Canyons, Coastlines, and Connections
June 19, 2025
Welcome back 🏔️🌊
We’ve did it! We made it out of the mountain range and have transferred to Omis. The city is unlike anything that we have ever seen before. After a great breakfast spread of cheese, ham, eggs, yogurt, and bread at Camp Sirena we packed up camp and got ready for our day of ziplining through the canyon. Vibes were high and so were the ziplines. After our safety briefing, we hit the ground running with our first of six ziplines. The first one was over half a mile long and ran parallel to the beautiful Cetina River, which flows through the valley and into the Adriatic Sea. Gideon thrived soaring above the sky like a bird. We finished the other five ziplines, each with their own twist. Cooper was the GOAT in the sense that he was our pack mule and was kind enough to hold everyone’s water at ziplining. Legend says that the extra water bottles gave him record speeds. Some of the ziplines were doubles which was great for some funny bonding moments between the kids, others went over the river crossing between different mountains. Lovie and Violet were a great pair whose voices could be heard from the hilltops. A quote we loved is that screaming makes doing things that are scary more fun! After a few hours doing that we had a nice relaxing day at the beach and pool at our new campsite on the water. The students had great bonding time with plenty of games, music and time in the sun. The weather was great so we decided to walk to dinner right outside of town before heading back and continuing the shenanigans at our campsite. After the girl’s dance party and a few rounds of “What are the Odds” held by the boys, we gathered for a Moon-Up down the beach and were accompanied by an incredible view of the lightning in the distance before a storm rolled in to close out the night.
The next morning we were originally supposed to go stand up paddleboarding but unfortunately had to call an audible. The kids loved the look of the Cetina River so much while ziplining that we decided we would take a day to explore it and kayak up river and have lunch on the water. We kicked off the morning with traditional breakfast pastries called Bureks and then hit the road. The first hour and a half was a workout! Georgia was cruising on the kayak despite flipping over; she kept the vibes high. Paddling upstream against the wind and current that long had everyone wiped which made the relaxing float back down the stream that much more enjoyable. Beegee catching rays in the kayaks with our outfitter Ana paddling. The music was loud, the sandwiches were tasty and the water was oh so refreshing. We headed back to the campsite afterwards to get ready to head into Omis’ old town for some exploring, shopping, and dinner. The boys got some matching polos for Dubrovnik and almost everyone copped some sweet new sunglasses. Some of the students had said they were craving pasta so our outfitter found a restaurant with great pasta, seafood and everything else under the sun… it was a hit! The night ended with Moon-Up and an awesome dance party on the beach.
The final stretch!!!!
We awoke this sunny morning in Omis where we then took a scenic transfer to Dubrovnik. Connor has carried our trip with our music taste with good old classic rock. He kept the music bumping for our longest transfer to Dubrovnik and he the ride off strong with a hotel California request We explored the beautiful Old Town. Old town is known for its medieval architecture and its city walls. The boys were excited to see the street and stairs in which Game of Thrones was filmed. Lulu, Lizzy, Liza got some delicious candy and were sweet enough to share with everyone! The girls walked around and explored the side streets and shops of the city. We found cute little bracelets and rings to remember our time here. We walked outside the city walls along the water and Jake and James played ping pong while Martin played soccer with Porter. We all tried the Dubrovnik Maskeron step where you try and balance against the wall- Connor was a pro at it.
We finished the night with a heartfelt moon up and tear filled hugs and goodbyes. Thank you first session for blessing us with memories and laughs throughout these past 2 weeks that we will forever cherish. We will always be reminded of you guys when listening to Led Zeppelin, Kodak, Noah Kahn, and Chris Stapleton. Thank you CRO 1 for all everything- we love you so!!!
Bok and Hvala,
Clare and Martin
Mountains, Music, and Moonups
June 19, 2025
HEY HEY FOLKS!
Welcome back to round 2!!!! So sorry for the delay, but we are back from the mountains and boy did we love it. We trekked all throughout Paklenica National Park. We started off by saying goodbye to the bungalows with one final scrumptious breakfast. Our favorite breakfast routine has quickly become putting Nutella on everything and today it was waffles! We then drove into the mountains where we began our 4 day journey. Despite the hike being difficult and treacherous it was incredibly rewarding each day. We had a warm and sunny start to our trek; every spring we stopped at to fill our naglenes tasted like nectar. The views were breathtaking in every way; it truly made the hike worth it! With lots of trail games and karaoke songs lead by Lulu and Lizzy we made it to the mountain hut. This hut instantly became our home; it was so quaint but also so inviting to all the trekkers that passed by. We were served a hearty meal after a tiring first day on the mountain. Goulash was one of the top meals we had the entire trip.
