Our first family vacation in the picturesque Slovak village of Zuberec confirmed to us that even with a small child, it is possible to experience a full and active rest. The journey was more challenging than we expected, but exploring the beauty of the surrounding Tatras and relaxing in the Oravice thermal baths completely made up for it. Overcoming challenges, such as forgetting the baby carrier, enriched us with unforgettable experiences and strengthened our family bond. We will learn from our mistakes and look forward to the next adventures awaiting us, not only in the embrace of nature.Friends from Slovakia invited us to their mountain retreat, and as mountain lovers, we were thrilled. The trip there, however, had one small "but." Mom imagined the drive would take at most two hours. Zuberec, our dream destination – a picturesque village surrounded by the majestic peaks of the Western Tatras, actually required over four hours, and that was without counting the breaks. This prospect made her quite nervous, considering this was our first big vacation as a family of three. Until then, mom hadn’t dared to go on bigger trips—maybe due to fear of the unknown or the stress of deviating from the usual routine. But now the decision was made—we certainly didn’t want to stay home until our ‘A’ reached her teenage years. Besides, we were in the majority—two adults to one child. We were swept away by the adventure and off we went!We set off on July 3rd, hoping that our then almost two-year-old ‘A’ would sleep most of the way. However, with a child who wakes up at every stop, it wasn’t easy. In Žilina, ‘A’ woke up—how else, in a congested city, with mom not simulating the ride well enough—and didn’t want to sleep anymore. We were halfway there. It was snack time, which ended up being fateful. After a coconut chocolate bar, a necessary stop in Těrchová followed, where mom tried to minimize the consequences of a little accident from the clothes, car seat, and car. Even though we only had an hour left to drive, it felt like forever. Still, mom didn’t give up and tried to keep ‘A’ entertained with games, rhymes, and looking through picture books. ‘A’ finally fell asleep before the journey's end, giving us a brief moment to settle in and greet our friends upon arrival.Our friends have a truly beautiful wooden cabin, surrounded by forests – an idyllic place. Yet we planned to spend as much time outside as possible, exploring the surrounding nature, and only returning to the cabin for sleep. The first day we kept short, just exploring the area and planning hikes for the following days. The journey was adventurous, but the anticipation of our time in the dreamlike nature outweighed all the challenges of the trip.

Our first excursion to the Museum of Orava Village in Zuberec transported us back in time and showed us what life was like in Orava centuries ago. For ‘A’, it was like stepping into a fairy tale, especially when she was fascinated by the stream and dancing with the local musicians.For lunch, we promised dad's famous beef sirloin with cream sauce. We had brought it from home. Mom faced the challenge of preparing gluten-free dumplings, as unfortunately, some members of our friends' family must follow a gluten-free diet. Luckily, everything turned out perfectly, and the lunch was a hit.

After lunch, mom put little ‘A’ down for a nap, while dad effortlessly ran up to the Pálenica saddle (1573 m above sea level). No one believed he could be back so quickly, and since he expected this reaction, he carefully documented his trip. He saw it as preparation for the next hike, which would be to the Roháčske Plesá lakes.What were we thinking when we set off for the Tatras with a stroller but without a baby carrier? We have no idea. ‘A’ may be quite active for her age, but the Tatras are the Tatras. And how were we supposed to get her to nap after lunch while on a day hike? There was no time to despair; we would figure it out on the way. The goal—a circular hike to Roháčske Plesá from the ski resort in the Roháčska valley, up to the Roháčsky waterfall, and then upwards to the lakes. The path led through forest trails and mountain paths winding through blooming meadows and babbling streams. Although the hike was more difficult without a carrier, our ‘A’ was thrilled by every new flower and rock she discovered, and the boulders she could jump on were pure magic. We made it to the top—1719 m above sea level, rewarded by a breathtaking view of the shimmering lakes surrounded by the peaks of the Tatras. An unforgettable experience for the whole family. Now it was just a matter of continuing the loop past the former Ťatliakova chalet and down into the valley. It was early afternoon, and ‘A’ could barely keep her eyes open. Carrying her up on our shoulders was manageable because she was awake. But mom’s creativity kicked in, and with a large cloth and her sweatshirt, she rigged a makeshift carrier. ‘A’ was asleep within a minute. Dad, ever the gentleman, walked two steps ahead, helping mom navigate the terrain, as she could barely see her feet over her small belly, where ‘T’ was peacefully growing, and ‘A’ wrapped in the sweatshirt. No one wanted anyone to trip. Glory to the hike—we didn’t get rained on, and we were back at the cabin.For Monday, July 6th, we planned a more relaxed outing since we had pushed our untrained bodies quite a bit the previous day. Hooray, we would take the cable car—from the Zverovka-Spálená ski resort to the Salatín valley. Then, we just needed to follow the green trail along a rocky mountain path up to 1790 m above sea level on the Predný Salatín ridge. This time, ‘A’ fell asleep on the way up while resting on a bench with dad, waiting for mom, who was taking her time today. We used the experience from the previous day and improved it by tying the cloth-and-sweatshirt carrier to dad's backpack. And off we went. What can we say, the views and the surrounding landscape, amplified by the sunny weather—balm for the soul.To end our vacation, we couldn’t miss the thermal baths in Oravice. The warm geothermal water was the perfect way to unwind and relax after days full of walks and exploration. While we adults enjoyed the healing effects of the thermal waters, our child was thrilled with the children's pools and water attractions.This vacation in Zuberec, Slovakia, was an unforgettable adventure for our family. It showed us that even with a small child, it is possible to have a fulfilling and active vacation. And most importantly, that next time we need to bring the baby carrier! It also taught us that the beauty of nature, the richness of culture, and the relaxation of thermal baths are the perfect combination for a truly restful and rejuvenating getaway.