If religion has found a home in Jerusalem, her mortal enemy—science—has conquered Rehovot. The brainchild of Israel’s first chemist president, Chaim Weizmann, the eponymous Weizmann Institute of Science was erected when Rehovot was little more than a few rocks and a lot of sand. Strolling through the lawns of the Institute today, it’s clear that his vision has come to fruition, to the delight of eggheads the country over. A huge complex of laboratories interrupted by the occasional tourist sight, Weizmann Institute is packed with the likes of particle accelerators, solar labs, and buildings that look like rocket ships primed for blast off. Naturally, these developments have pulled along the rest of the city. While Rehovot is certainly bustling with locals going about their daily shopping, there is still a dearth of much to see or do here, and, like many of the small towns that brush the outskirts of Tel Aviv, there are no places to stay,budget or otherwise. Poke around the Institute and the nearby kibbutz, snag a drink at a bar, then head back to Tel Aviv or to your next destination in time to rent a room.