Scenic Views in Slovenia!
June 17, 2026
“Dobrodan” – or “good day” – from beautiful Slovenia! We are so thrilled that our long-awaited trip has finally begun – and what a start it has been! Everyone arrived safe and sound in Venice, where we enjoyed a quick breakfast of chocolate croissants and met our Slovenian outfitters Bugy and Jaka, who will be working with us these next two weeks! The scenic drive from Venice was broken up by lunch near a lake in Kranska Gora. There, we gathered around the Goat Horn statue for our first group photo. That afternoon, we arrived at our first hostel in Lake Bohinj! Graham, Graysen, Harrison, Isaiah, Fritz, and Cole quickly formed a game of hacky-sack with Claire and Luke. Emily generously shared her friendship string with Merris, Aubrey, and Ava Jane who started making bracelets. We went into the adorable town of Bohinj for dinner at the local pizzeria, where Harrison and Graysen impressively almost finished their giant personal pizzas. Back at our hostel, Luke and Claire led our group’s first Moonup on a beautiful beach overlooking Lake Bohinj. Each student spoke so genuinely about how they want to grow in these next two weeks, showing us what a strong group of leaders we have! Gigi and Harrison were chosen to be Leaders of the Day (LODs) for the following day due to their uplifting spirits and expedition behavior. We closed out the day playing “Wagon Wheel” on the guitar and harmonica, and went to sleep in our cozy hostel rooms.
On Day 3, Tyson, Isaiah, Cole, Harrison and Claire eagerly jumped in the lake for a morning cold plunge to start out the trip strong! We then met the group at breakfast for delicious homemade bread, meats and cheeses, cereal, and fruit- our first delicious European-style breakfast. Fueled and ready for the day, LOD’s Gigi and Harrison led us in our morning huddle, hyping up the rest of the group for today’s activities. We hopped in vans with our guides, and headed to Zgornja Sorica for a beautiful morning hike. All 12 kids powered up the hill, bright with green grass and wildflowers. We reached the ridgeline and saw an incredible view of the Slovenian Julien Alps, Mount Triglav (the highest peak in Slovenia), and the Austrian Alps- insane!! On the hike, the group bravely explored historic World War II bunkers on top of a mountain. We also came upon a herd of sheep and their shepherd, and Graysen and Graham were approached by a friendly ewe and her baby. At lunch, the group tried veal paté for an appetizer, a new delight that Fritz and Gigi enjoyed, and Cole displayed her talent for the Rubik’s cube. In the afternoon, we visited Bled Island via rowboats, which were steadily rowed by Cole, Tyson, Graysen, Isaiah and Graham. This island is the only island in Slovenia – and Slovenians are very proud of it! – found in the middle of Lake Bled and home to a beautiful church and a delicious gelato shop… where we stopped for some of the most delicious gelato we’ve ever had! We spent the rest of the afternoon into the evening on an idyllic grassy beach. Ava Jane and Merris jumped off the dock while Harrison and Isaiah waded in the water. For dinner, we lounged on the beach for a poké bowl picnic before making our way back to Bohinj. The kids had a blast playing volleyball, ping pong, and cards back at the hostel, then Gigi and Harrison gathered us up for Moonup. They asked the group to tell about an influential person in their life, and it was so wonderful to hear more about the important people that made them who they are today! Following Moonup, Emily serenaded the group with a few tunes singing and playing guitar to cap off our incredible first full day.
On Day 4, the group had the option to sleep in or get an active start on the day by walking, running, and/or cold plunging. Graysen, Tyson, Graham, Cole, Harrison, and Isaiah went for a light jog that turned into an all-out sprint for the finish, while Fritz, Merris, and Gigi took a leisurely stroll. Afterwards, the runners plunged into the chilly Lake Bohinj to kickstart the day. Following breakfast, Isaiah and Ava Jane enthusiastically led the group in today’s morning huddle, inspiring the group with Isaiah’s quote “You can’t add years to your life but you can add life to your years”. We made our way to our first activity of the day – rock climbing! Tyson and Emily took to the wall first, and everybody eventually scaled the rock’s face. After a few hours of climbing, we enjoyed pizza, pasta, and salads before heading back to our hostel for some free time, where the group partook in a game of charades! Next, everyone met at the lake for an afternoon of paddleboarding on Lake Bohinj. Aubrey, Merris, and Emily were the first to make it across the lake, where we paddled around on our boards and swam in the chilly water. Isaiah and Graysen showed us the true meaning of speed when they combined forces on one board. The group then made their way back to shore where Jaka and Bugy announced that our trekking trip starts tomorrow! We spent the next hour preparing our bags for this spectacular section of our trip.
