Animal magic

Maine has the second-largest moose population in the U.S. after Alaska, and BAR HARBOR is a great place to see these iconic creatures from May to October. Take a short boat ride from Boston Harbour to see mighty humpback whales and white-sided dolphins feeding in the STELLWAGEN BANK NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY. On Hawai‘i’s BIG ISLAND, kayak brilliant-blue waters amid a pod of spinner dolphins or take a night tour from Kona for an exhilarating dive or snorkel with graceful, giant manta rays. Visit some of the 308 viewing sites on the GREAT TEXAS COASTAL BIRDING TRAIL to see over 450 bird species. The unspoiled ASSATEAGUE ISLAND NATIONAL SEASHORE, off the coast of Maryland and Virginia, is home to a population of wild ponies that have roamed its beaches and marshlands since the 1600s. Slip into warm waters of KINGS BAY in Florida’s Crystal River and you’ll be entering the magical realm of the manatee. It is one of the few places in the world you can snorkel with these gentle marine giants. Feel the thunder of a stampeding herd at the annual autumn BUFFALO ROUNDUP in South Dakota’s Custer State Park. Native grey wolves were reintroduced to YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK in the ‘90s to help restore the ecosystem to its pre-colonial glory. Look out for grizzlies, mountain lions, coyotes and bison, too.