On Sunday morning we left Zagreb in the early hours on a bus headed to Plitvice Lakes National Park which was a planned day stop on our way to Zadar on the coast.
We left the city and started heading up the mountains, weaving through twisty roads with perilous drops beside us, and the beautiful views brought comparisons of our own beloved Rocky Mountains.
Arriving in Plitvice was a little disappointing at first because once again, even though the weather forecast predicted hot temperatures, it was cold and overcast. It seemed that bad weather was following us wherever we went. The mountain air was crisp and refreshing however, and we were layered up, like good backpackers should (right Mom?), so we pressed on to see what this national park had to offer.
Even with the weather and a frustratingly amount of other visitors, Plitvice was absolutely beautiful. Rough wooden pathways and trails through forests took us around bright tourqouise and incredibly clear pools of water that seemed to flow everywhere. In some places the water would drop off numerous waterfalls and collect in a bubbling pool below.
As the day progressed, we hiked along many trails that lead us through the park and in the afternoon, the sun finally came out and for once we found ourselves in our t-shirts.
We left Plitvice with sore feet, our skin slightly less pale, and our spirits up as we were now heading to the coast. We drove down from the mountains and I was amazed by how quickly the terrain could change here. The road was now flat as the trees thinned out and the mountains on either side of us were downgraded into hills. Under these hills we drove through tunnels that seemed like they could go on forever until we finally burst out into a new landscape of pale rocks and barren trees. As the bus drove, the sun set in a cloudless sky, casting warm golden hues over everything. It seemed that our bad weather streak was finally coming to an end.
There's nothing quite like that first glimpse of the sea.
We left the city and started heading up the mountains, weaving through twisty roads with perilous drops beside us, and the beautiful views brought comparisons of our own beloved Rocky Mountains.
Arriving in Plitvice was a little disappointing at first because once again, even though the weather forecast predicted hot temperatures, it was cold and overcast. It seemed that bad weather was following us wherever we went. The mountain air was crisp and refreshing however, and we were layered up, like good backpackers should (right Mom?), so we pressed on to see what this national park had to offer.
Even with the weather and a frustratingly amount of other visitors, Plitvice was absolutely beautiful. Rough wooden pathways and trails through forests took us around bright tourqouise and incredibly clear pools of water that seemed to flow everywhere. In some places the water would drop off numerous waterfalls and collect in a bubbling pool below.
As the day progressed, we hiked along many trails that lead us through the park and in the afternoon, the sun finally came out and for once we found ourselves in our t-shirts.
We left Plitvice with sore feet, our skin slightly less pale, and our spirits up as we were now heading to the coast. We drove down from the mountains and I was amazed by how quickly the terrain could change here. The road was now flat as the trees thinned out and the mountains on either side of us were downgraded into hills. Under these hills we drove through tunnels that seemed like they could go on forever until we finally burst out into a new landscape of pale rocks and barren trees. As the bus drove, the sun set in a cloudless sky, casting warm golden hues over everything. It seemed that our bad weather streak was finally coming to an end.
There's nothing quite like that first glimpse of the sea.
iPod cameras are bad at capturing the full beauty of Plitvice. 
The sun sets on our way to Zadar. 
Go see the sea organ! So hauntingly beautiful.
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