We could give a lot more specific advice if you would fill out your profile so we can see in what region you live and where you'll be hiking.

I agree with aimless--start close to home! In fact, start in the back yard (yours or a borrowed one). Once you're familiar with your gear, branch out into car-camping and day hiking. Don't make your first real backpacking trip a week-long trip far from home; make it an overnighter no more than a mile or two from your car. If you mess up (we all do every now and then; that's how we learn!), you need to be able to bail out quickly back to your car or your warm dry bedroom. Once you do well in good weather, deliberately schedule some of these practice sessions close to home or your car in wet. windy, cold weather. The important skills you need to learn are to keep your gear dry in all sorts of weather and to regulate your body temperature.

I avoid national parks, which are overcrowded and full of bureaucracy. I've found equally good or better scenery, far less crowding, and far less rules and regulations in national forest wilderness areas. The myth that national parks are the place to go is just that, a myth.

Some research sources which will keep you busy for a while:

Home page of this site, left-hand column

Section Hiker blog--go down to the right and click on "For Beginners"

Backpacking--a beginners primer

The Frugal Backpacker--$300 gear chanllenge

Budget backpacking kit (an upscale version of the $300 challenge)

Andrew Skurka blog --lots of good articles

If you find a hiking club in your area (try googling), consider going out with them to learn skills.

I am also extremely sun sensitive and, worse yet, allergic to sunscreens. I always wear long sleeves, long pants, hand coverings (you can make your own that fit over the backs of your hands), and a really shady hat (Sunday Afternoons Adventure). I wear clothing that has sun-blocking properties. You don't need to avoid high altitudes or open spaces just because of sun! Always hiking in a green tunnel with no views gets boring really fast!