Day 2 of trekking
Today was the day that we had a slow morning and enjoyed the mountain air and sound of the river as we woke up. We took a short but steep hike up to the titled rock where we shared orange chocolate cookies and even more spectacular views! Even though Beegee and Clare had only just hiked up that morning, they were able to power through and do two hikes in a day instead of one! Gideon and James led us in some games of categories: they are quite knowledgeable with every brand of car. After we got back down, we washed off in a pool that had river water flowing through it. Although it was freezing it was definitely a good end to the day as everyone got out feeling refreshed and ready for the next trek in the morning! Cooper was our fearless leader in being the first to jump!
Day 3 of trekking- HAPPY BIRTHDAY CONNOR!
Today was our biggest day yet with it being our longest hike (6 hours up and down) but our best view of the canyon and mountains! As we trekked up, we saw a super poisonous snake (which we kept a safe distance from) next to our trail path. Maybe a bit scary at first, but a unique experience no doubt! After the trek, everybody relaxed at the campsite for our last night on the mountain. Porter and Connor used the guitars in the hut to write a song; it’s a top hit! Jake loved the rope swing at the hut, he was always the first one on it in the morning. Martin and Jake also serenaded us on the guitar with some Chris Stapleton bangers. Later that night, the counselor’s surprised Connor with a tiramisu cake as a birthday surprise. Everybody enjoyed the cake and the views while we also met and petted some donkeys. Donkeys and horses are how our food got up the mountain- we have a newfound appreciation for these fine animals.
Day 4 rock climbing
This eventful morning started with an early breakfast and quick turnaround to get to the bottom of the mountain to rock climb! The breakfast combo Liza has been loving: Nutella and Lino Lada smeared on bread! An absolute hit at breakfast. After that, we finally trekked down the Paklenica national park mountains and rock climbed at its base. Lovie and Georgia were killing it on the rock climbing – both of them faced the hardest rocks head-on! Connor looked as if he was Spiderman on the rocks; he traveled at the speed of light. Rock climbing was such a cool way to stop and appreciate the beauty of these rock formations that have existed for millions of years. After that we headed to the auto-camp Sirena, where an amazing view greeted us straight from our campsite! Gideon, Beegee, Violet and James loved to hang out on the rocks and jump into the beautiful blue ocean! We ate dinner after that – and ended up dancing on tables! Violet was the first to stand up, starting a chain reaction as everyone got onto the tables and the restaurant owners sang “Knocking on Heavens Door.” A night of traditional camping in our tents to end an activity and travel filled day! This campsite was straight out of heaven- truly one of the most beautiful places we have ever laid eyes on. We ate ourselves full with fresh fish and meat platters and had a moon up under the stars on the beach.
Georgia- Mom and Dad, thank you so much for sending me on this trip! The people here are some of the kindest I have ever met and I don’t think I’ve ever warmed up to a group faster, everything we do here has been so stunning as well. This opportunity has been so amazing and I can’t wait to hopefully go on another Moondance next year! Love u guys bunches❤️💕
Lulu- Hey mom and dad! Thank you so so much for allowing me to go on this trip! It was so much fun and I think I have seriously met life long friends. Porter is literally the best person I have ever met in my entire lifetime and love him so much, dawgs for life. Also Lizzy is the best person ever and is so much better then Porter!! This has been the most fun I’ve ever had and I feel so incredibly blessed! I love you guys so much and can’t wait to hopefully go on another Moondance next year! Much love fam!! (My friends wrote on here!)😘
Cooper – Thank you so much for allowing me to have the opportunity of a lifetime. It has truly been a blast and I have learned a lot. Croatia is a very beautiful country. Lots of love, Cooper
Gideon Hey mom and dad, thank you so much for sending me on this Moondance adventure… whole group of great people. I’ll see y’all boys tomorrow… -Studski
James- Hello, Mother and Father, I would like to thank you for the opportunity you have given me by going on this trip. I love you guys so much! See you tomorrow! -Stud
Connor – Hi Mom and Dad thank you for sending me on this Moondance. Probably my best group I’ve had and my best trip too. Hope Hen’s surgery went well and that she’s doing well. Love you and can’t wait to see everyone -Connor
Jake – Hi Mom and Dad thank you for sending me on this Moondance. It has truly been a blast and I have learned a lot. Croatia is a very beautiful country. It was so much fun and I think I have seriously met life long friends including everyone on the trip. Tell Alex I am excited to see him.
