When I saw this month’s cover, I was instantly transported back to my first vacation. I was 12, my sister Amber was 6, and our dad and stepmom took us on a road trip. We drove the Pacific Coast Highway—on and off, I'm sure—from Washington State to Tijuana and back. It was the first time my sister and I had been to the ocean, and I remember being a little intimidated: the waves looked huge to me, and the water was so cold. Amber was excited. She ran straight into the surf, tripped and fell, swallowed salt water, and started crying. 

We stayed in an old, haunted lodge at Crater Lake, Oregon. My sister and I searched for the ghost but didn’t find it, and the lake water was the deepest blue I’ve ever seen. Sea Lion Caves was another highlight in Oregon. I remember walking through a tunnel and coming to a window where we could watch the sea lions hanging out on the rocks at the mouth of the cave. Amber and I stood and watched them for so long that our dad had to drag us away. 

Then there was the spectacular place that this month’s cover reminds me of: Redwood National Park in California. The photo triggered memories of driving through a giant redwood and still not quite believing that such a thing existed—a tree big enough to drive through! My greatest memory is of my sister’s awestruck face as she walked through a tree and came out the other side. That look captured the mood of the entire vacation and reinforces in my mind the wonder of the natural world.

Wishing you many awe-inspiring moments in nature this month of Earth Day, 

Shannon