June 2025 Ilinois Vacation - A Wedding, Hiking and More!

 Gerry and I had a wonderful six-day vacation in Illinois in June!

Main purpose of the trip was the wedding ceremony.  Gerry's youngest brother Phil and his girlfriend Penny got married on Saturday, June 14th.  It was the second marriage for both of them; 63-year-olds who had been divorced for several years. They met four years ago and fell in love.  Very sweet.  I met Penny a few years ago and when I saw her and Phil together, it was obvious they were enamored and in love.

We flew into St. Louis on Friday the 13th. There was a family gathering with his siblings and nieces and nephews at the Global Brew Barrel Room in Edwardsville at 6:00 pm.  We didn't arrive until 7:00 pm, due to our flight schedule.  No problem.  We stayed and mingled with Phil and Penny and others until 9:00 pm.  Great company, conversations, and delicious beer and food!   

 We stayed at the Country Hearth Inn in Edwardsville Friday and Saturday night.  It was a convenient location to the wedding in nearby Troy, Il. It was also convenient to SIUE (Southern Illinois University Edwardsville).  

 Late Saturday morning we went to SIUE and hiked 3.75  miles on the Nature Preserve Loop.  Lovely, and we had the trail all to ourselves. Pleasantly surprised to see this box turtle:

a gorgeous box turtle 

The wedding gathering began at 3:00 pm at the Tri-Township Park Community Center in Troy with cocktails and appetizers. 

The very short wedding ceremony was at 4:30 pm (when I say short, I mean short - like 10 minutes, or 12 minutes tops).  Gerry's brother Don was the best man.

After they say "I Do"  (with Don in the background)

 a little celebration dance!

All of Gerry's siblings attended, which was extra-special.  Gerry's older sister Ginny was diagnosed with small-cell lung cancer several months before the wedding.  We were very fortunate she was able to attend the wedding. (She died several weeks later on July 24th)  

I took a photo of the four older Hans siblings. Dave is the oldest, then Ginny, then Gerry and then Jane.

from left to right: Ginny, Jane, Gerry and Dave

 And I love this photo that Gerry took of Jane's family with her son and two daughters and all of their children. So much fun when we are together with them!

Quite the wonderful family we don't see very often

 The wedding get-together was fantastic!

Then we moved onward to the second part of our Illinois trip - a hiking / nature experience in southern Illinois, including Giant City State Park, Shawnee National Forest, and other excursions.

 We headed toward Giant City State Park, about a 2 1/2 hour drive from Edwardsville. We stopped off at Harbaugh's Cafe for  lunch, a nice local restaurant in Carbondale, a small college town.

Plenty of short hiking options in Giant City State Park. Nestled in the Shawnee National Forest, Giant City State Park was named for the unique impressions made by its massive sandstone structures and a landscape like none other, with lush garments of fern, moss, hundreds of species of wild flowers and more than 75 varieties of towering trees.

Our first hike was the Giant City Nature Trail, a scenic 1.65 mile hike, with lovely scenery and not too many people. 

Here's Gerry as we begin hike number one. 

We especially enjoy looking at the amazing rock formations.

This is quite the boulder!

 We walked along the trail which was clearly marked and also had some wooden walkways.

Up a short flight of steps into more greenery

 We finish the hike and celebrate with a selfie of the two of us.

First hike done!

 We drive 10 minutes and arrive at the trailhead of our second hike. It is Indian Creek Nature Trail hike, a scenic, short and easy 1.1 mile hike. Once again, not too many other people here. 

Gerry on the bridge over the creek

 Even though the temperatures are in the low to mid 80s, we stay cool and comfortable, thanks to all of the trees.

magnificent rock formations on this hike, too

 Our third and final hike in Giant City State Park is the 1.8 mile hike on the Trillium Trail. We've heard plenty of birds on the previous two hikes. On the Trillium Trail we hear more birds, and even spot a few overhead.

Gerry points out a bird in the distance

We're done with hiking by around 4:00 pm and exit Giant City State Park and drive to Walker's Bluff Casino Resort, located about 8 miles north of Carbondale, (well worth the drive to be here, vs a hotel in Carbondale.) It's quite a nice place, and we're in a very spacious, quiet and comfortable room on the fourth floor, the top floor of the Casino Resort.

The Casino Resort is very empty.  I think there are more cars in the employees parking lot than there are in the guest parking lot. We're staying here three nights - Sunday, Monday and Tuesday night.  I don't think I ever saw more than 30 cars in the parking lot and the hotel has 120 rooms.  

There's a nice outdoor pool on the premises. We changed into our bathing suits went down to the pool to rest and relax for a while before going out to dinner at Quatro's Pizza in Carbondale, which was highly recommended by Gerry's brother, Phil. 