For dinner, we went to Foksner in the town of Bohinj and gathered on their outdoor patio to enjoy a delicious meal of burgers and onion rings. Harrison branched out, ordering the Kimchi burger, which looked amazing. Back at our hostel, Ava Jane and Isaiah led the group in Moonup, where we discussed which super hero we would want to be for a day for the unserious question and our biggest fears for the “thinker” question. The Nug Jug could have gone on forever because there were so many awesome moments of our day! Alas, it was bed time, and the kids snuggled into their bunks for one last night in Bohinj.
Over the next few days, we will be completing our trekking section in the Julian Alps, where we will discover some of the best that Slovenia has to offer and challenge ourselves all the while. Before we go, we wanted to express how wonderful it has been to hang out with your kids thus far and the excitement we have for the rest of the trip! Thank you for sharing them with us!
Best wishes,
Claire and Luke
P.S.
Below, you will see that your kids have given us a few words to send back home!
Shoutouts:
Gigi:
Hey mom and dad and meat loaf mama!!
Love yall all SO much, i’m having so much fun, my group is amazing the views are perfect!!
LOVE YALL miss you weez
Graham:
Hey mom and dad and Will and Sara!! I’m having the BEST time and have made so many friends! Can’t wait to tell you all about it! Love you guys and miss you! Tell George I say hi! Love Graham
Aubrey:
Meemaw peepaw!!! I’m having so much fun and I’m so grateful for this opportunity. My group and leaders are awesome <3
Shoutout SISKE!! my sista 4L.
Love y’all – meatball
Ava Jane:
Hey Friends and Family! I love you guys so much and I am having the best time! I’m learning so much and can’t wait to learn more. My group and leaders are so fun! Love you – Ava Jane
Harrison:
Hey you everyone! Have an amazing time!!!
Love you Mom, Dad, Will, Baxter, Grammie, Gigi, + everyone else. See you all in a bit!
Tyson:
WAZZUUPPPP!!! I hope everyone’s doing well. This place is rad and y’all would love to hike here. Everyone’s super chill, Love y’all !!!
Isaiah:
Dear Mom + Dad, I’m having a very good time so far on the trip. All the people are amazing and everyone gets along.
Love, Isaiah
Cole:
Dear the Fam,
Having a blast here with everyone! Happy Father’s Day and happy birthday to Charlie. Love you!
Fritz:
Greetings family! It’s Fritz, I love and miss you all very much. It has been very fun. Love all the dogs and miss ’em. See you guys soon.
Merris:
Hi Mom and Dad, I love y’all and miss y’all so much. I love our group so much and I am having so much fun!! We are about to backpack so wish me luck. Happy Father’s Day, Dad!! I’m excited for Austria, but I don’t wanna leave. See y’all soon love y’all
Emily:
Hey everyone! I am having so much fun!!! Slovenia is amazing and I’m very excited to see Croatia. We are about to go backpacking and I’m pretty nervous but super excited. Tell Sully I miss her. Love and miss y’all so much!! Also, hi Lucy, I know you’re reading this. Miss you and the girls!
Graysen:
Greetings and salutations parental figures. I am greatly pleased in making your acquaintance via electronic messaging while on my trip to Slovenia. I would care to add that the aforementioned expedition has yielded quite beautiful results and I am beyond grateful to have you two benevolent beneficiaries to make my sponsors. I hope to bring jolly and joyous stories upon my arrival. Your beloved, Graysen Schneider.
Safe Arrival!
June 15, 2026
Hello Slovenia Families!
We heard from our leaders early this morning that the group has landed safely in Venice! Please remember that our leaders and students will be unplugged during their trips, but we will post trip updates throughout their adventure! This will allow you to follow along with their experience. You can also follow us on Instagram, @moondanceadventures, to see more of what we are up to!
-Moondance HQ
