forget that the Las Vegas Airport has slot machines!
You can see a reflection of some slot machines in this photo. The flight was completely full. I had not flown Southwest for a number of years and was concerned that there might not be space for my carry-on luggage. So, I decided to upgrade to a higher number for seat selection. It was a $30 fee, but it brought me comfort.
The flight was on time and I was met at the San Jose gate by sorority sister, Pam Brown Schacter. Pam was getting a ride with me to Atherton --- in my Budget rental car.
Pam was not spending the night, but I was. We dropped by the Menlo Inn before heading to Bonnie's home. It was a cute motel located very close to Atherton.
We arrived at Bonnie's home. Her home is gated and we did not have the code. So, I parked the car and Pam and I walked into the property through another gate. There, we were greeted by Bonnie, Joyce, and Salli Middleton. The reception was in a large entertainment room off of the pool. Very nicely decorated with Barbee photos. Salli and I posed for a photo.
Eighteen Delta Gamma sisters attended the event. Many I had not seen in over 40 years. It was a very nice gathering. And, of course, we needed a photo of all 18 of us. Thanks to Nancy Call Torres, we set up a group photo.
There was great fellowship, singing of sorority songs, and a wonderful time to catch up with everyone. After the event, I joined Bonnie, Joyce, and Salli for dinner at the Menlo Park Country Club. Their spouses had played golf there, so John, Tom, and Carl completed our table of seven.
The next morning, I had breakfast at the hotel and drove 30 minutes to the San Jose Airport. It was an easy rental car drop-off. The Southwest flight was completely full again, but I decided to just keep my number in the queue. No problem finding space for my carry-on. I actually had a window seat and enjoyed coming into Las Vegas.
By the time I got the shuttle to the hotel, it was about 1:30pm. So, I jumped into my truck and made the three hour drive back to Williams. Tom and the puppies were there to greet me and welcome me home!
The leader of the tour group, provided us with insight into the geological make-up of this part of the desert. 
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