As a CFI, I thought I'd throw my .02 in here. I assume Tom means
"independent" when he says "free instructor." I doubt you'd find an
instructor to fly for free... You can't go wrong weather-wise if you
train in the southwest. Biggest issue is the heat if you're going to be
training during the summer. Get out early in the morning before the
temps reach triple digits and/or fly in the early evening (or both if
you're REALLY motivated, but don't burn yourself out).

As far as training in high-performance & complex aircraft - that will
wait until you have the PPL. There's no sense in complicating the
process (and spending more $$) by getting into a 182 or Arrow before
you've got your license. IMO you can't beat a Warrior or 172 for a
primary trainer. The reality is no flight school will rent a high
performance or complex acft to a brandy-new pilot until the minimum
flight hours and HP/complex time requirements have been met (insurance
mandates)

Dogfighting and aerobatics in T34s and Stearmans are fun but the point
here is to get the PPL finished in a reasonable amount of time without
breaking the bank.

Wooly