Masada: ancient fortress and symbol of unity (in my mind)

The #1 place I wanted to visit was Masada, because 1) I wanted to do some hiking after all the hummus I've been eating and 2) it was highly recommended for its view of the Dead Sea.

So, Masada is about 1300 ft high and you can either take a 2 minute cable car up (lazy asses), or do a 45-minute hike up the Snake Path like they did back in the day.  Of course, mom and I opted to hike up.  Our tour guide (as well as others) kept saying it was a difficult hike and that my mom would have a hard time with it.  In my mind, I was like, "Bitch please, we're from Colorado."  And not surprisingly, it turned out to be a pretty easy hike with perfectly manicured trails and stairs.  With stops in between, we reached the top in 40 minutes.  So, if anyone ever tells you it's so difficult, don't believe them.  Many hikers were climbing in flip flops and long dresses.  No kidding.

The view from the top was priceless.  I first wanted to do the popular sunrise hike, but was told that due to overcast, it wasn't going to be worth it.  If you do go on a clear day, I bet that would be a pretty awesome view.

Masada is such an interesting place because of its historical significance (like everything else in Israel).  It's the site of first Jewish-Roman war, where it was overtaken by the Roman Empire troops.  Instead of surrendering as slaves, the Jews who occupied Masada committed mass suicide.  To me, a true symbol of unity.

Here's a great re-enactment of the last stand.