A Week in Mid July starting in Paris

Randy,, I really hope you give Paris at least two days,, since rushing about creates stress , and many peoples complaints about large city holidays are related to the stress of rushing about, not being able to relax. Pick only one or two main sites, and then the rest of the day just walk, enjoy the street scenes and people watch from a cafe. After , well there are so many suggestions, i am going to visit the Loire Valley again, ,, not just for the Chateaus but for some wine tastings. I am staying at a place called "La Roseraie"googe it,, doesn't it look sweet,, and we are going to visit some chateaus, and do a call at a wine cave and vineyard( Cave de la Grande Brosse) , check that out. Then you could drive into the Dordogne region, go canoeing on the river Lot, visit the prehistoric caves.. . We are not doing that this trip, but its on our list.
From Paris you can take the TGV to Tours, then rent a car, therefore avoiding the worst Paris traffic and just enjoying the national highways instead of the toll highways( the Autoroutes, which are fast and direct, but you miss the little towns and out of the way sites).

I also would give yourselves at least two days in Paris. Or just skip it entirely (quelle horror!) No point rushing around trying to see the high points while jet lagged in one day, it would just not be really very pleasant. France is full of lovely countryside, it really depends on your interests. The Loire and Dordgone are popular (I haven't been). Alsace is also lovely, Provence is wonderful, and Brittany is fantastic. You really should get a guidebook to France and start reading about your options. Don't expect a cooler climate anywhere in France in July, except maybe on the Atlantic coast (which can still get hot!) You might get lucky, but expect humidity and daytime temperatures from the high 60s to high 80s in most of the country. The more "country" you go, the lesser the chance of English being spoken, so keep that in mind. I would start practicing at least "Hello" "Goodbye" "Excuse me" "Thank you" and "Please" those will make people more likely to help you at least. Also start familiarizing yourselves with "menu French" because out in the country unless it is a very popular tourist destination you won't get english-translated menus. Really though, get a guidebook. Are you going this summer?

Thoughts? Suggestions? Yes, get a guide book AND be prepared to try to speak another language. Simple words and phrases such as oui (yes) non (no) bon jour (hello), bon soir (good evening) au revoir (goodbye) , merci, (thank you) Si Vous Plait (please) and excuzie-moi (excuse me), parlez anglais? (speak english?) coupled with a polite smile are easy to learn. Make the effort. Unless there's a heat wave July weather will not be as ugly as it is in Texas. You didn't say how you were going to travel outside of Paris. My preference is the Chevreuse valley. Also enjoyed Dijon and Burgandy. Bon Voyage.

Just to emphasize the wise replies you've already gotten. 1. If you go outside of Paris into the countryside, don't expect any English. Even if you find an English speaker here or there, you will probably not find English menus. Of course, if you go to popular tourist attractions like the chateaux in the Loire, there will be more English. If the prospect of no English bothers you (nothing wrong with that), go somewhere else.
2. If you are not interested in seeing Paris, you do not have to go there. You can either use Paris as an airport only, or by changing planes, fly into another airport to start and/or end your trip. In addition, if you fly Air France, you can often get a flight from the US to Paris Charles de Gaulle airport, then a train from CDG to another city, all on one ticket (the train has an Air France "flight number.") This way, it's cheaper than buying tickets separately, and if your plane is late, they put you on a later train at no extra charge.