Quatro's Deep Dish Pizza was delicious! And we had leftovers for lunch the next two days.

A large thick crust vegetarian pizza w spinach, tomatoes and ricotta cheese

 Monday we drove 75 minutes to hike the Garden of the Gods loop in Shawnee National Forest. Unfortunately, it rained hard on Sunday night and the trail was extremely muddy. 

Our 6.5 mile scheduled 3-hour-hike ended up being a 7.4 mile 4 1/2 hour hike! Quite the adventure, and it took us much longer due to the muddy trail and the thundershowers we experienced on the hike. I was a bit anxious on the hike - worried about slipping and falling, so I didn't enjoy this hike as much as I had anticipated.  Cest la vie.

On the muddy trail at Garden of the Gods

 We did see some interesting mushrooms, and also wisely ate our leftover pizza lunch before the thunderstorms.

mushrooms along the trail

 Gerry's a few feet in front of me as we walk along slowly, careful not to slip.

Gerry leading the way, as usual

A surprising, unexpected find! - what a lovely green snake!

Tuesday was another fun day, with drier weather and a marvelous time outdoors.  We loved the pleasant hiking with scenic views, seeing and hearing so many birds.  We spent a lot of time outdoors on Tuesday.

Our first (and longest) hike was in the Shawnee National Forest at the LaRue Ecological Reserve Area. Less than an hour drive from our hotel. We arrive at the trailhead around 10:30 am. 

We walked 5.6 miles along a very flat out-and-back trail, and stopped often to look at the flowers, listen to the frogs, keep an eye out for snakes, and listen to a variety of birds!  We're the only people on this trail today, and we appreciated the solitude.  It's along Snake Road.  Just the two of us. 

the trail sign at the entry as we embark on the hike

 A great hike for birding! We heard 30 different species of birds, saw many frogs in the wetlands, and even spotted a black rat snake toward the end of this hike.

one of many beautiful vistas along the trail

We hear frogs as we walk by here

Near the end of the trail, we finally encounter the black rat snake!  

It's a big one!  

 The next hike was the short mile hike along the Inspiration Point Trail, in Shawnee National Forest. The trail offered a panoramic view of the Mississippi River valley and the Big Muddy bottom lands and was well worth the short climb, steep in sections. Incredible view on the trail, though lots of poison ivy, which we avoided.

One of many scenic overlooks on Inspiration Point Trail

I am at the highest point on the Inspiration Point Trail

Just like "The Who" sang in 1967, "I can see for miles" 

Our third and final hike of the day (and of this amazing trip) was the very short, less than a mile hike on the Pomona Natural Bridge Trail. Very scenic, as all of the hikes have been, and mostly easy, though some steep rocky, muddy sections. Highlights included stunning bridge views and the unique rock formations.

the Pomona Natural Bridge 

 It was worth the twenty minute drive to the trail head to explore the Pomona Natural Bridge

Gerry is having fun exploring the area below the bridge 

 Then it was back to Walker's Bluff Casino Resort and time to change into our bathing suits and head downstairs and outside to the pool area for a short dip before going out to dinner on our final night here.

We drove 15 minutes to St. Nicholas Brewing, located 15 minutes away for a delicious final dinner. Mahi tacos (3) for Mary and pork tacos (3) for Gerry, which  we shared, along with their special $5 Tuesday margaritas and chips and salsa.

 

scrumptious tacos have been delivered, soon to be devoured

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Croatia Sept 2024 - Part Two - More Places to See and Visit!

On Saturday morning, September 14,  we checked out of the Hotel Ladar. A driver picked us up at 10:30 for a ride to the Sixt Car Rental at Dubrovnik airport where we picked up our car (a Suzuki with a manual shift) to begin the second phase of our vacation!

Unfortunately, there was a lot of traffic on the ride to the airport and we didn't arrive at the car rental until 11:30 am. It was a long, scenic drive, roughly 155 miles, to the old town of Split where we were staying for two nights at Golden B & B.  

Our original plan was to make plenty of beach stops en route to Split, but it didn't happen because of our late start and also the cool, cloudy weather.  

We stopped by several stands along the road near Opuzen which sold local products - fresh fruits, nuts, jams and juices.

a colorful display of local products

Gerry examines the goods at this next stand

We made one beach stop in Tucepi, a coastal tree-lined town with a beautiful pebbly beach that is 3 km long. We walked a little along the beach and then treated ourselves to gelato.

