Plitvice Lakes

Our final stop on the Thanksgiving trip was a dip down into Croatia to see Plitvice Lakes. Not really on the way home, but instead, a destination of their own. I'd seen photos of this place in friends' Facebook albums and with a move back to the USA eminent in the coming year, I got concerned that a trip dedicated solely to Croatia may not happen. So a little detour off the Slovenian path made it into our planning. All we really knew about Plitvice was that there were a bunch of lakes with walkways along and over them. We were unprepared for just how amazing the place really is. An UNESCO World Heritage site for the last 30 years, water from the 16 lakes flows over natural dams, and paths cover almost 5 miles of the park - wooden walkways take you along, over, and in one case, behind the water and falls. Pictures of this place in the summer are phenomenal, with vibrant trees along the lake edges and sunny days turning the water brilliant colors. But even at the end of November, we found a peaceful beauty, and we shared the pathways only with one tour group who stuck together and stayed on the short route, so a place that by all accounts is mobbed in the summer, we had all to ourselves.