Bar Harbor, Maine, is an attractive town for strolling and picture-taking, but some of the greatest views of Bar Harbor are from 1,500 feet up. The road to the top of Cadillac Mountain has some spectacular views of the town (and the water and landscape around it) from several turnoffs, as well as from the summit of the mountain, where this photo was taken in May of 2008. The Porcupine Islands can be seen in the distance, as well as the mainland of Maine.For a larger version of this photo, go to the Bar Harbor, ME photo on the Travel Guide of America site.
Much of the York Beach area in Maine is flat (as you would expect in a beach town), but heading east out of the village of York Beach, you quickly encounter some rather steep and winding roads that afford dramatic views of the ocean. The photo here, which was taken in December of 2008, shows a look eastward out over the open ocean near Cape Neddick Light (an often-photographed lighthouse). The rugged, rocky shore in this area is much different from the sandy beach areas found only a little more than a mile away.
Carlsbad is a peaceful, prosperous seaside town north of San Diego that I visit every now and then because I have family out there. The coast of Carlsbad is mostly flat with some nice beaches, but in some spots there are towering cliffs with awe-inspiring views, including this one, which was taken in June of 2006. Looking north, you can just barely make out the village of Carlsbad in the distance. 
The central coast of Oregon is a magical place, with deep woods, towering cliffs, pristine beaches, and charming villages. And the part just south of the little town of Yachats is particularly stunning, including an area where the mountains truly do meet the sea. The photo shown here, which was taken in June of 2000, gives a view of Cape Perpetua, which we drove through on our way south from Yachats to the town of Port Orford.
Much of Rhode Island is densely populated, but there are areas within the state that feel as rural as any part of New England. One of these areas can be found along scenic Route 77, which meanders through the southeast part of the state, ending at a wild and rugged coastal community called Sakonnet. The photo taken here, which was taken on a windy day in the fall of 2002, shows the desolate yet beautiful feel of the place.
Bodega Bay is one of those spots where the Northern California coast becomes really wild and rugged. A tiny town located between San Francisco and Mendecino, Bodega Bay is one of my personal favorite spots along the entire coast of California. This picture was taken from Route 1 on a chilly November day in 2004, and shows the sheer power of the ocean in this part of the state. 
It is relatively difficult to watch a sunset over the ocean in New England, but there are some west-facing areas scattered about that make for great sunset viewings. As this photo from the summer of 2003 shows, Newport, RI, is certainly one of these spots. Not only does the Ocean Drive south of the city center offer terrific places to watch the sun set over the ocean, but the downtown section of Newport is also a good spot for this. This photo shows a particularly nice sunset from the docks right in the heart of the city.
There isn't much to Westport, a small town north of Mendocino and Fort Bragg in Northern California. But what the town lacks in shopping and dining it more than makes up for in jaw-dropping scenery. The photo shown here, which was taken from Route 1 on a particularly beautiful day in November of 2004, shows the awesome natural beauty of the Westport area, with scenes that rival any along the California coast.
It seems that in some ways, the further north and east you go along the Maine coast, the more interesting the landscapes and the lighting get. And this certainly is the case with Mount Desert Island, which is where much of Acadia National Park lies. But outside of the park are equally stunning vistas, including some really haunting ones around the tiny town of Northeast Harbor. The black and white photo shown here, which was taken in May 2008, shows the foreboding beauty of the Maine coast from a spot called Clifton Dock. From this part of town, one can hear the sounds of buoys and a lighthouse in the distance, and little else.
It seems a bit ironic that with all the traveling I have done, one of the most stunning views I have ever seen was not from high up on a mountaintop or way out on a rocky shore, but from the sidewalk of a small town's main street. This photo, from June of 2000, was actually taken from the downtown area of Port Orford, a quiet little town on the southern Oregon coast. I had read before the trip that Port Orford was blessed with one of the greatest views from the center of any town in America, and I can't really argue with that.
This picture of Mendocino was taking in November, 2004, from a small rise above the village center of Mendocino, California, on the Northern California coast. Mendocino has the feel of a New England fishing town, with quaint homes, narrow lanes, and bucolic ocean views from a number of vantage points. The photo shown here was taken just as the fog was lifting from the town center on a surprisingly mild and windless day.
This photo was taken in August, 2005, at the tip of Hull, Massachusetts (also known as "Hull Gut"). Hull is surrounded by water, affording tremendous views in almost every direction, but as you approach the tip of the peninsula where Hull Gut is, the views get especially dramatic. If you look closely at the picture, you can see the Boston skyline in the background.