I want beach but girlfriend wants activities to do/things to see. What is the best US location to travel to and do both?

We will be traveling in May for a week and I want to go to a beach but my girlfriend wants to go and see sights and do other activities. Ideally, she would like to go to New York but I really don’t just because I’m in a city all the time and want to escape. What would be the best city to travel to and get in a few beach days while also visiting cool monuments/areas or to do some hiking and see the sights?

Thanks!