Croatian Adventures

Never go on trips with someone you don't love. -Ernest Hemingway

Back in September, I was lucky enough to go on a wonderful trip with my family. I have mentioned before that I have a large family, and being able to travel in Croatia with twenty of those incredible people was an exceptional experience.  A week or so before we left for the trip we lost my grandfather.  Having a large amount of our family together to celebrate and remember that incredible man helped us all to start healing.

My parents and some of my aunts and uncles and cousins (once removed) traditionally go on biking trips through Europe once a year. I am a lot of things, but a biker is not one of  them. The trip they had planned was for Croatia. One of my aunts was born there and had been wanted to show the country to her kids for years. I wanted to revisit a country I had been to once before, but not for long enough. Slowly, a number of my family members decided to crash the bike trip. We all spent a few days together before the 'athletes' of the family took off on their trip.

We started the week in Zagreb- the capital of Croatia. I was not that excited to see Zagreb, I was looking at more like a jump off point to the mountains and oceans of Croatia. However, I was shocked at how much I liked it.

It was rainy and a bit dreary when I got into the city, but it was still vibrant and full of life. As the day wore on, the rain and fog lifted and we were treated to an incredible view.

 While Prague is known for stunning rooftops- I've gotta say- Zagreb was putting up some fierce competition. After spending a day touring the city on foot immediately after getting off a 10 hour flight, I was exhausted. I split away from my parents to take a quick nap and regain some sense of normalcy before we met with the extended family for dinner. That dinner will forever be one of my favorite family memories. Maybe it had something to do with the free flowing wine, but the conversation was top notch. I learned so much about people I have known my entire life and I really don't know the last time I had laughed that hard.

The next morning, we were off to Rovinj. It's a small oceanfront town, and it is amazing. In fact, they say on a clear day you can actually see Venice across the water.

Since the town is on the water, the seafood is amazingly fresh. We had amazing weather and spent the day swimming the ocean and touring the old town.

The sunset that night was potentially the best sunset I have ever seen in my life. I almost didn't go down to the water to watch, but my mom begged me to go with her. I have to give her props- she truly picked a spectacular spot to watch from.

We had some extra time here and I had been reading the tour book my dad had brought with him. There was mention of an old walled town in the mountains called Motovun that was known for great views and truffle-filled cuisine. That sounded right up my alley so the next morning we hopped in the car and took off for the mountains. 

Motovun from the car

The views were amazing- everything was so lush and green. Apparently, this was the rainiest September Croatia had seen in years. We got lucky and didn't get caught in too many downpours, and we got such amazing vistas.

I was obsessed with trying to figure out what the giant straw man in the town courtyards purpose was. It was so whimsical!

Motovun and Rovinj are now my top recommended spots for a Croatian visit. They aren't too overrun with tourists and the food and views are top-notch.

On our way to Zadar, we stopped at Krka National Park. I had really wanted to see Plitvice, but due to the rain, the flooding was out of control and the majority of the park was closed.

Krka was unreal. I can't say which park I'd recommend since we weren't able to see Plitvice. However, you can normally swim in the falls in Krka and you can't do that in Plitvice. I went in expecting to be disappointed, but Krka as amazing, the falls were much larger than I expected, and while it was crowded- it was quite easy to get unobstructed pictures of the amazing scenery.

Our next stop was Zadar. I had really high expectations for Zadar, and while it was cool- it wasn't my favorite of our destinations.  I did enjoy the Roman ruins and the Sea organ quite a bit though.

 Hemingway called the sunsets in Zadar some of the best in the world. Unfortunately, we didn't have the greatest weather for the night we were there. The sunset was beautiful- to be sure, but it didn't have the same staggering beauty of the one's we had seen in Rovinj.

Our final stop was in Split. We met with the entire extended family and sailed across the Adriatic to an isolated island where we had the best lunch I have ever had in my life.

 The water was exceptionally choppy, and luckily, Shelby and I don't suffer from sea-sickness. A lot of our family struggled on the way out and back, but we were having the time of our lives.

I am surprised no one fell in since there really wasn't anywhere great to sit or hold on too.  We were all pretty haphazardly spread around the 'kids' sailboat. We had three- one for the youths, one for the women, and one for the men.

We also had a spectacular dinner and night out with the whole group once we got back to Split.

Moody B&W shot

Split is a very unique city. It is all built in an old fortress/castle. Walking through that town is a really cool experience. If you are visiting Croatia, don't miss Split. I headed back to the States after Split, and a lot of the family continued to Dubrovnik and some of the Croatian islands. 

All around this was such a special trip and I think it really brought us all together. Especially considering the loss of the family patriarch. 

The City By The Bay

"If you’re alive, you can’t be bored in San Francisco.  If you’re not alive, San Francisco will bring you to life……San Francisco is a world to explore. It is a place where the heart can go on a delightful adventure. It is a city in which the spirit can know refreshment every day."- William Saroyan

I went home for a week and spent some time in the City by the Bay (San Francisco). Now that I am a real life adult, a lot of my friends live in the City, and every time I head back to California, I end up spending time there. I made the mistake while growing up of not really taking advantage of living so close to arguably the greatest city in America (FOOLISH).

Foggy Day on the Golden Gate

My mom and I decided to head across the Golden Gate to the more scenic side of the San Francisco area.  We decided to do a bit of hiking in the Marin Headlands. I had never been out there before, and I was completely awe-struck by how gorgeous it was. I honestly didn't even feel like I was in CA anymore; it had that mystical, foggy, craggy feel of the British Isles or Ireland.

Marin

We pulled over at the research/information center and decided to walk down a trail towards the ocean. It was a typical foggy Bay Area day, but the perfect brisk temperature. I couldn't believe how green the area was, especially considering the major drought in the state. (My parents have been rationing water like champs).

We walked along until we hit the Pacific Ocean, and we would have had a perfect view of the Golden Gate Bridge, but the fog was ridiculously thick. Either way, the fog adds to the aura of San Francisco.

After our walk, we decided to drive over to the lighthouse (which I honestly didn't know existed until we saw it on a map). Lighthouses are my mother and my new thing. We ventured out to Tybee Island when we were in Savannah to go see one, so we figured it would be worth it to go see one closer to home.

This is my favorite picture from our adventures. I loved the wild flowers against the water. 

It was a very different lighthouse than the ones I've seen previously. It's located on this desolate rock that is only accessible via a wobbly suspension bridge. 

You have to go through a few dark tunnels before you get to see the ocean, the Golden Gate, & the Lighthouse. 

After venturing around the outskirts of the city, we ventured into San Francisco and met my father for dinner at Gary Dankos. 

Honestly, for the quality and price of the restaurant I expected more, but it was a really fun experience. You pay a flat fee and then choose either 3, 4, or 5 courses.  By far the best parts of my meal were the lobster courses. I had a lobster avocado salad and a lobster tail that were both amazing. 

My least favorite course was the beef. It was over marinated and salted way too much for my liking.  I did have decent experiences with the cheese plates and the variety of desserts we ordered (we lover our desserts).

I can't wait to go back to San Francisco and do the tourist thing all over again!

Cheers xx