"If you all haven't noticed yet, I'm more of a 'go somewhere cool and fun, and have a fun unique experience getting there' than a 'lets to fly holes in the sky' sort of guy"
IMO you've hit on the critical issue WRT pilots earning their license and then, within a year or three, drifting away from flying altogether: few if any long term flying goals. And if you really long for fun, interesting places to fly, an alternative way to look at any given a/c is not how far you can go on a gallon of gas or hour of time, but where it will let you land. After all, that's the key for you, not distance. E.g. Visit
www.theraf.org and think about our mission, which is to preserve and open up back country airstrips. Right now I'm camping next to a wonderful grass airstrip (also seaplane landing, look up 01FL) among a group of other RAF folks, and the mix of a/c is very broad but the pleasure of sitting around the campfire last night was mutually satisfying. Flying to the $100 hamburger isn't very sustaining because, once you get there, you're just in another restaurant with a group of strangers. Flying into an airstrip located in a peaceful, natural setting and getting acquainted with others doing the same thing doesn't require much distance flying. And some of the LSAs are ideal for landing on shorter fields.
If this idea tantalizes you, consider that a RAF state liaison for South Carolina is just now being announced (Kathleen Helgenberger) and she can help you plug into this kind of flying. Also consider joining Team RAF (use the link on the left pane of the home page). You can start as a non-donor so no cost to you. It's a great group of folks, fast growing aviation charity and, for the second year in a row, voted a winner of the Lightspeed Foundation award by those involved in aviation.
Jack
RAF Florida State Liaison