Closing Out Croatia
July 4, 2025
We are in the home stretch! Our trekking journey has come to an end, and we’ve got one more hike ahead of us-possibly the most important: the hike down. After an early morning and another great breakfast prepared at the mountain hut, we headed back into the valley. Trash bags in hand and packs on our backs, we made it to our next stop. A big shoutout to Brooks, Deegan, and Ian for carrying down our trash!
Next, we went rock climbing in Paklenica. We met with our guides, Tomas and Goran, who gave us a brief introduction before it was off to the races. The boys even got matching pink tank tops for the occasion! Kate and Graham were absolute rockstars on the rocks-they were the first volunteers to tackle the harder climbing route! After a few hours and our last bagged lunch of the trip, we transferred to Autokamp Sirena. The bus ride was filled with great music and even better naps, thanks to Pippa’s house music playlist and Carter’s taste in classic rock.
Once we arrived at camp, we set up before taking a quick dip in the Adriatic, right next to our site. Our dinner was possibly the group’s favorite yet, with meat and fish platters galore and entertainment to boot! JB and Jake were huge fans of the fish! Our hosts brought in guitars and mandolins as the kids danced on the tables, singing classics like “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” and “Country Roads,” which made us feel right at home. After the sing-along, we headed back down to the sea to watch a gorgeous sunset, play games, and dance. This group truly feels like one big happy family, radiating nothing but good vibes!
The next morning, we were up and at ’em early again. Waking up to a gorgeous view overlooking the Adriatic made it much easier to get going. Kate and Clare went for a sunrise plunge! After a quick breakfast at Autokamp Sirena, we packed up camp and hopped on the bus to head zip-lining. Zip-lining was such a treat after long days of trekking; finally, we could take some weight off our feet-literally! We zipped on six different cables, crossing valleys and flying over the Cetina River, and one cable sent us soaring half a mile above the mountains. It was amazing!
After zip-lining, we stopped in Omiš for lunch and enjoyed pizza followed by gelato for a refreshing finish. We then transferred to our new campsite, where we would stay for the next two nights. We had some time to relax on the beach and at the pool before heading out for dinner outside the city. After a phenomenal sunset on the beach post-dinner, we started our Moon Up and closed out the night star-gazing in the sand.
On our last day in Omiš, we absolutely loved this coastal town! We started with a scrumptious breakfast on the porch before heading to the Cetina River for a delightful boat day. We cruised down the clear, calm waters while jamming to some tunes and arrived at our lunch spot, where we raced against the swimming current. We even spotted some cute ponies along the riverside. On the way back, JB took the helm again, with our driver’s help! Upon return, we soaked up some rays, played games, and enjoyed snacks by the water. Liza even reached the top of the quad stack in the pool!
In the evening, we explored the charming town of Omiš, shopping for European linens. After some retail therapy, we waltzed to dinner as the sun set. We indulged in some authentic Italian and Mediterranean-style dishes: pasta, seafood, Ćevapčići (minced meat dish), fresh feta, and Caprese salads. After eating to our hearts’ content, we treated ourselves to crepes and gelato; Pippa and Vivi were especially fans of the Oreo crepe!
On our final day, we started off right by sleeping in, which set the good vibes high and boosted everyone’s energy for the day. We had a little time to hang out at our campsite and enjoy a morning swim before hopping on the bus to Dubrovnik. We stopped for lunch at a roadside restaurant about an hour outside of Dubrovnik, where the students were able to “make their own lunch.” Choices ranged from Greek salads with feta to whole rotisserie chickens. Once we arrived in Dubrovnik, we checked into our hostel for the night and got ready to hit the town. The girls dressed to the nines in their white dresses while a few of the boys showcased euro vibe with newly purchased linen and faux Ralph Lauren polos. After taking the city bus into Old Town, we explored and shopped around, picking up gifts and souvenirs. The highlight of Old Town, however, was our dinner. A special thank you to Willa for sharing her local candy with the group! Enjoying a meal against the city walls as the sun began to set, we relished the phenomenal food-from shark steaks to chicken salads to squid ink pasta that turned our mouths black, it was all delicious. No meal is complete without dessert, of course! We made our way to the old fish market after dinner for gelato and a group picture. Once back at the hostel, we said our goodbyes to our wonderful outfitter and guide, Ana, and then headed back outside for one final Moon Up with the crew. We headed to the airport at dawn and said our tearful goodbyes to an incredible session!! Thank you session 2 for all the laughs, love, and memories shared within the past 2 weeks. We are grateful for every one of y’all! To all the parents thank you! And to all the kids we love you!
