Get ready for some Plitvice-ness.This blog is dedicated to travelers, but specifically to those who don’t want to give up their day job. We want to show people that it is possible to see the world even with a small amount of vacation time a year. Some people may hem and haw about how they need months at a time to see certain places. However, most Americans don’t have that luxury to travel months at a time. For those who get a few weeks a year, you just need to put in the time to research and be organized.
It’s possible to see some of the world’s greatest treasures in just one day, like how we did for Plitvice National Park in Croatia.
There are a few public transportation options and there is probably some tour buses and your thumb that can also get you to Plitvice. But, the thing about Plitvice is that it’s like Yosemite National Park. For those of you familiar with the United States’ treasured Yosemite, you know that there are only three highways to get in and out of the park. It’s pretty far away from civilization and the most efficient way to get there is via a car. Yosemite is beautiful for a reason and that reason is because it’s so remote. Plitvice is the same way and that’s why we took the car.
We jammed ourselves into our cute little silver Peugeot from Dubrovnik, took the scenic drive up the Dalmatian Coast to Split and Hvar, stayed for a couple of days and then moved on to Plitvice. We left for the park at 9:00 in the morning and made it to Zagreb by 7:30 pm.
shades of blue and greenHere’s the deal: Plitvice is beautiful. Every path in the park offers new scenery. Just like there are some people who want to see a little bit of Yosemite, there’s people who want to see a little bit of Plitvice, but don’t want to camp out. We don’t think we missed out by spending just roughly 5 hours there.
That being said, there were a few things we learned about Plitvice. First, it’s very blue and very green. This is the kind of blue you see when water isn’t polluted; like that turquoise-colored crayon fresh out the box. It’s the blue-iest blue you will ever see ever in the history of forever. I grew up in LA. Our oceans and lakes are cold and a little bit gray. I’ve never seen anything quite as blue as Plitvice. I don’t know what it is that makes Croatia’s water so incredibly blue. Maybe it’s the lack of pollution. Whatever it is, Croatia, keep it up.
so pretty!The second thing we learned is that the map printed on the back of the ticket is pretty easy to follow. We’re speedy walkers and we were able to see the lower and upper lakes. We saw beautiful scenery, little ducks, waterfalls, tall trees, took a boat across the lake and utilized the tram system provided.
Our journey around Plitvice was spectacular. It’s like an untouched region of the world and it’s quite literally pristine. But, boy do we hate that guy. You know the guy, the one who ruins nature. We saw three people (Russians?) making a wish into a beautifully blue pond filled with little fish. They made their wish and tossed a coin into that pond…to which those little fish greedily tried to eat them up. Allow me to be blunt: your wish will never come true. There is no fate or destiny and we’re all free-floating cells living on a planet. So, stop killing fish and ruining nature just because your life sucks and you’re wishing for it to be different.
These fish are looking for food…but not copper coins.
Tell us about your favorite national park!
Get brand new content delivered via email. Join us on our adventures! Go Nuts!
