Agree with all of the "things to do" listed above (AND MORE !). DO IT !
Do you have a FAA pilot certificate ? If you have, shop around for the best place to rent and the cost, when you get there. The renter will require BFR ground training / check ride - local acqaint / BFR renewal, which DOES NOT need a visa.
I can recommend Anglo-American at Gillespie (El Cajon) [see UK pilot magazines for details] for owners with British acents, friendly faces, and old fashioned trust (I ran up an account of nearly 20 fg hrs before I was given a bill on my last day ! - I also rented one of their flats for a week - Thanks chaps).