Here's some of my favourites.
For museums and 'sights' - Washington D.C.
For scenery - Bryce Canyon (more beautiful than Grand Canyon)
For variety of scenery - Death Valley
Amusement Park - Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio
For playing like a child - Disneyworld, Florida
For walks - Shenandoah National Park
For camping on beaches - state parks in California
As you can see, none of the above are anywhere near each other, but I enjoyed them all.
sorry will be more precise, we are currently living in chicago and may be here for 2 yrs with hubbys job. apart from main places like new york san francisco washington etc wondered if there were some good places to visit for sightseeing and/or relaxation on a beach that perhaps us people go to. we have done las vegas and plan to go to santa fe. elvis is out and disney. hope to get lots of suggestions now, looking for a place in particular maybe in florida keys, naples etc for a beach holiday too. thanks!
you don't have to go to the coast - there are beaches on the Great Lakes. To the south, you can take riverboat rides on the Mississippi. To the east, New England in the fall is extremely pretty. But it's a huge country and there is stuff to do all over it from Florida to Alaska. As you'll be aware, it's very easy to drive around, stay at motels and eat at roadside steakhouses etc.