Day 11 of our Italian adventure was supposed to be straightforward: drive to Tre Cime, hike, sunset photos with a local photographer, done. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned about traveling with a family through Italy, it’s that plans are really just… suggestions.
The Grand Plan (And How It Completely Changed)
Let me back up. I’m a family photographer by trade, and I had this vision of getting epic family portraits to remember our Dolomites trip by. Finding a photographer across the ocean? Not easy. Lots of Instagram stalking (thank goodness for location tags), plenty of Google Translate, and eventually I found Daniela—a family photographer who had availability, a style I loved, and knew the area well.
We’d talked through locations and landed on Tre Cime di Lavaredo for sunset shots. We wanted to hike there anyway, so it was perfect. Would we be polished and beautiful after hiking? Maybe not, but a little wild never hurt anyone.
I built our entire itinerary around this moment. Morning drive to Tre Cime (over an hour from our apartment in Cortina), hike, sunset photos, home.
Then I started watching the weather.
The Audible: Hello, 5am Wake-Up Call
As our photo day approached, the forecast showed rain—hard rain—right during golden hour. I’m good with wild. I’m not keen on drowned rat.
I texted Daniela on WhatsApp: “Can we talk about this?”
Her suggestion? A sunrise shoot at Lago di Braies instead. It’s this stunning turquoise lake at the base of a dramatic cirque, and by shooting at sunrise, we’d dodge the afternoon storms. Still an hour from our apartment, but a solid Plan B.
We agreed to make the final call the night before. And when we did, we committed to the chaos: photos at 7am meant getting the kids up at 5, dressed and in the car by 6, arriving by 7.
The kids were absolute troopers. Not a single complaint. (The promise of cappuccinos and croissants at the end of it all probably helped.)
Sunrise at Lago di Braies
We pulled up to Lago di Braies in the soft early morning light, met Daniela, and had the most magical photo session. The lake was mirror-still, the surrounding peaks were dusted with early sun, and we just… played. We waded into the water. We threw rocks. We laughed.
We ended up soaking wet from playing in the lake itself, but honestly? Those photos captured exactly who we are as a family. Wild, happy, completely ourselves.
By 8:30am, we were done—and starving. We found a café, ordered cappuccinos and croissants, and just sat there by the lake, letting the morning unfold slowly. It felt like we’d already had a full day, and it wasn’t even 9am.
Plot Twist: We Still Had That Parking Pass
Here’s the thing about Tre Cime in summer: you need a parking pass to drive up to the trailhead, and you need to book it ahead of time. No pass? No access unless you take a bus or hike up the road yourself. I’d booked ours weeks earlier at auronzo.info, reserving the biggest time window I could.
So there we were at Lago di Braies, realizing we still had our pass—and Tre Cime was only an hour away, basically on our route home.
”Let’s just change our clothes and go,” Mark said.
And so we did.
Tre Cime di Lavaredo: Beauty and Storm Clouds
We made it to the parking lot in time, lathered on sunscreen, and started down toward Rifugio Auronzo. The clouds were gathering, but dramatically so—the kind of moody, epic scenery that makes the Dolomites feel like another planet.
The first section of trail is surprisingly accessible. We saw people with strollers and wheelchairs making their way to Rifugio Lavaredo. The path is wide, relatively flat, and absolutely stunning—fields of wildflowers, the Monument ai Bersaglieri, a tiny chapel against the dramatic backdrop.
We took our time, stopping constantly for photos. The kids ran ahead, came back, ran ahead again. This was what we came for.
At Rifugio Lavaredo, we stopped for a bathroom break (2 Euro—cash only, standard for refugios) and then pushed up toward the saddle. The climb was steady but manageable, and we could see our goal: Rifugio Locatelli on the other side.
Mark spotted an upper trail that would reduce our elevation change. “Let’s try it,” he said.
The trail was thin and exposed—a slip would mean a rocky slide, survivable but bruising. We pressed on until we hit a section with a makeshift bridge over a gap, the kind of crossing that makes your stomach flip. Mark noped out, and we all agreed to find the lower trail instead.
Then we looked up.
Lightning on the Ridge
The clouds had filled in completely. We could see rain in the distance, and worse—lightning.
Time to get off the ridge. Now.
We hustled back to Rifugio Lavaredo just as the sky opened up. We grabbed a table seconds before the rush of soaking wet hikers poured in. The refugio was shoulder to shoulder, strangers sharing tables and swapping stories. We met some girls from New York on their own adventure, ordered desserts, and waited out the storm.
We didn’t complete the full Tre Cime loop—that 6-mile circuit will have to wait for next time. But honestly? The dramatic clouds, the moody light, the camaraderie of that packed refugio… it was its own kind of perfect.
The Wind-Down
Once the rain passed, we explored a bit more, taking in the views before deciding to head back.
On the drive home, we stopped at Lake Misurina—because why not add one more lake to the day and then we saw a bunch of horses off the roadside. Fun fact, these horses are used in the winter to pull a flotilla of humans along the long flat ski tracks between resorts. They are released in the summer to graze on the steep hillside because it builds up incredible stamina and muscle. After spending some time talking to them, we hopped back in the car to make it back to Cortina for a home-cooked dinner and an evening gelato walk through town.
As we walked, it hit us: tomorrow was our last day in Cortina. The next morning, we’d be packing up and heading to Milan to catch our flight home. Our Italian adventure was winding down.
But this day? This beautifully chaotic, plan-changing, lightning-dodging, 5am-wake-up day? It was everything.
Tips & Info
Lago di Braies (Pragser Wildsee)
- AllTrails link
- Arrive early—this lake gets CROWDED by mid-morning
- Sunrise is magical and much quieter
- There are cafés and facilities at the lake
- About 1 hour from Cortina
Tre Cime di Lavaredo
- AllTrails link
- You MUST book a parking pass in summer: Book here
- No pass = no driving up (bus or hiking are alternatives)
- Full loop is approximately 6 miles
- First section to Rifugio Lavaredo is accessible for strollers/wheelchairs
- Bring cash for refugio bathrooms (1-2 Euro)
- Weather changes FAST—pack rain layers and watch for lightning
- Rifugio Lavaredo and Rifugio Locatelli are great rest stops
Family Photo Sessions Abroad
- Instagram location tags are your friend for finding photographers
- Google Translate helps, but many photographers speak some English
- Book early—good photographers fill up
- Build flexibility into your plans (weather happens!)
- WhatsApp is essential for international communication
General Tips
- Always have a Plan B (and maybe C)
- The promise of cappuccinos works wonders on tired kids
- Sometimes the best adventures come from changed plans
- Getting a little wild in a lake makes for the best photos