Great photographs - and I'm especially jealous of your opportunity.
I also learned to fly in the Bay Area - my first solo was at KPAO - and one thing that motivated me during the gloomy times learning to land was the day I could fly the Bay Tour with my family.
However, work took us to New England, and I never have managed to get back West with enough free time to go flying. Mind you, the short hop over to Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard or even whale watching over Cape Cod is a reasonable consolation prize.
Also the weather over here provides plenty of motivation to complete the Instrument Rating
