January is a peak time to spot one of the largest mammals on the planet—the gray whale—making its very long migration from the chilly Arctic to balmy Baja California. Bodega Head, just north of Point Reyes, sits high on the tip of a curving thumb-like peninsula and offers two weather-flexible options: On nice weather days, you can hike the coastal trails that lead out from the parking lot; all are fairly short and have great vantage points of the Pacific, where migrating whales just might be breaching and spouting. (Bring a good windbreaker and binoculars.) If the weather's gusty, you can sit in your car and wait for the whales to come to you; arrive early to snag one of the premier parking spots overlooking the ocean. Bring snacks and a thermos of hot cider, and enjoy one of Mother Nature's finest drive-ins. This is big-screen viewing at its best!

Bodega Head, part of Sonoma Coast State Park, is 65 miles north of San Francisco on Highway 1. From the town of Bodega Bay, head west on East Shore Rd. and follow signs to Bodega Head.