I fully agree with FlyBoyFryer. Did my PPL at Gillespie (
Welcome to American Aviation Academy) one year ago and built another 60 hours in last november. Aircraft are mostly older Cessnas but well maintained and reliable and the rates are very affordable.
I have also been to Palm Springs several times, a relative of mine is the chief FI at the Flight School there. If you want to fly newer airplanes go there. The rates are slightly higher but the planes are all G1000-equipped. Density altitude can also be a factor there but not as much as in Big Bear
. For my taste Palm Springs was way too hot even in mid to late september (up to 43° C). This can be hard to handle if you are not used to it. San Diego has a more favorable climate and countless possibilties to party
.
Flying in the coastal area can be challenging due to the dense traffic but it's worth it. Especially in the LA Basin good planning, accurate flying and bomb-proof communication is neccessary or ATC will send you back to where you came from. If you can't fly into LAX take the mini route and cross the field from south to north or vice versa.
If you fly out to the east don't miss Sedona, Arizona. One of my favourite destinations in the southwest. And there are dozens more of amazing places to see and to fly to. Go there and discover, i'm sure you'll love it as much as I did.