6 Once-in-a-Lifetime Beach Experiences

That more intense experience comes with more intense crowds. Hardy sometimes joins the throngs at Jetty Park at Port Canaveral, renting a bike there to more quickly and easily navigate the park. A paddleboard or canoe is a great way to watch from the water. If you’d rather have a little distance and lighter crowds, try Melbourne Beach or Playalinda on the Canaveral National Seashore.

What to know: Launches happen regularly, but are also regularly scrubbed, a.k.a. canceled — sometimes at the last second. Plan your trip around several launches to better guarantee that you’ll see one. Download a launch app to stay on top of things before and during your trip.

Alaska’s northern lights create a spectacular display over the water at Chena Lake Outdoor Recreation Area.

Andy Witteman

See the northern lights reflected in the water in Alaska

I was at an Alaskan resort one evening years ago when word spread that the aurora borealis was putting on a surprise show. I joined the other mesmerized travelers behind the lodge, watching neon green and blue lights sweep across the inky sky, shimmering and curling like celestial steam. I’ll never forget it.

The only way I can imagine improving the show is watching it play out above a body of water, effectively doubling the magic.

Your best bet for catching the northern lights is by basing your trip out of the Fairbanks area, located within the auroral oval, known for its concentrated aurora activity. The Chena Lakes Recreation Area has 24/7 beach access from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Activity is hardly contained to the oval, however. You’d do well to view the lights along the Kenai Peninsula jutting out into the Gulf of Alaska, perhaps in waterside accommodations in Homer or Seward.

What to know: Auroral activity is generally most active mid-August to mid-April. Note that midwinter temperatures regularly plunge below zero. Plan to spend at least three nights in optimal viewing areas to increase your chances. The University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute shares an Alaskan aurora forecast online.

Lucky travelers can catch a gray whale spouting near the shoreline as it feeds along the Oregon Coast.

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Spot a whale from the Oregon shore

During summer and fall, the gray whales come close — within a half mile of the Depoe Bay Whale Watching Center, perched on the Oregon shore. Rangers and volunteers help spot their spouts, or white clouds that shoot up to 12 feet in the air. After a showy series of spouts, look for a tail-flop as the giant mammal heads down to feed. Then up it comes to repeat the cycle. “It’s a magical experience. Thrilling,” says Kim Disher, 67, a volunteer at the center. “[Recently] we had one breach five times in a row, which is not typical gray whale behavior. The whole building was full of people, and everybody was just yelling. They were so excited about it.”

Other times of year, the whales pass by as they migrate, heading south to Mexico in mid-December and mid-January and north to Alaska from late March through May. “We’re looking a little further out there, but it’s a lot more of them going by,” says Oregon state park ranger Peter McBride. The center has an 80-inch screen attached to a camera that zooms in on whales in the distance, providing an up-close view like a concert jumbotron. That, on top of the insight and spotting help, makes the center a great stop for whale-watching newbies, especially. Other primo vantage points in the area include Boiler Bay and Cape Foulweather. Or you can try a whale-watching tour.