Hi Speedbird.
Just to finish these exchanges, I agree with almost all the comments here. I have been flying the west coast for about ten years. Personally I prefer to fly out of an airport in the LA basin and have liked doing day or two day trips into the desert or Vegas. There is more to see near the coast than in the desert, although more traffic too. Despite this the flying is easy, with flight following and friendly radar. (!!!) Winds can be tricky, so early morning and late evening are best, hence my preference for day trips and lounging by the pool or in Vegas Hotels during the day for me. Grand Canyon is a must, but prepare well and take the most powerful plane you can. I flew a Seneca there once and was going full power to idle and still roughing the levels! Suggest you take a safety pilot for that trip; they are cheap and can show you more than just flying - some irports are so big it is easy to get lost even with a map, and it saves bothering the tower for help. Let us know how it goes.