THIS IS HRAŠĆICA over and out 💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙
Trekking Through Croatia
July 1, 2025
ROUND 2! Howdy! We are back for more! We start today getting a splendid spread of bread, Nutella, cheese, cured meats, cereal, yogurt, and fresh fruit for breakfast. Next, we hopped on our minibus and headed to the river for rafting. We rafted down the chilly waters with our wonderful guides, Angelo and Laura. Angelo kept us laughing through the cold waters. There were 13 rapids we went over, and the water was ice cold but refreshing! Graham and Vivi were some of the first people to jump off and go swimming! After chillaxing on the river and enjoying the beautiful views and sounds of nature, we ate delectable sandwiches with our favorite spread, Lino Lada, a vanilla Nutella.
LET’S GO TREKKING 🌄🏞️! Welcome to the mountains of Paklenica. We began today by having another scrumptious breakfast at the bungalows and set our sights on the canyon. The first 30 minutes up are the steepest and hardest part. We trekked about 4 miles up steadily and stopped at 2 spring water sources. Willa and Ian lead us in some trail games of categories, for example: 20 questions, and wavelength. JB shared with us some golf info and talked with Martin about the different courses he’s played and the golfers he follows. We arrived at the quaint mountain hut tucked away in the woods. There was a dog there that quickly became our best friend, Garo. He could fetch any rock on demand. Martin and Deegan broke out the guitars and began playing while Kate and Willa serenaded us with Piano Man on the harmonica. Deegan’s guitar skills blew us away, especially with the song Broken Windows Serenade.
Day 2 of trek! The mega bunk beds at the mountain hut provided us with some much necessary great sleep to get ready for our second day of trekking. We had a nice 5 miles planned for today. The hike up was great… The forest we were trekking through was definitely on our side and provided us with some nice shade almost the whole way there. Shoutout to Pippa and Graham for helping us keep the vibes up throughout the hike up. Once at our stop, we hunkered down for a little lunch and music session. Mt. Joy the band was on the playlist today. We then headed back down to the hut for the rest of the day. We were able to do it all, some swam in the pool while others played guitar, took some naps, hacky sacked, and made bracelets. Brooks was our go-to card dealer for the card games. Vivi and Liza loved pushing each other on the swing, while Carter gave Clare a masterclass in chess. After dinner the group played countless rounds of “shake and pop,” which quickly became a new favorite game. Throughout trekking we probably played hacky sack a hundred times; it was definitely the boys’ favorite game.
Rise and shine- After a hearty breakfast and some water refills we were on our way. 8 miles planned and one steep hike in our way. Through songs, trail talk and a little bit of delusion we made it to the most beautiful lunch spot we’ve seen. Vivi carried us to the top with scary stories of true crime. As we overlooked Paklenica National Park we devoured our sandwiches and listened to some triumphant music. One round of shake and pop and we were back on the move. We stopped by a natural spring to refill our waters and headed down the mountain. The energy was quickly restored upon return to the hut. Same as yesterday, the games and relaxation were in full effect. Some pork goulash for dinner meant our day was coming to an end, but what better way to close it off than with one more hike. As we traveled up to the hut above us for a surprise, no one knew what to expect. We were able to browse the new location before a homemade cherry cheesecake that had been made for the group. Jake even befriended Vecko, the pack donkey that the mountain huts use to transport supplies. A perfect ending to a perfect day.
THANK YOU
Deegan- hey mom and dad, I hope all is well at home and can’t wait to see you guys. Thank you so much for allowing me to be able to do this and travel the world. Love you guys.
