by Teri E. Popp, Tastemaker in Residence - Photos by Teri E. Popp and Paul Douglas (aka Doug Kruhoeffer)

“This article was written before the current status of our nation’s ability to travel. This article serves as a guide for ideas for after the Covid 19 pandemic is eradicated. Stay well and safe.”

On our road trip through Israel in our rental car—which, as I stated in Part One of this series about our travels in Israel, was remarkably easy—we decided to head north along the coast of the Mediterranean and visit the ancient Crusader fortress of Acre. This port city, also called Akko (in Hebrew עַכּוֹ) and Akka (in Arabic عكّا), predates the fortress and was originated in the Bronze Age. I think you’ll find you won’t be disappointed by visiting the Old City of Acre, a UNESCO World Heritage site! For details, visit: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1042/

Controlled by Islam from approximately the mid-600’s AD, the city fell to the Christians, and the Crusaders built the original walls of the fortress in the 1100s. The city itself passed back and forth between Muslim and Christian control through the centuries, with modifications and additions to the original structure installed. At some point in time, the Templars constructed tunnels beneath the Old City.

We spent the night in Acre at the most charming, 7 room, boutique hotel: Arabesque Arts and Residency. Owned by the father-son duo of Evan and Micha Fallenberg, this 300-year-old building hosts residencies of visiting artists from around the world. If you get the chance to stay at this lovely, beautifully renovated hotel, I highly recommend you do so! You can visit their web page at: https://www.arabesqueinacre.com/

After Acre, we headed the car eastward toward the Golan Heights for our next night’s stay in Rosh Pinna, one of the oldest Zionist cities in Israel, founded in 1832 by 30 families who immigrated from Romania. From our spa hotel in Rosh Pinna, Bayit Bagilil Boutique Hotel, we forayed on to tour Nimrod Fortress (also called Nimrod Castle and, in Arabic, قلعة الصبيبة, Qal'at al-Subeiba), a medieval Ayubbud castle built on the southern slopes of Mount Hermon. From this location, you can see the mountains of Lebanon and Syria.

From Nimrod, we ventured back toward Rosh Pinna to take in the sights of Banias Waterfalls and Hiking Trails. We enjoyed a moderate walk through the countryside to view the Banias River—a major tributary of the Jordan River—and the surrounding area.

We finished our day enjoying a fantastic dinner at Shiri Bistro located in Pina-Barosh Inn. The resident cats visited us as we dined on succulent lamb and imbibed in the local wines of the region! Mazol Tov!! For restaurant details, please visit: http://www.pinabarosh.com/en/Shiri_Bistro.html , and I hope you’ll join me next month for my last installment of our Road Trip Through Israel!!

Road Trip Through Israel-Part Three: Acre and Rosh Pinna