If I am planning to travel to Spain, what cities and attractions are worth visiting?

Which bit of Spain? Different regions specialise in different foods (like any country)

I'd suggest looking at a Spanish guide book and researching the main tourist destinations, then planning accordingly.

Indeed - which part of Spain? There is almost as much variety across the length and breadth of Spain as there is across the USA -  the mountains are not so high, but many are called 'sierras'.

barcelona is a great city for a first ...a stroll down the rambla is fun ..but i would not recommend anywhere for a solo female ...a pickpockets are all over europe 

Seville, Madrid, Barcelona, Malaga. Spanish food is often fried. They eat lots of pork and lots of food in batter and breadcrumbs.

Surely vist the Escorial (near Madrid).