Croatia

Hvar, Croatia. What used to be a remote fishing village on the Adriatic Sea is now a jet-setter destination. Hvar's a pretty little town on a rocky island off the Croatian mainland. And just buzzing with happenings - nice cafes and bars surround the harbor.

Dubrovnik, Croatia. As seen in "Game of Thrones" and too many medieval-type movies to count. Dubrovnik looks great on the big screen and not so bad in real life either.

Some of the intricate stonework in Dubrovnik.

Dubrovnik, Croatia. From one of the many fortifications: a soldier's-eye view of what it must've looked like defending this place hundreds of years ago. The view hasn't changed.

Bol, Croatia. It's not just all about dungeons and dragons and castles here - Croatia has some of the nicest beach scenery in Europe. The water is super clear and the rocky island scenery is amazing. Kind of like if the Bahamas had mountains.

The very scenic Croatian coastline. Whether on the mainland (above) or one of the many islands (right), the views are spectacular. An efficient ferry system makes it easy to travel to the islands, even with a car.

Hvar Island, Croatia. Typical Old-World scenery along the Adriatic coast.

Some of the vistas along the Croatian shoreline are kinda reminiscent of the California coast.

Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia. Finally- a photo that is not along the coast. But still on the water. This is Plitvice Lakes National Park. I've never seen a place quite like this - water just flows across the ground everywhere through this lush forest, spilling over cliffs in hundreds - probably thousands - of waterfalls. Dock-like walkways connect one set of falls to the next.

Plitvice Lakes, Croatia. This is Veliki Slap, the largest waterfall in the park, at about 250 ft high.

Plitvice Lakes, Croatia. These little wooden walkways twist and turn every which way to follow the natural contours through the park. In some places it looks like something from a Dr Seuss book.