Croatia: Plitvice Lakes

After a few days along the seaside in Croatia, we eventually had to venture inland, where the temperatures plummeted quickly.  We watched the thermometer in the car for the outside temp drop from 23 C to 8 C in a matter 4 hours.  Thankfully we dressed for the weather and were ready for our day hike at Plitvice Lakes.  I won’t talk much about the national park itself.  You can look it up yourself or for your convenience, click here.
We were nervous going there, because we had read so many reviews on TripAdvisor that it can get extremely crowded during peak season, so much that you can hardly walk on the boardwalks through the park.  We decided it was worth the risk.  1) not sure if we’d ever get back to Croatia and 2) it was November 1st.  Definitely NOT peak tourist season.
WE picked a route to take us through the park and hopped on a bus (three big trams hooked together – think Disney) to take us to the starting point. 

We chose the ‘H’ trail, because the brochure said it would take 4-6 hours to hike it.

And so our adventure began . . .

The rest of these pictures are not in chronological order.  That’s what happens when you have two cameras, and one of the memory card malfunctions, and you lose half the pictures, and then have to use recovery software to get them back, but not in the same order.

My favorite thing about the park was from the very beginning we could hear the sound of rushing water throughout our hike.  Even when there was no water fall in sight.  That just made the whole place seem even more peaceful.  It also helped that there were hardly any people there!!  Much of the time, especially the first half of our day, we had the boardwalks all to ourselves, which made for some great picture opportunities.

Clear, still water.

Crazy logs to play on (is it still considered stepping off the boardwalk if your feet don’t actually touch the ground?  Boards come from trees, right, so technically we were still on some kind of board walk)

Katya pushing the limits.

Happy to be with Dad (yeah, I wrote that).

Just a little bit further . . . keep pushing  . . .

“My tree!”

Always time for a break.

2 for 1 Thai Massage special.

Mama, the sun’s in our eyes!  We can’t look at the camera.

Waterfalls around every turn.

Walking just over the water’s surface.

I love how this photo captures the many separate streams from the falls.

Cuticle-cleaning fish therapy, no extra charge.

This was toward the end of the hike.  By this time we had hiked almost 8 km.  5 km for the first part, and 3 for the second part.

The hiking was mostly downhill, except the last leg from where you see in the picture, to where I am standing taking the picture.  It was also the only part of the hike where the kids slowed down.  Absolutely stunning views from the top, though.

And then we got to ride the bus/tram back to where we started.

So confusing, completely out of order pictures.  Going back to the waterfalls now.  Could almost reach out and touch the water (don’t do it).

Accidental poses are some of my favorites, by the way.

Let me just say, if you’re planning to visit Plitvice Lakes, do NOT bring a stroller.  Boardwalks there are NOT wheel friendly.

Let me pause the captions for a bit while you scroll through several photos.  And not just because it’s after 11PM and I am struggling to come up with witty remarks.

I should mention that after the first 5 km, there is a boat that takes you across the big lake where the other 3 km starts.  You don’t have to do it this way; there are many other routes to take, depending on how long you have and how fast you can hike.

Lunch on the “other side” of the lake.  Re-fueling for the second leg of our journey.

Stunning beauty everywhere.

This was the tallest waterfall in the park, though the picture does not do it justice.

I can’t explain it, but I really like this picture of Alex.

and this one of Katya.

and this one of Mark (along with all the other ones too).

Back to the end view of the valley from the top.

And finally, the last picture:  looking back at the lakes from whence we came. 

One of our favorite outings ever.  Things in our favor: no crowds, beautiful day, started early in the morning, happy children, no wheels, dressed warm/comfortable, day got warmer, lots of water, lots of snacks, planned ahead.  Had any one of these things not been in place, the outcome could easily have been different (ie yucky).  Based on our experience, we highly recommend this place.
Rob