Brooks- hey mom and dad, thank you so much for letting me go to Croatia. I have had a ton of fun and love the group. I can’t wait to see you guys in a couple days, love y’all.
Carter- Hey Mom and Dad, I am having a great time in Croatia. The country is very beautiful and seen some great views. Thank you so much for sending me here. Can’t wait to tell you all about it. See you soon.
JB- Susie and Slim, thank you so much for this amazing opportunity to enjoy Croatia from a different viewpoint. There are some different experiences that I really enjoyed like hiking, rafting, kayaking and much more. Anyways, I am sad to leave in a few days, but ready to relax and prep for Oregon. I am very interested to see who won the Austrian Grand Prix. Love you both! Can’t wait to get the core 4 back together. (Including the 4 pets).
Ian- What’s up mom and dad!!!! Thank you so much for letting me do this trip, I’m so grateful and I’m having a blast right now. We just finished trekking in the mountains and there were some pretty sick views. This trip has been great and I’m very excited about what’s to come for these last days. See y’all, love you.
Jake- I am at a loss of words for the joy I feel here and I am amazed by the little things I remember since the last time I was here. I have found such happiness in the little things and I am forever in debt to you guys for all the opportunities and love y’all have given me. I can’t wait to tell you all about it, love you guys.
Kate-heyyyy mom and dad! I miss y’all tons and I can’t wait to see you again on the fourth. I’m sad to miss my fav holiday but I’m having so much fun that I have forgotten about it. Croatia is really pretty, we went trekking for three days in paklencia mountains and boating on the Adriatic. We have done many activities in between. I hope teddy is doing well too, love y’all!
Willa- Hey Mom and Dad I miss you guys so much and I’m having the best time here. We just finished trekking for 4 days and I can’t believe the trip is almost over. I’m having so much fun hiking, rafting, kayaking, swimming and making so many friends. I can’t wait to see you guys soon! (Tell Raz and Bo I say hi).
Pippa- HIII FAMMMM. I miss you all so much. This trip has been amazing! We just finished trekking and the views that we hiked to were insane. I can’t wait to show you all the pictures. Tell Winnie and hammy I say hi 😉. Love you all soooool much. Mwah Mwah. ❤️.
Liza- Hiii mom and dad!!! Thanks sooo much for letting me go to Croatia, it has been SO fun. I cannot wait to see y’all and tell you all about it. We just finished trekking and now we’re going to a place by the water! I’m making so many friends. I love y’all so so much and will see y’all so soon!!
Graham- Hi mom and dad!! Cro is so fun, and I’m so glad I came. I’m making so many new friends. We just finished our trekking trip and now we’re at a super cute campsite. We danced on tables! I hope Kirkman is having fun, and I’m excited to see you soon!!
Vivi- dear mom and dad, thank you so much for this opportunity to go to Croatia, try new things, eat new food, hike, listen to new music, make new life long friends and experiences to last a life time. I miss Chi but a trip to Europe was much needed! I’m having so much fun, and I’m thinking of you. Give Clover a pet for me! Also please don’t send this to the family group chat!
Sunsets, Snorkels, and Squad Goals
June 26, 2025
AHOY MATES OF CRO 2C. Welcome aboard ⚓️⛵️We begin this journey by meeting our fateful friends in the Zagreb airport and then set sail for Rab Island. We have to cross treacherous windy roads and ferries to arrive to our campsite destination. Kate and Willa picked up some local European candy on the way to the Island. Deegan started us strong with the aux cord tunes: we love house music this session!!! We arrived at Rab Island to a beautiful pink and orange sunset. JB has been sharing fun facts galore- we appreciate him teaching us about aviation and being able to list off every country in Africa. We dined at the delicious buffet before retiring to our camp where we set up tents and started off strong with a moonup on the beach.
