Thank you all for the comments! Glad you liked the pictures.

Yeah, I should have. Originally we were all flying F via MUC but we extended the trip a few days and had to do this arrangement. Was thrilled to get on the 748 though.

Sure, I should definitely elaborate on the itinerary after all those pictures. If you have any other questions just let me know.
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Got to Dubrovnik on an economy odyssey with AA/SK ORD-LHR-ARN-DBV. Anyone want to see that TR?

Dubrovnik is the ancient walled city with an interesting history of independence with an empire that once rivaled the Venetians. It's situated at the very bottom of Croatia, way down the Dalmatian coast. Despite wars having been fought here in our lifetimes, today is it is fully recovered and a real tourist mecca. During the summer the place just gets swamped with a ridiculous number of cruise ships stopping by. The locals are no real fan of this for the gridlock it causes with minimal economic impact. This was late may, so we weren't in the thick of it yet. The weather was fantastic and these bridge seasons are definitely the way to go.

Croatia has countless islands and its a logistical challenge to plan which ones you want to visit. Big islands like Hvar and Korcula are popular destinations and well linked by ferry. Driving the country by car, I decided to forego the big islands this time and drive up the coast instead, which is also nice. For an island experience we hired a private boat from Dubrovnik for a 5 hour tour of the nearby Elaphiti islands. This was very enjoyable. These islands are quite small with sleepy towns and a few small resort areas. They also have some nice beaches, but the water was still too cool and the day mostly overcast. So we mostly hopped from island to island stopping for a hike or drink at various places and eventually a nice lunch.

After 3 nights in Dubrovnik we made our way up the coast. Stopped at the town of Ston which is famous for its 7 km long defensive walls. Since Bosnia/Herzegovina was given sea access, you have to travel through a 10 km stretch of their land on this route. Stopped for a nice lunch in their seaside town of Neum. Prices were a little cheaper, but beware at&t does not apparently view Bosnia & Herzegovina as part of the 'globe' in their 'global data plan. 13 MB and $270 later.... (I got that taken care of). After entering Croatia again there were stalls upon stalls of the local products- oranges, figs, honey and an agricultural valley. Then we came upon the Makarska riviera which is a series of pleasant resort towns and beaches, touristy but more undiscovered by the international crowd. Had some fantastic hazelnut gelato here to rival anything from Italy. Eventually arrived at the hotel near Split- Le Meridien.

Split has an interesting duality. It is both a gritty/industrial port town as well as having a picturesque historic center with plenty of tourist attractions. The center of the old town actually inhabits the former walls of the Emperor Diocletian's palace. There are large markets and a beautiful promenade by the water.

After a few days in Split, we drove 3 hours up north to Plitvice Lakes National Park which is an amazing place. Truly one of the natural wonders of the world. An endless array of waterfalls inhabiting its tiered lakes meant hours of hiking on the excellent trails and boardwalks. Really beyond belief. This area is near the Bosnian border and was heavily implicated during the war, spending most of the 90's desolate. This has paid dividends with the growth and quality of foliage and general preservation. We did the upper falls upon arrival and the lower falls the next day, staying at one of the many inns.

After leaving the park, it was another long day of driving to the Istrian peninsula- the triangular shaped area on the western side of Croatia. This area feels as much Italian as it does Croatian. It was long under control of the Venetian empire and it shows. Italian language and culture is still well represented here. At the southern tip lies the city of Pula which houses the 6th largest arena of the Roman world, and one of the best preserved. It's quite a sight. The most famous town is the ancient Venetian town of Rovinj-built on a hilly near-island and retaining lots of historic charm. Istria also has hill towns to rival those in Tuscany. We spent the night atop Motovun, famous for its delicious truffles.

Bidding adieu to Croatia, we drove to Ljubljana with a stop at Predjama castle along the way. We neglected several caves along the way, which do look very impressive. Ljubljana is a wonderful city! It has kind of a Salzburg charm without any semblance of mass tourism. It was bustling in cafes, concerts, and restaurants throughout the night, even on a Tuesday. Great bakeries. Lack of major attractions keep it off the tourism map, but it is well worth a stop if you are nearby. A few days here can be as pleasant as any city.

From Ljubljana we did a long drive to the gorgeous alpine Logar valley and entered Austria for a bit before circling around to the destination- Lake Bled. We stayed at Lake Bled 3 days, which is beautifully clean and scenic. It was also a good base to explore the surrounding Julian alps region. Nearby Lake Bohinj was more secluded and the Vintgar gorge was a beautiful hike. The lakes and rivers here are stunningly blue and clean. You can get into the heart of the alps with a drive through Triglav national park with its stunning scenery and WWI history. Also stopped at Kranjska Gora for it's summer alpine coaster- I love those!