Sea of Galilee
October 14
Itinerary:
Downtown Tiberias
I woke up early at around 6 am and headed to the hotel's rooftop, where I saw the sun starting to break out on the horizon. I rushed back to our room to wake Blondie up and join me. We watched the sun rise over the hilltops in the east and light up the Sea of Galilee and downtown Tiberias. After a little more sleep, we started the day by driving to downtown Tiberias. We strolled around a little and shopped for food since the stores would close in the afternoon for Shabbat.
Mount Arbel
We left Tiberias later than anticipated, around 2 pm, because the stores started to close. Then we started driving around the Sea of Galilee in a counterclockwise loop. First, we passed Mount Arbel. There wasn't enough time to hike up the mountain. Maybe next time.
Galilee Boat Museum
While passing the small town of Migdal, also known as Migdala (Wikipedia), where Mary Magdalene was from, we stopped at the Galilee Boat Museum. Inside, you can see a 2000-year-old fishing boat. It gives you an idea of the size and shape of the fishing boat Jesus' disciples used.
Capernaum
Next, we stopped at Capernaum, a fishing village where Jesus often taught in the local synagogue, Luke 4:31-37. Capernaum was eventually abandoned, and today there are only ruins left, Capharnaum - The Town Of Jesus (Street View). The main museum was closed, but we could still walk through the open gardens and take pictures at the water's edge.
Drive Around Galilee
We continued driving down the east side of Galilee as we watched the sun set over the western hills.
Finally, we reached the southern end of Galilee. We stopped at Yardenit, a popular site for baptisms on the Jordan River. The Visitor's Center was already closed. So we decided to come back the next day. A hundred meters down the road, American country music from a busy venue caught our attention. It turned out to be a campsite named Rob Roy situated directly on the banks of the Jordan River. There were lots of families camped out over the holiday weekend. They were rowing Indian canoes on the Jordan and singing karaoke with their kids. The last stop of the day was at a restaurant in Yardenit, where we enjoyed our dinner while directly overlooking the baptismal site on the Jordan River.