PA32 PLT; ON VFR FLT PLAN; NOT INST RATED; FLEW INTO IMC APCHING MYF.

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WE WERE INBOUND FROM SEDONA; VFR WITH FLT FOLLOWING. JUST SPENT 4 DAYS TRAVELING WITH FAMILY; WHO DON'T LIKE TO FLY. FSS ADVISED OF WORSENING CONDITIONS AT MYF IN SAN DIEGO. 1 HR OUT; WX WAS BROKEN AT 2100 FT; EXPECT OVCST. ALTERNATES WERE SIMILAR (CRQ; SDM; AND SEE). GILLESPI WAS STILL MVFR. AS WE CROSSED THE JULIAN MOUNTAIN RIDGE THE SIT WAS FULL OVCST; TOPS 4000 FT BASES +/-1900 FT. MYF IS APPROX 425 FT. IT WAS DUSK AND EVERYTHING WAS LOCKED IN. I EVEN TRIED FRENCH VALLEY; 30 MI N. IF I TURNED AROUND AND WENT BACK TO IPL; WE WOULD HAVE TO CROSS THE MOUNTAINS AND LAND AT NIGHT; RENT A CAR (IF POSSIBLE); AND DRIVE 2 1/2 HRS TO SAN DIEGO. THE CTLR ADVISED TO EXPECT THE ILS. I SAID AGAIN I WOULD ACCEPT DEV TO ANY VFR FACILITY; HE HAD NONE. I SAW SOME THIN LAYERS BELOW AND HOPED IT WOULD BE MISTY ENOUGH FOR A LEGAL LET-DOWN. I HAD FUEL ENOUGH FOR 1 1/2 HRS; BUT FLYING AT NIGHT WITH 7000+ FT MOUNTAINS IS DANGEROUS! THE CTLR GAVE ME VECTORS FOR THE ILS. MY PLANE IS HEAVILY EQUIPPED WITH DUAL GPS; AUTOPLT WITH ALT HOLD; TCAD; STORM SCOPE; ETC. I SET THE AUTOPLT FOR THE ILS APCH AND LOOKED FOR A HOLE IN THE CLOUDS. AT CLOUD TOPS I SAW THE GND THROUGH THE HAZE. RATHER THAN DIVE FOR THE GND; I KEPT ON GS. I DECIDED IT WAS SAFER TO FLY THE APCH THAN CONFOUND EVERYONE (CTLR; TFC; ETC) BY DEVIATING. UNFORTUNATELY; THE CLOUDS THICKENED AND I LET DOWN THROUGH A 2000 FT LAYER. THE APCH WAS PERFECT AND THERE WAS NO INCIDENT. THE LATE TIME OF DAY; DECLINING WX AND LACK OF ALTERNATES MADE THE DECISION TO LOOK FOR A 'THIN LAYER' ATTRACTIVE. NOT PUNCHING THROUGH THE THIN LAYER; WHICH WAS SUFFICIENT TO STILL BE LEGAL; AND FLY BELOW THE CLOUDS (AT APPROX 2000 FT MSL) WAS A FURTHER DIFFICULT DECISION; BUT IT ALL HAPPENED SO FAST. IT ALL HAPPENED SO QUICKLY. THE OPTIONS CLOSED BEHIND ME SO RAPIDLY THAT I KEPT THINKING 'JUST FLY THE PLANE.' I NEVER THOUGHT THAT I COULD BE 'TRAPPED' BTWN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE; BUT I MUST TAKE TIME TO GET AN IFR LICENSE -- QUICKLY -- AND NOT LET FAMILY CONVENIENCE COME INTO PLAY. ALSO; THE CTLR'S BUSYNESS MADE ME FEEL PRESSED TO DECIDE IMMEDIATELY.