A nice place to stop off with the kids if you’re touring in the north of Israel is “The Way of the Tree” (or Derech HaEtz in Hebrew). It’s a great place to spend a few hours while getting more familiar with the magical world of trees, before we totally take them and the environment around us for granted.
There’s plenty to see and do at Derech HaEtz and the place is surprisingly big. You should start off with the house movie about trees and their role in our lives, and then get a quick lecture about what the park holds. At this point you might be reeling at the details of the Paulina tree, which grows an astonishing 6 meters a year. The park has its own little forest of Paulina trees you can check out. Surely a great solution to the ongoing world deforestation?
Then head down with the little ones to build your own toy boat. Nails and hammers and glue are provided; just watch your fingers when the little ones get hold of the hammers. Once built, race your boat against others on a specially created pond, making sure to check out which way the wind is blowing so as to give yourselves a head-start. Hey, it’s a serious business is toy boat racing, especially with competitive 4 year olds in tow…
You can also attend the drum workshop (I believe it’s on the hour, every hour), where you get taught how to play like a South American carnival god, and work out your navigation skills in the specially crafted maze (from, er, wood).
Apparently there are also camping facilities at Derech HaEtz, but I didn’t spot them. You might want to give them a call before you commit to the idea.
All in all, a great little spot to check out if you are in the neighborhood (or even on the road to/from the Sea of Galilee).
How to get there: Head up towards the Sea of Galilee (the Kineret), through the town of Afula on Road 65. Once you get to Kfar Tavor, take a right at the junction directing you towards the Sea of Galilee. After about 5 minutes, lookout for Shadmot Dvora on your right. Once you enter this moshav, just follow the signposts to Derech HaEtz. It’s about 90 minutes drive from Tel Aviv and about 20 minutes from the Sea of Galilee.
Telephone: 04-6620606
Operating Hours: 08:00 – 16:00
Price: Not expensive, I think it was 50 shekels for a family of four (under 3s get in for free).