National Parks: Ein Afek Edition

Here in TRLEOOB*, we (and when I say “we,” I naturally mean YZG and the kids, and not so much me…) have been busy spackling and painting the LR/DR.

(By a show of hands, anyone interested in an “Our Shiputzim” post on the topic - complete with, er, FASCINATING pictures of wet paint drying?… Anyone?… Anyone?… Bueller?)

But in between all that physical labor and toil, we’ve managed to squeeze in some fun – including swimming, picnics (see, for example, last week’s outing to Palmachim Beach), and various and sundry tiyulim.

Which brings me to our recent trip to the Ein Afek Nature Reserve.

The day began with a visit to Rosh HaNikrah. (Watch this space for more details about that portion of our trip, but in the meantime, you can check out Leora’s gorgeous photos of the site.)

And then, after consulting our Israel Nature and Parks Authority guide, we headed on over to Ein Afek.

Located near Kiryat Bialik (not too far from Acco) and home to assorted flora and fauna, Ein Afek encompasses the upper section of Nachal Na’aman and the springs, pools, lake, and stream which flow into it.

The lovely park also includes Biblical-era ruins (see Yehoshua 19:30, which states that Afek was part of Shevet Asher’s nachalah), a Crusader fortress/mill with a rooftop scenic overlook, a picnic area, a movie about Ein Afek’s history and wildlife, and a pretty walking trail over and around the water canals and lake.

First – as always - the requisite shot of the price list, to show how much money we saved as a result of our National Parks Authority membership:

Next, the Crusader mill: 

A view from the rooftop:

The so-called “floating bridge”: Please feel free to click on the pictures for a better view.

How are you spending the final days of summer?

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*TRLEOOB=the real life equivalent of our blog