Gazeem, Yep know the marine layer well !!!
The weather in CA is one of the reasons I keep reurning to fly there, you can find anything you want. On the coast is great for IFR training, inland for perfect VFR and dont forget you can fly into mountains (well not literally I hope!), and high density altutides and of course ski resorts - aiming for the black strip in all the snow is good fun!
There is also the infamous Catalina Island (Avalon was the home of the founder of Wrigleys chewing gum apparently), if you muck up your lanidng in either direction a cliff face is waiting to remind you!!!
Julian.