Hiking the Dolomites

You are good husbands!!
Base yourself in the Val Gardena - IMHO it's the most beautiful area of the Dolomites and is well-located for hiking some of the more dramatic peaks and views. Hike the Seiser Alm, the Drei Zinnen, Cristal d'Or, the Langkofelgruppe, and ride the gondola up the Marmolatta.
THIS PAGE will give you lots of information and ideas. There is so much to see and do - we've been back multiple times and still want to return again.
Consider spending the night at a refugio - many of them offer bedding and delicious food, and are easily reachable by gondola/foot in just a few hours. You can do it with a small backpack with a change of clothes. Some of them are quite old and beautiful...my two favorites are the Langkofelhutte and the Drei Zinnen Hutte. It's a very alpine experience that would round out your trip nicely!
I would recommend renting a car...the bus system is quite good but service can be infrequent to some places and it's just more convenient to have a car.

The Val Gardena is wonderful and should not be missed. It is a good place to base. For a little more variety, consider basing somewhere around Bolzano or Merano. Near Merano is a great short day hike to Knottnkino (http://www.suedtirol.info/en/experience/knottnkino_activity_75048). Nice walks in Merano plus some nice hikes via Merano 2000 (http://www.meran2000.com/en/winter/).

We go to the Val Gardena every year; at least we have for 5 summers. The hiking is fabulous, aided by an incredible transportation system of lifts and a bus network that makes a car unnecessary. Each lodging establishment in Ortisei, Santa Cristina, and Selva issues a free bus pass to each guest.

Arrive Bolzano by train; take a taxi to your village of choice. Although there is a bus, for 4 people the taxi is a pretty good deal and much easier. Taxi Ivan is reliable.

Our favorite village is Ortisei. Much more to do after hiking than in the others, IMO. Cutest pedestrian area, too. An apartment might suit you. We spent a month this summer at Residence Astoria and last year two weeks at Villa Aurelia. There are many excellent choices.

Get a Val Gardena Pass, which covers your lifts for 3 or 6 days depending on which you choose. You can get pretty good hiking info at the TI in Ortisei and searching the web. We have found the details to be a little light, but the maps good, so buy a good detailed map and be prepared for "easy" to mean something different to the locals that it does to a flatland-63-year-old like me. :-)

BTW, We love July there. August is very busy, June can be chilly. Early September is probably good, too. PM me if you need more. I have LOTS of info and links I can send you.

The Val Gardena is perfect for your trip. We loved Ortisei and the Hotel Grones. The hotel is run by the nicest family you will ever meet. Get the dinner plan (something I never do or recommend) the chef is part of the family and the food is amazing. After a long day of hiking it is so nice to just come home and not have to think about where to eat.

Ditto to what Linda said. We were there last month and absolutely loved the Dolomites and Hotel Grones. I can also tell you to take every piece of advice Laurel gives you. She was very helpful to me in planning our trip.

Loved Ortisei and also loved Hotel Genziana there if you are looking for recommendations.