Skateboarding tweens, dreadlocked 20-somethings, outdoorsy tour guides, and bikers approaching middle age are the most conspicuous residents of this hiking hub. The small town of Sde Boker is defined by the kind of centralized, close-knit community that David Ben-Gurion envisioned as the backbone of Israel—perhaps that’s why he retired here. Town-wide open-air concerts happen occasionally on Thursdays, and the domesticated crusties of this desert outpost gather to sway in unison to oud, synth, base, and acoustic-guitar jam sessions. What little commercial activity exists here is contained withinthe small shopping center in the middle of town, which houses Sde Boker’s only real restaurant, a bike rental and tour center, and a grass field where gazelles casually graze. Everything shuts down by 10pm, maybe because there is no demand for commerce by then or maybe because the lack of lights makes the stargazing better; in a town like this, the two options are equally likely.