IR without actual IMC

In article link.net, Iain Wilson wrote:
Anyone IR without having actually flown in IMC? My checkride is around the
corner and I've no actual IFR yet. I'm itching to experience it but the
damned weather isn't co-operating (seemed the same way with the PPL!).

Not much of an answer, but I can tell you that the one place you *DON'T*
want to pursue your IR training is in the Mojave Desert area (about an
hour's drive northeast of Los Angeles, USA) -- 360 days of perfect VMC
conditions, 4 days of degraded but still VMC conditions, and only one day
of actual IMC per year on the average.

With its wide-open desert areas and sunny skies, I think it'd be a dream
for me to do VFR flying there But completely the opposite for doing any
IFR flying in IMC conditions.

Of course, given that they've got a major military base in the area with
all sorts of exotic planes in the air... not likely to be much general
aviation air traffic other than these crossing via a carefully controlled
north-south corridor (as I understand it)!

I still can't believe I was able to see the base from about 1 1/2 hours out
(by car) given the desert was such so flat and wide-open with perfect
atmospheric conditions. Although it sure did have that illusion-like
quality to it -- seemed like it was 20 minutes away but in reality, about 90!

-Dan