You can go less than 2 hours from Atlanta and get away from the "hellhole of heat".

I thought Hawaii and Alaska are part of the U.S.! :)
True, the travel time would be long, but if it's an all expense paid trip, presumably she can take ANY flight down there, which means a red-eye flight wouldn't cut into her 3 days that much at all.

But, considering how outrageously expensive N.Y. normally is, that actually might be the better choice if it's an all expense paid trip.

I would go to Alaska if you enjoy nature. It is gorgeous. Seeing whales, moose, glaciers, etc. even for a few days is a wonderful thing.

I'm not sure I'd go to Hawaii or Alaska since you'd be spending so much time in the air. However, if you can add a few days at your expense, then I think that would be a great idea.

Like others, I'd want to know what your likes are.

If I were going from Atlanta in August and I was definitely limited to just a long weekend, I'd pick NYC or Maine. Two very different trips for sure.