I am always seeking out, during my travels, for the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These special places always deliver for very good reason. A wonderful, natural one I have recently stumbled upon was the Plitvice Lakes Park in Croatia. This park is a collection of beautiful waterfalls, caves, and lakes all created over a thousand years ago from the water flowing over the limestone and chalk. It is a wonderful place to spend the day, especially with the kids. Since you should give yourself a full day to explore, you will need to spend the night locally. I recommend the Hotel Degenija. There are no luxury or swanky boutique hotels in this hood, but the Degenija is the newest, and best choice of the lot. Everything is clean and new feeling. We opted for their biggest room option, the family suite with one queen, one double, and one single bed. The rooms have free wifi access and a modest breakfast included. As well, Jure (who runs the place) was more than hospitable with his homemade grappa shot, bananas for my hungry girl, and very good advice and map for our exploration of the park. Next door is a restaurant. Bring your steak knife, us veggies have to fend for ourselves out here. There is a little swing set with slide right next to the outdoor seating. A sweet place for the kids to get their wiggles out while you sip your cold beer.
