I would have to second the shout-out to Boston. I had never been until the summer of '13. It's a surprisingly small downtown, which is entirely walkable. We stayed in Cambridge (basically on MIT's campus) across the river from downtown, so we either took the subway into downtown or a cab, but after that, you could walk everywhere if you wanted to. It's also surprisingly clean and friendly, which I didn't expect. My daughters enjoyed spending a morning with me walking around Harvard/Harvard Square, which was only two subway stops from MIT in Cambridge. My younger daughter is now fond of calling Harvard, "Haaahhhhhvaaaad." I can't speak to the couples aspect of it, though, because my daughters are always along for the ride on vacations. I didn't get an opportunity to travel much at all when I was a kid. It simply wasn't something we could afford, outside of a trip to Houston or Biloxi every couple of years. So, now, I guess I make up for it by taking my girls everywhere to let them experience travel. This summer, we'll do another short trip to Hot Springs or Eureka Springs, Arkansas (the latter being a pretty cool town if you've never checked it out--some of the most beautiful scenery anywhere), Los Angeles, and Chicago. Next year is New York, probably. Hawaii is coming up the year after, and I suppose we need to fit DC in at some point, too.
NYC is overrated, but Brooklyn is not, I agree with wrjay, if you go stay in Brooklyn, great places to eat, great scenery in some places. Try D.C or Virginia, I love just outside of DC and even downtown DC. I would move there if I could.
Quite frankly, I've never spent more than 5 consecutive days in NYC. That seems to be my limit. For me, the key to NYC is to treat each neighborhood like a small town. Mid town is different than downtown which is different than Chinatown which is different than Little Italy which is different than SoHo which is different than NoHo which is different than TriBeCa etc etc. I do echo @red55 though. You can do it on a budget but you can't do it cheaply. My best day in NYC was a rainy, cold Sunday where my wife and I slept in a bit and went to brunch at a nice place right under the Brooklyn Bridge. Then we went back to the hotel for a nap. After that we walked a couple of blocks to an AMC for a movie. Back to the room for a nap. Then we crossed Atlantic Ave. for an early supper at a little diner. Then back for another nap before turning in for the night. Napping three times in one day was quite the accomplishment for an old dude like me, if you know what I mean.
Vegas in the summer is miserable so unless it's gambling and shows one prefers, I would avoid it. The City is a great place to go in the summer. And yes, if it's outdoor type-stuff then California is hard to beat. Can't disagree. I have spent more time in Yosemite than any other spot in California, like 40+ times at least. The summer there is not something I do anymore. Way too many crowds, and the worst kind not to mention that for any of the good hikes, etc, you have to apply early to gain a reservation for what is a limited number of opportunities. It's a national park, not a fast pass. Sequoia, King's Canyon are excellent as is Lake Tahoe. Bakersfield? Avoid it at all times. I went on a 7-day Caribbean cruise. I'm glad it was paid for by Gma because I learned that I don't like to cruise and it's definitely not my thing. Way too confining, the food wasn't as great as I had heard, and these days they seem to be floating petri dishes. They do a good job of providing lots of entertainment options but that's about it.
3 day NYC trip is perfect. Spent last Thurs - Saturday there. It was colder than a witches tit but beautiful. Hot in the summer. The northeast is a late year trip, not a mid year trip. A cruise is a lot like NYC. You can have a blast but they are crowded, expensive, and lines everywhere.
A great getaway is Creede, Co. My Aunt and Uncle ran a campground there for years. Too much to do or not do. Let me know if you need more info. Summer time is great there. The town is a little over 9,000 ft up. 4th of July they have a parade and a ton of activities.
A South La treat, Lakeview Getaway, some friends of mine have that place. Google it. A great getaway, it too is do or not do things.
I don't know about for a vacation unless you tour DC but Northern Virginia looks like a good place to live if you have plenty of money. Great Falls is a beautiful small town on the Potomoc with wooded areas with deer running around on people's lawns but lots of the residents are people who have sold their businesses for $100 Million and built $4 and $5 Million Dollar houses.
My friends place on Lake Verret... http://www.lakeviewgetawayla.com/ Creede, Co... http://www.creede.com/ Campground and Cabins in Creede http://www.mountainviewsrv.com/