Gerry in Tucepi on a cloudy day

It was after 5:30 pm when we pulled into Split. The Golden B & B is in a prime location. The only drawback being no cars allowed in the old town of Split.  We found free parking on a street a 12 minute walk from the B&B, near Marjan Park, which we planned to explore the next day.

We enjoyed a delicious dinner Saturday evening at Konoba Fratelli, a family-owned Italian and seafood restaurant located five minutes from our B&B.  We sat at a table on the outside patio. We shared the sea bass entree and  the seafood risotto, along with glasses of red wine and delicious homemade garlic bread.

we are happy diners at Konoba Fratelli

Sunday September 15 we enjoyed our day in Split, with a very fun-filled agenda. It was unseasonably cool and cloudy. We ate breakfast on the balcony above our room. Our host talked with us, and remarked, "It's never this cold here in September!" I guess there's a first time for everything.

We walked to the center of old town Split after breakfast, a ten-minute walk. We took pictures of some of the buildings in the square and walked the narrow streets lined with cafes and shops. The shops seemed "non-tourist crap" and were quite interesting. 

this is known as "the Peoples Square"

I took the above photo at 9:30 am.  Believe me, it got much more crowded and filled with people within the next hour.

Gerry booked us a guided tour of the Palace of Diocletian the evening before. The Emporer Diocletian had this palace built for him when he retired in the year 305.

Our tour started at 10 am, and our guide was a 40ish-year-old woman who is a native of the area. She was exceptional and gave us an excellent tour of the Palace from an insider's perspective.  Fortunately, it was only us and a couple from MN on the tour, so it was private and intimate.  The place was packed! We saw several other tour groups here with more than a dozen participants.  Glad ours wasn't one of them. 

a photo of some of the ancient remains

this wall still stands, more than 2,000 years later

We walked more on our own in old town Split and took more pictures. Not sure who this statue is.

your guess is as good (perhaps better) than mine

The streets are very narrow in and around People's Square.

along a narrow street

We shared a shrimp pizza at Konoba Fratelli for lunch.  Needed the filling meal before our lovely walk in the protected nature reserve, Marjan Park, on the Marjan peninsula. The nature reserve is car-free! We walked 7.4 miles, which included a "detour" of a mile to the beach, "Plaza Kasjuni" where we took a brief swim, despite the cool and cloudy conditions.

There were lovely views on the hike, and not many people (unlike downtown Split).

one of many views on the hike

Some of Marjan’s ancient churches are tucked into caves and cliffs on the peninsula’s southern side.

Here's Gerry at one of the ancient churches

I also walked up and took a photo from within the church entrance, looking seaward.

Inside the hillside "church" on the Marjan peninsula

The hike was lovely, and the sea beckoned us to visit, so we did. We didn't swim very long and it was worth the "detour" and the extra mileage. Here is a photo of the beach where we swam. 

The waters are spectacular, a common theme in Croatia

Monday, September 16, we left Split and headed to our next destination, the coastal city of Zadar.

It was roughly 95 miles, not nearly as long as the drive from Dubrovnik to Split, which allowed us to take many stops along the way.  

First stop was at Kliss Fortress, a half-hour drive. 

Here is the view of Kliss Fortress as we walk up the stony path and approach it.

approaching the Kliss Fortress

 Amazing views from above, and the Klis Fortress itself was spectacular.

a view from the Klis Fortress hilltop

Me, at the Kliss Fortress

We drove another hour or so and stopped at the lovely marina town of Rogoznica, where we ate a gourmet pizza for lunch (once again).

not too shabby, for a huge $14 seafood pizza

Onward to Krka National Park, which was lovely.  We arrived shortly after 3:00 pm. It cost us $30 entrance fee, and it was so worth the price. Spectacular scenery and waterfalls!

couldn't pass by this selfie opportunity in Krka

Here are some more photos:

quite green and lush

 

Would definitely revisit Krka!

One more photo... I could go on forever, but will stop here.

greenery and scenery at the falls

A lovely rural drive on our way to Zadar. I captured this sunset photo from my camera while Gerry drove us to our destination, D8 B&B on the outskirts of Zadar.

at 6:30 ish in the evening as we approach Zadar

D8 was not the greatest. We were assigned an "attic room". Not ideal for tall people like us. However, the coffee and the breakfasts were wonderful.

Tuesday, September 17 was a fun day exploring Zadar. Our first stop was Vladimir Nazor Park, Zadar's biggest green space. Adjacent to Vladimir Nazor Park is the Queen Jelena Madijevka Park, which we also visited.

in Queen Jelena Madijevka Park with some sunshine

Next we approached the Land Gate, which was built in 1543 and formed the entrance to the city. 

