Pesach Journal, Part One - On Our Doorstep




On the first day of chol hamoed (intermediate days) of Pesach, our family dutifully packed ourselves into the car, and headed off to The North.

We didn't have very definitive plans, but highlighted a couple of trails and sites we found online (on the Tiyuli site).

After an hour in the car, we had still barely reached the exit from Beit Shemesh, and Waze, along with the radio updates, was predicting an extended haul through holiday traffic jams to our destination.

We spontaneously decided to change plans, and changed direction.

Beit Shemesh is located in such a beautiful and history-rich region, why spend our scarce vacation time, schlepping through the traffic to other parts of Israel, which are surely no more beautiful than what we have right here on the doorstep?!

Heading South, we pealed off Route 38, just opposite the Ramat Beit Shemesh junction, followed a randomly chosen track into the forest. After a 100 yards, we dumped the car, and hit the trail, heading generally eastwards.

Over the next few hours walking through the forest, aside from a man walking his dog, and a couple of cross country cyclists, we didn't meet up with anyone else. For the reasonably well-traveled Morrises, this was new territory - we had never been to this particular forest before.

Peace, quiet, beauty and a delightful family-style hike, literally a few minutes from our front door.




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