I would like to put in a plug for Utah. Within a 1.5 hour drive from
Salt Lake you can soar at four operations (Cedar Fort, Heber, Logan,
Morgan). Good conditions, beautiful scenery.

The biggest problem is quality modern gliders for rent.

And then there's Parowan.

Here are some Utah web sites:
http://www.utahsoaring.org
http://www.morganvalleysoaring.com
http://www.cachesoaring.org
http://www.soarwest.com