Walking through the Land Gate

We visited the Museum of Ancient Glass, a gem of a museum with an impressive number of ancient Roman glass objects found on archaeological sites in Zadar and it's surroundings.

There were dozens of displays throughout the museum. I especially liked this one with "juglets" from the 3rd century.

impressive glass work

Within the Museum, alongside eight thematic halls that house the permanent display, there is also a specialized glassblowing demo workshop where replicas of ancient glass are made in front of visitors.

interesting to watch her at work

Next stop is the large fruit and vegetable and local produce market stands which were fun to browse.  Then it was onward to the Five Wells Square with the Captain's Tower. We walked up the interior winding staircase in the Tower to the outdoor vista at the top.

at the Five Wells Square

 Here are some views from the top of the Tower.  Glad we took the climb to the top!

looking at the area below

also looking out in the distance

The final stop and a highlight of the day was the "Sea Organ" and the adjacent "Greeting to the Sun." If you ever make it to Zadar, the "Sea Organ" is a must see and hear! The sounds are so soothing. I understand why this area of Zadar is so popular. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n86pF-wQKrw

at the Sea Organ

We returned to old town Zadar in the evening for dinner at the restaurant Skala and dined outdoors. We shared grilled squid and a mushroom pizza. 

a fine final dinner in Zadar

Wednesday, September 18 we drove from Zadar toward Plitvice Lakes National Park, where we would be staying at Mrzlin Grad, a charming lodge on the outskirts of Korenica. The Mrzlin Grad is a  15-minute drive from Plitvice Lakes National Park. It is approximately 90 miles from Zadar to the Mzlin Grad.

Our major stop en route was in Paklenica National Park. This national park is known for the mountain climbing. It is not as crowded as some of the other National Parks and it also has several hiking trails, most of them are rocky and challenging.

We hiked more than 6 1/2 miles in Paklenica. The weather was ideal for hiking with the cool, cloudy conditions. It was steep and rocky for the first and last mile of this out-and-back hike. We hiked the Velika Paklenica, the big gorge of  park.  I can see why these dramatic gorges are are quite popular with the rock-climbers. 

a view of one of the steep canyon walls in Paklenica

Quite the beautiful, rugged area. 

along the rocky trail

time for a selfie in Paklenica

one final photo in Paklenica

Did we ever luck out staying at the Mrzlin Grad for two nights, Sept 18 and Sept 19! Definitely, our favorite lodging in Croatia!  All was amazing - the view, the food, the wood, the stone, the decor, the atmosphere and the gracious hosts. 

Their restaurant, Bistro "La Ursula" is adjacent to the luxurious lodge. We dined there for dinner Weds and Thurs night, and for breakfast Thurs and Fri mornings.  It was a no-brainer.

Weds evening we both ordered their smoked trout, a whole smoked Croatian trout from the local river, marinated for three days, paired with a horseradish potato salad with potatoes from the nearby Lika region.  Dang!  No food photos - a big mistake.  However, here are some photos of the charming Bistro "La Ursula".

the views, the furniture, and the decor are all fabulous

handmade wooden artwork graces the walls

Thursday, September 19th was one of our favorite days of our Croatia vacation. We had heard that Plitvice Lakes National Park was one of the most beautiful places in the world.  We agree!

What a splendid paradise with the numerous waterfalls and lakes. Although it was cold and rainy (temperatures in the 50s and a light rain most of the time) we had a wonderful time. We spent seven hours in this National Park and enjoyed every minute of it. I kid you not.

Walked nearly 10 miles around the various lakes, and we took a few short boat rides, which are included with the required park admission tickets.

Within minutes of our 9:00 am entry we see these waterfalls. I could stand here all day, but I don't. 

Even though it's cold and cloudy, viewing the falls and the aqua-marine waters can't be beat.

ten minutes later

We walked by this lake, and yes, more waterfalls at the perimeter of the lake.

A few hours later, we walk by this lake with waterfalls. I think it is obvious why we decided to stay in this park for seven hours.

It's not a sunny day, and this is still so brilliant!

Waterfalls galore, as you can see.

Next is what is probably my favorite "shower" photo.  Wouldn't it be lovely to stand here with the water cascading down upon you?  FYI, no swimming is allowed in Plitvice Lakes National Park.  Probably a wise decision, and why it remains so pristine.

the shower of my dreams

We couldn't stop ourselves from taking photos all day long.

another "wow!" moment

And how could we resist a geeky selfie photo?  Believe me, we weren't the only people taking selfies. 

final photo in Plitvice Lakes NP in the late afternoon

Such a delightful day, and another delicious dinner at Bistro "La Ursula" later in the evening on this unseasonably cold and rainy day. I ordered their gnocchi with a mushroom sauce. The mushrooms were freshly picked by our waiter's grandfather that morning. Our waiter was the owner's son. Gerry ordered a lamb gnocchi entree.  Both were delicious.  Again, no photos. Oops.

