More Adventure...

The final adventurous stop was at another bridge over the Soca River, this time with the opportunity to jump the 33 feet (10 meters) to the water below.

No surprise that Jimmy was the first to make the leap or that I stayed safely on the bridge.

The big surprise was that Ashlynn was willing to take the plunge.

I was relieved that both of my daredevils hit the water just right with no injuries.

A Waterfall...

Our next stop was Kozjak Waterfall. Our short walk included passing over Napoleon Suspension Bridge over the Soca River and walking along an elevated wooden walkway.

I was happy to play photographer while Jimmy and the girls went for a quick swim in the icy water below the 50-foot (15 meters) falls.

Getting Wet...

We all got in the water to ride down a rapid. When I first hit the cold water, it took my breath away. I passed when the family climbed up on this rock and jumped in.

Ironically, the other van traveling with us contained three recent grads from UNC Chapel Hill in the girls’ home state of North Carolina. One of them took these photos after Jimmy discovered the GoPro’s batteries were dead .

Rafting in the Emerald River...

After a stop for lunch in Bovec, we headed down to the Soca River, an Alpine river starting in Slovenia and ending in Italy.

The Class II and III rapids weren’t too tricky and the water level was quite low, so we had to actually jump up and down several times to maneuver over the rocks. It definitely wasn’t the thrill ride of the American River in California, but it was still great fun and the scenery was amazing.

One of the guides from 3Glav stood in strategic spots to capture these photos. 

No surprise that Jimmy instigated a water fight with our group’s other raft.

Hiking in the Julian Alps...

Sitting in the front seat helped Ashlynn to avoid getting carsick despite 25 hairpin turns to reach Slovenia’s highest pass, Vrsic Mountain Pass. We parked at the summit at 5,315 feet (1,620 meters) so we could take a short hike to a viewpoint.

The hike up was pretty easy, but we had to do some scrambling to get back down. The views were beautiful!

After another 25 hairpin turns, we arrived at the start of our 2nd hike on a portion of the Soca Trail. As we climbed towards the source of the Soca River, we had to scramble across the rock face. I was relieved to have a wire to cling to! I opted out of the last bit of the climb to the cave housing the source of the river, but Jimmy and the girls didn’t hesitate.

Starting Our Emerald River Adventure...

After doing some research, I decided that navigating our own way around the Julian Alps of Slovenia wasn’t a good idea. Not being big fans of tours, we took a leap of faith after reading the rave reviews about the all-day Emerald River Adventure Tour offered by 3Glav Adventures. It was a great decision!

We traveled in a large van with a guide and a couple from Ireland. Our first stop was Jasna Lake with its beautiful reflections of the surrounding mountains.

We all took turns riding the mountain goat and rubbing its golden horns for good luck.

Urbex at Lake Bled...

On our way to dinner along the other side of the lake, we came across this abandoned house. Of course, my husband and daughters couldn’t just pass it by. They had to peak inside and pose for some photos.