IFR then VFR back to KPAO

Here's a kinda stupid question for SF Bay Area pilots.

Today is a nice day for some practice approaches in actual. We've got
ceilings in the 1800-2000 level, stratus, no precip or wind, generally
benign.

Okay, so I thought I'd head over from PAO and log some approaches at
the usual suspects: KLVK, KSCK, KTCY, maybe KOAK.

Thing is, getting back to PAO. There's no GPS in the A/C I fly so the
GPS-31 at PAO is out. Similarly, asking for the VOR/DME-31 seems to
result in endless, endless vectoring over San Jose.

So the best way to get back to PAO is VFR. Okay, but say I'm on an IFR
flight plan, coming over the Sunol Pass at 3000 or 4000 ft (in IMC or
on top). It's good VFR at 1500 ft. How do I get down there? They won't
give me an IFR descent to that low. It seems like the trans-bay scud
run is the right way to get back to PAO, but how to get down?

Of course, the problem is the 2500 ft or so needed to clear the Sunol
Pass. If not for that, after my last approach on the other side I's
just cancel and head over VFR.

Any advice?

Dave J

-- jacobowitz73 --at-- yahoo --dot-- com