I got back last week from three weeks helicopter flying in California, based at Long Beach. There's a long diary-type thread I posted on Rotorheads about it (My Three Weeks Flying in California). Although heli flying is a bit different, you might want to take a look for some ideas - I went to San Diego (definitely recommended), Santa Barbara, Catalina Island, Big Bear etc. The last two would be fairly challenging for f/w aircraft, but see what you think. The thread's slipped to the second page now, but shouldn't be too hard to find.