Friday, Sept 20 we said goodbye to our kind host at Mrzlin Grad after the scrumptious breakfast, and we made our way to Zagreb, our final destination of the trip, about a 90 mile drive.

Cool weather once again, heavily socked in with the fog as we drove 45 minutes to our first stop, the Barac Caves, in the municipality of Rakovica. We paid $10 Euro each for a tour of the cave, which lasted 45 minutes. We learned about the history of the cave, the geological structure and archaeological findings. The cave was the former habitat of cave bear. A bronze bracelet from the Middle Ages was discovered here. Fun facts to know.

within the cave on our tour

Our guide took a photo of us. We are dressed warmly as you can see. We were given helmets to wear on the tour. Excellent and safe idea for tall people like us, who are not the idea cave clientele.

The two of us, in the Barac Caves

After the tour, Gerry and I walked the "Lynx Trail",  a three mile pleasant walk through a forested area with an abundance of ferns and some mushrooms. We had the trail to ourselves; ideal hiking weather, cloudy and 60 degrees.

a variety of ferns on the ground !

 An hour or so later we are at our next stop en route to Zagreb. It was Rastoke, where we saw the Slap "Burk", named because of the noise it makes as the water of Slunjcica River pours into the Korana River.

at Slap Burk

I finally learned that "Slap"translates to Waterfalls.  It only took me ten days to figure this out. I kept seeing Slap this and Slap that, on descriptions of waterfalls.  Silly me, who thought "slap" was the action one did to a person who wasn't behaving appropriately at the waterfalls...

another "Slap" waterfall photo

We arrived in Zagreb late afternoon and checked into our accommodation, the Casa Blanca B & B, another excellent choice.  It's a nice, exquisite, quite place, with only 13 rooms, and located only a 12 minute walk from Lower Town and Upper Town Zagreb.  Perfect  for us.  A gourmet breakfast is included in the setting of the their magical garden.

We ate dinner Friday evening at Kozel, in lower town Zagreb, a 15 minute walk from the Casa Blanca. Gerry ordered the fried squid and french fries, which he has be yearning to try since day one of the vacation. I ordered grilled squid and veggies.  We shared both entrees, as we usually do.

Saturday, September 21, our last day of vacation in Croatia  (boo hoo for us). Still, a fabulous day! 

We indulged in the gourmet breakfast in the garden of Casa Blanca B&B, and then walked 1.5 miles to the botanical gardens which we explored for 30 minutes.

lily pads in the botanical gardens

Next, we walked to the main square in Zagreb for the 11:00 am Free Spirit Tour, which lasted two hours. Our tour guide was Darko and he was excellent.  We walked both Lower Town Zagreb and Upper Town Zagreb.  Darko is a "war baby", born in 1992 when this nation was at war. He explained the struggles and the conflict he and his family faced, while he guided us on the tour.

A highlight was the canon firing at noon. It takes place in the upper window. Afterwards, the bells toll twelve times, to signify it is noon.

the canon fires, and the tourists are in awe

The Church of St. Mark is the parish church of old Zagreb, Croatia, located in St. Mark's Square. It is one of the oldest architectural monuments in Zagreb. The best evidence is that the church must have been built as early as the 13th century

the iconic St. Mark's Church

 After the informative tour, Gerry and I walked around Lower Town Zagreb on our own. It was a warm day with bright blue skies.

at the popular Ban Jelacic square

 This is near the Zagreb Cathedral, which is temporarily closed for reconstruction.

a very tall cathedral in the square

quite the statue adjacent to the Cathedral

We returned to the Casa Blanca B and B in Zagreb and got our duffels packed and organized so that we could eat breakfast at 8:00 am and then check out and drive to the airport.  

Then we ventured into Upper Town Zagreb one final time for dinner at La Struk. We ate in the lovely garden and ordered their homemade strukli, which are made to order.

Strukli is a Croatian specialty. It's a pastry stuffed with cream cheese and baked in the oven. We chose the savory options and ordered a pumpkin seed strukli and a truffle strukli. Both dishes were tasty, filling, and well priced at $9 each. Hot cheese and pasta, nicely seasoned makes a great comfort food dish, esp when paired with glasses of red wine. 

Glad we decided to spend our final evening at this special unique place!

truffle strukli on left and pumpkin seed strukli on right

 No room for dessert after this meal!

I highly recommend visiting Croatia!  A beautiful country with plenty to see and do. Hopefully, we'll return one day....