One thing, there are different beauties in every area of this country. The wheat fields in Kansas and Western Oklahoma are gorgeous -- remember "Amber Waves of Grain". Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If your family is there, that's the place you probably want to be. I was born and raised in Northwest Arkansas, spent a few years in Northeast Oklahoma and 6 years in Wichita where I met my husband who died in 2004. I loved the history of the area, but there's not any area in our entire country that doesn't have a strong history. There are lots of wonderful schools and churches. The winters can be hard, but I would guess that the winters in upstate New York are also pretty hard.
Good luck to you.