So if you were wondering... camping Israeli-style

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And for that matter even if you weren't wondering... Yes, we did camp right by that spring-fed pool and those palm trees. I can't believe I've lived here all these years without knowing this wonderful little corner of the country existed, but there you have it. I didn't. Now I do, though sadly it will close for the season in a few weeks. We'll definitely be making up for lost time next spring though. Just look at the smile on my daughter's face and you'll understand why.
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Did any of you locals recognize where we were? It's definitely possible that we were in fact the very last people to discover this place, although from the lack of crowds (on Rosh Hashana!) I'm inclined to believe that there are a few clueless others out there. This idyllic spot is Ganei Huga (no English website but you can see their photo gallery here). Now this might not look like the height of luxury for those of you used to lovely private wooded campsites in the US, but by Israeli standards this was palatial - when we arrived at 2pm we still had our choice (!!) of shaded areas, most with their own picnic tables. There are no assigned campsites in Israel - "camping" is just a large flat space with minimal facilities and usually you're lucky if you find 2 square feet to call your own, so you'll understand that to not have anyone for about 30 feet on either side of you feels almost decadent. There was no one at all in front of us so we had an unobstructed view straight down to the water about 30 yards away.

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(Taken early in the morning before splashing children ruined the reflections)

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There were large grassy lawns, clean bathrooms with hot showers, a small restaurant (which we didn't try, except to buy iced coffee and ice cream) and of course lots of water activities for the kids - a Tarzan swing out into the water, slides, boats and even waterfalls to hide behind. None of the pools were that deep, making this an ideal spot for families with younger children (sort of a shallow-water version of Sahne, for you locals - and Ganei Huga's Omega (Tarzan swing) is free).

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Look at all that empty green space all around!

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Everyone was sorry when it was time to pack up and go home, but we're all already looking forward to next time. (I am loving my kids' newfound passion for camping and the outdoors. So fun.)
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Now about the O'Malleys....
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The family group you see in the background (top right corner) of the photo below were the only ones camped anywhere near us. They weren't even that close, but they did make up for the distance by being very loud. They weren't trying to be obnoxious, they just spoke Too. Loudly. All. The. Time. Why the O'Malleys you ask? Because they spent the entire, and I mean the ENTIRE, two days talking about cars. Cars and tires. Tires and cars. Cars and tires. And then more cars. All. The. Time. The whole time Jay and I kept laughing that we'd discovered George O'Malley's long-lost Israeli relatives! (Note to self: do NOT look at Wikipedia's Grey's Anatomy site again - Jay and I are only on season two and I just spoiled three season's worth of plot twists for myself!)
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Edited to add a link to Carmi's Thematic Photographic, since I just discovered that this week's theme is "kids". I'd say this post fits the bill.
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