The views are breathtaking, especially when the sun sets to the west, directly over the Pacific Ocean, in addition to the soft sand.
Despite being 3,000 miles away and on the other side of the nation, Cocoa Beach is a close second to Santa Monica if you enjoy both history and the sun.
Kauai, one of Hawaii's less-traveled islands, has beautiful beaches.
You don't need to be an expert big wave surfer—and let's face it, not many of us are—to enjoy watching these exceptional surfers perform risky things.
Rockaway Beach in Queens, New York, is another sand-covered, Atlantic-facing attraction worth seeing. It is situated on the Rockaway Peninsula.
Make sure to dig your feet into the fine quartz-crystal white sand while reading your favorite book because the broad beachfront rarely seems crowded and it stays cool to the touch.
This famous white-sand beach, which is anchored by the luxurious Hotel del Coronado, is a SoCal treasure that positively glows.