Earth Day is officially on Wednesday, April 22. Countless folks have been celebrating our amazing Planet Earth in many ways since 1970, when Earth Day was founded.

I’m recognizing Earth Day through photos of sea stacks, bird nests, and giant coastal Redwoods. Let’s take a walk through the Lands of the Giants today and experience Earth’s history.

I seem to be working backward as I share images and experiences from our 40-day road trip.

But First… A Giant Red Bridge

During the last week of our road trip, we left Mountain View, California, where we spent three days with my oldest daughter. We drove north through San Francisco and couldn’t resist a quick stop at the Golden Gate Bridge North Vista Point. The total height of the bridge towers is 746 feet (227 meters) above the water.

Construction on the bridge began in January 1933, and it was completed in May 1937. Read more of its history here.

“We’ll be remembered more for what we destroy than what we create.” ― Chuck Palahniuk

Walking Among Giant Redwoods

Thursday, April 2, found us heading north along the California Coast between Arcata and our destination in Bandon, Oregon. Our planned stop was to visit Redwood National/State Park. We were limited to short walks because dogs are not allowed on the trails. We took turns.

The average height of these coastal redwoods is 200-330 feet tall (60-100 meters), and they are known to live over 2000 years! Oh, what they could tell us!

Redwood National and State Parks is a complex of protected areas located in northern California, near the Oregon border. The parks are known for their towering redwood trees, which are among the tallest and oldest on Earth. The parks are home to several redwood species, including the coast redwood, which can grow up to 379 feet tall. SOURCE

Hyperion, the tallest tree in the world, standing at 379 feet (115 m), is located in this area. Park Rangers want to keep the location secret due to vandalism…who the heck would do that?

“Together we can preserve the forest, securing this immense treasure for the future of all these children.”— Chico Mendes

This image gives you an idea of the trees’ height. And these weren’t the tallest ones!

As I walked among the giants, I saw two women struggling to capture a selfie with this backdrop. I offered to take a few pics, then they returned the favor!

I edited this selfie with a fun filter from Google Images.

Walking Among the Giants in Bandon Beach

“The miracle is not to fly in the air or to walk on water, but to walk on the earth.” — Chinese Proverb

After a lunch stop in Klamath, CA, we finally arrived at our destination in Bandon, Oregon, at 3:00 pm. Bandon is known for incredible ocean views, charming stores and restaurants, a historic lighthouse, and an art community. We spent two nights there, so we had an entire day to explore Bandon on a sunny, windy day.

Join me as we walk among the giant sea stacks.

Face Rock State Scenic Viewpoint, Bandon, Oregon

One of the first sea stacks you will encounter is Face Rock, the state park’s namesake. Face Rock is known for the near-perfect side profile of the legend’s princess, gazing skyward towards the moon. It’s also one of the easiest formations to recognize – the features of the rock make it look unmistakably like a real face! SOURCE

We strolled along the beach, an easy walk from our hotel. As we walked and saw the sea stacks in the distance, we were stunned at their immensity as we got closer!

The Wizard’s Hat is shown on the left, a nod to Harry Potter’s sorting hat. Notice the scattered washed-up velella at the bottom of the image?

Below is a fun rendering using Google Images filter.

Another view shows more of the sea stacks.

Brodie kept a close eye on his dad, who walked close to the water. Brodie loves the water, but we wouldn’t let him run free off leash, or we’d never get him out!

Mother Earth Repopulates

For those of you wondering, yes, our Phoebes are back to nest under our patio rafters again, in their third year. Mama Phoebe showed up on February 23, just two days before we left for our road trip and 5 days earlier than in February 2025.

Sorry for the dim photo, but her nest-building skills have really improved!

Papa Phoebe is still as vigilant as ever.

While Mama and Papa were off catching their flies, I took a quick look into the nest and found 4 beautiful eggs. I’ll share a picture of those soon! We’re hoping history will repeat itself with four healthy fledglings.

This week, I’m linking to Johnbo’s Cellpic Sunday, Pepper’s One Step, and Lens-Artists: History.

Sunday Stills Photo Challenge Reminders

The Sunday Stills weekly-themed photo challenge is easy to join. You have all week to share and link your post. Please use your own original images, whether new or from your archives.

• Remember to title your blog post a little differently from mine.
• Entries for this theme can be posted all week.
• Tag your post “Sunday Stills.”
• Don’t forget to create a pingback to this post so that other participants can read your post.
• I also recommend adding your post’s URL to the comments.

If you are participating in the photo challenge, I look forward to seeing how you interpret this week’s theme! Creativity is encouraged, so please share your own photographs (old or new), poems, original short stories, and music inspired by the theme. Join me next week as we explore National Garden Month (April).

Please note that I plan to take a very short break from May 2-4 while I switch my blog from a classic theme to a block theme. I expect to be back in time for the Flower Hour on May 5.

See Deb’s World and Hugh’s Views and News for how they each switched seamlessly.

“Earth breathes in us.” ― Matthew Edward Hall

© 2025 Copyright — Terri Webster Schrandt and secondwindleisure.com — All Rights Reserved

© 2026 Copyright — Terri Webster Schrandt and secondwindleisure.com — All Rights Reserved