The Croatian sun woke us up today shining on our faces. We headed to breakfast where we put Nutella on everything! We also love to devour all the fresh fruit, especially the oranges and kiwi- Willa’s favorite! We set off for the boat where we were able to snorkel around the most beautiful blue waters and explore a bat cave where we had to swim 4 ft. under to reach the cave. Despite the cave being covered with bat droppings, the kids showed true courage in exploring the cave; it looked straight out of the movie Pirates of the Caribbean. We then headed to a cliff with diving board where we played categories as we jumped off. Ian was the first brave soul to lead us in jumping off the cliff. We soaked up the rays on the boat while the girls went and explored another cave with scorpion fish. We were bumping some good ol yacht rock the whole day. After the long boat day, we walked back to our humble abode where the kids played games on inflatables out on the water. At night Carter lead us in multiple games of rocks (an alternative for spoons) and BS! We enjoyed the beach again under the moonlight for our moonup.
Kicking the day off strong, Vivi, Pippa, and Liza went on a run with Clare around our campsite before breakfast while some of the boys did a workout on the beach. Jake was crushing a workout with Carter on the beach and used boulders as free weights! After another buffet breakfast we headed to get our kayaks. We set out on a 2 miles adventure through the Adriatic Sea to our destination of a a private little beach within a cove of some of the craziest coastline we’ve ever seen. We had a great time, swimming, playing games, listening to music and exploring while on the island. The two miles back against the current was rewarded with a gelato stop on the way home before some good R&R spent at the beach. Everyone played on the inflatable obstacle course again before spending some time in the shallows where the water was perfectly warm. After dinner we packed up so we’d be ready in the morning and then we sent it to the beach for some games of birdie of a perch and beach volleyball before moonup. Another great day and the vibes are high for all that lies ahead.
An early morning means early grub. After our final meal at the buffet at camp Marino we packed the bus up and headed to Plitvice National Park for the day. After a few hours of jamming and snacking we arrived in the national park. Brooks showing off some magic tricks with cards on the bus. We explored what looked like a different world. Gatorade blue water and rich green trees surrounded us as we stepped across the well crafted wooden walkways and bridges. Graham and Pippa captured the moment with her camera and photographing skills today. After pitstop for a Coke supplied by Clare and Martin fueled us for the second half of our hike. We finished up and headed to the AMAZING bungalows of Lana Haus where we enjoyed an American comfort meal with yummy blueberry lemonade! We soaked up the sun with some games of hackey sack, pterodactyl, and 21 to close out another great day. Over and out for now!
Shoutouts!!
Deegan- hey mom and dad we are having a ton of fun here and can’t wait to see you guys, love you.
Brooks- hey mom and dad I am having a good time and we are staying in a great place. Croatia is not what I thought it would be and I’ll see you guys soon, love you.
JB- Susie and Jim, I am having an incredible trip, although missing the pets, golf, and my bed. I hope your time is nice and productive while Hardin and I are gone. Thank you so much for this experience. Can’t wait to see you all and the core 4 back together. Love you both.
Ian- hey guys the trip is going great, we have a really good group and this place is super cool. See you later, love you.
Carter- Having a fun time, miss y’all, see y’all soon. Miss the dog.
Willa- Hey mom and dad miss you so much much and I’m having so much fun here and can’t wait to see you soon!!
Jake- I am forever grateful for the opportunities you work so hard to give me, can’t wait to catch up with y’all
Vivi- thanks so much for giving me this opportunity to try new things and make new friends! Having so much fun!!! Get ready to listen to a lot of stories!
Graham- Hey mom and dad! I’m having such a great time and my group is awesome. Thank you so much for letting me come another year. Tell Claire I say hi and we’ll take a sonic trip when I get back!!!
Pippa: Hi mom, dad, Fran, and Tessie!! I miss you guys soooo much. I am so grateful for this opportunity and can’t wait to tell you all about it. Thinking about you all. Love you guys always. Xoxo.
Liza: Hi mom, dad, Morgan and Alex! I miss and love y’all so so much. The beaches are soooo cool. Thank you so much for letting me come here I can’t wait to talk to y’all!
Kate-heyyyyyy mom dad and Monroe!! I hope that your anniversary trip is amazing and that roe is having a blast in California. I LOVE my group it’s so much fun here, and I have made best friends. See you soon love ya
Hello from Zagreb!
June 22, 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
