I know how to read the skies to tell when the winds coming off the mountains might hit the traffic pattern at my local airport. I know where to find every open strip of grass in the Denver metro area. I know what route to file out of Centennial when launching an IFR flight to the south. Now, I feel like I know nothing. What I need is a local area checkout.
Pilots launch to far-flung destinations all the time with little or no local knowledge.
But experience indicates that a little instruction can go a long way, especially if you're flying into an area with challenging topography, airspace, or weather. Spend some time reviewing the nuts and bolts, such as pattern information, visual checkpoints, frequencies, and IFR approach, departure, and arrival procedures. Note any features unique to the area, such as the VFR corridors on the Los Angeles Terminal Area Chart and the triumvirate of Class B airspace on the Washington-Baltimore Terminal Area Chart. You'll probably come up with questions to ask your instructor, but if not, at least you'll be more familiar with the numbers when you go fly. When you schedule a checkout in unfamiliar territory, emphasize to the instructor that you are looking for a form of differences training.