Porter- hey mom and dad, I am so stoked y’all let me do Croatia this year! It was such an experience and met such amazing people! This country has so much to offer and love it so much. Can’t wait to see y’all soon and talk to everyone one and fish. – love, Po
Lizzy- HEY FAMMMM!! I’m so beyond grateful y’all let me come on this trip I have genuinely have had the best time ever!!! It was such an awesome experience and I have met such cool people and life long friends!! Croatia was so much fun and was insanely cool. So hype to see y’all so soon and can’t wait to share such awesome stories!! – love lizzy
Beegee- Hi Mama and Daddy! I cannot thank y’all enough for sending me on this trip! I cannot wait to tell y’all and Birdie all about it! I’ve learned a lot about myself and I’ll call y’all when I get to CW🏕️💛 -MISS YALL TONS, Beegee
Liza- Having the best time ever!!! Love you! -Liza
Lovie- hello! I am having the best time!!! I love y’all!!
Violet- Hey fam!! Miss y’all tons I’ll tell us cool stories when I’m back. Love y’all see u soon💕 Vi
Welcome to it friends and family of CRO 1C!
June 11, 2025
We have been waiting for you! We were so incredibly excited to meet all the beautiful souls of session one. Lizzy and James were our first arrivals and kept us laughing through the whole airport day. They helped us warmly greet all the other Croatia sections along with our other 11 sleepy jet lagged friends. We then set off to the super market on our way to Rab Island with our AMAZING outfitter, Ana. After picking up some delectable snacks, we took a stunning scenic ride through the windy switchback roads. We took an easy breezy ferry ride as the sun set on Rab island and headed straight to our first meal altogether: a yummy and authentic Croatian dinner. Čevapi was a crowd pleaser at the buffet.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY PORTER🥳
There’s no other way to start off the trip other than celebrating our king! James, Connor, Porter, Cooper, Clare and Martin all decided to start the morning off with a run along the Adriatic! We headed to breakfast where Gideon was loving the apple juice. After having a balanced and nutritious meal we headed out to Moby Dick outfitter where we kayaked the Adriatic to a private pebble 🏝️ beach where we played games, enjoyed snacks and soaked up the sun (with lots of SPF don’t worry). The kayakers gave a valiant effort today with the hot sun and windy weather- Lovie and Beegee were killing it on the kayak and bringing the good vibes! After sea kayaking we enjoyed tasty pizza at a beachside restaurant. After, we headed to the beach where Liza provided a blowup flamingo for everyone to play with in the water. We celebrated Porter with cake and a brand new (toy) car!!!
Another day in paradise! We awoke to another sunny day where we started off with a scrumptious buffet breakfast. Jake’s favorite breakfast option at the buffet was the imperial crusher: chopped up pancakes with cinnamon and sugar- it’s truly delicious. We then hiked along the Adriatic cliff side and saw incredible views. We had lunch with a view and headed over to the diving locker for snorkeling. We went to Rab- Medova Buža where we swam into a spectacular cave. We shined beaming flashlights around the cave to see gorgeous rock formations and explored the deep water. Violet and Lulu were showing such courage in the deep dark cave. We enjoyed some surf/yacht rock on the boat as we dove into the Gatorade colored water. Back at the dock we were greeted by the friendliest airdale terrier dog named Bebo: he and Georgia became fast friends. On our walk back to our campsite we stopped for a scoop of ice cream on the beach after a fulfilling but long day of activities.
Happy trail day! We set off for the national park of Plitvice. Holy wow the views were absolutely breathtaking! The Jezera waterfall had our jaws on the floor with its beauty. We also viewed the park and waterfalls by boat! It was truly such a peaceful and relaxing day. After an awesome day of hiking and sharing stories along the trail of the park we headed to our new site where we get to sleep in real beds in bungalows! We had a flavorful American dinner with burgers and fries! We are grateful for the adventures we have had thus far and excited for what’s to come! We love your kiddos and are grateful for them being here in Croatia with us!
Until next time!
Martin + Clare
Hello from Zagreb!
June 7, 2025
Hello Croatia Families!
We heard from our leaders that the group has landed safely in Zagreb and is enjoying well-deserved rest after travel! The trip is off to a great start, and we are so excited to hear more stories as they begin their adventure.
Please remember our leaders and students will be unplugged during their trips, but we will be posting trip updates throughout the next week! This will allow you to follow along with the trip. You can also follow us on Instagram, @moondanceadventures, to see more of what we are up to!
-Moondance HQ
