FORT BRAGG, CA. — In the tree canopy above our campsite, a group of silky black ravens are entertaining us. As the unofficial welcome crew at MacKerricher State Park tucked along the California coast, they are chattering on with their deep-throated croaks and caws. When they make a noise that sounds exactly like crashing bowling pins, we can’t help but smile in wonder.

Long Beach, Wa. — We stand on a windswept grassy dune breathing in the heavy sent of saltwater. To our left, the Pacific Ocean crashes in a rhythmic drum against the long stretch of beach. In front of us is a wooden sculpture of three gray whales, carved barnacles and all. Perched above the ground, they seem to float into the grassy dunes, swimming northward to their feeding grounds.

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, GEORGIA - When I visited St. Simons Island, I had no idea how charmed I’d be by the Golden Isles. Its idyllic setting with live oak trees strung with Spanish moss, long stretches of beaches, marshlands and historic sites that date back to the 1700s, was most appealing. And, of course, I had plenty of its famous Wild Georgia Shrimp.