My work schedule is such that it is quite impossible to find time for an impromptu road trip or a three-day weekend or even a quick overnight visit to some place I've never been. So lately I've tried to be more organized, attempting to squeeze in time for what I've begun to call "immersions." 

A recent short trip to Palm Springs, California, was one example, proving that a well-planned weekend is just long enough to get a pretty good idea about the history, design aesthetic, and beauty of this desert city 110 miles east of Los Angeles.

With the help of Fritz Karch, the collecting guru of Martha Stewart Living, and his partner, architect and designer David Mann (both Palm Springs junkies and landowners), a whirlwind tour was devised. The pair promised time to eat a bit, party a bit, and see a lot.

We arrived by plane on a Friday night in April, six of us, raring to see everything: houses, lodgings, furnishings, desert landscapes, plants, and more. After checking in at our hotel, the Parker Palm Springs (redesigned by David), we had a very nice dinner at Citron, located in another trendy hotel, the Viceroy Palm Springs (redesigned by Kelly Wearstler).

We woke up early Saturday morning, ready to visit the first of 11 houses that day, with lunchtime stops at several well-known antiques dealers. David and Fritz kept us closely reined in so we could adhere to the rigorous schedule and keep none of the very cordial homeowners waiting.

We began at the Edris house at 9 a.m. and went on to the Linsky house, the Loewy house, the Kaufmann house, and the Miller house, all before noon. We continued with Bougain Villa (aka the Burgess house) at 2 p.m. and then the Frey House II, the Ship of the Desert, the Elrod house, and the Cody house. We finished the tour at the William Holden house at 6:30 p.m., for cocktails and viewing.

The tour was incredible, and we saw many of the important houses by a representative group of noted Palm Springs architects, including William Cody, Albert Frey, John Lautner, and Richard Neutra. The majority of the houses have been well maintained, beautifully restored, and furnished primarily with appropriate furniture, lighting fixtures, and works of art. Most of them are well-known, well-documented examples of mid-century desert modern style.

Every year, a rotating selection of houses is open to visitors during an Annual Home Tour, organized by the Palm Springs Modern Heritage Fund.

We did not miss any of the houses on our list. And although there were lots more to see (we did a series of drive-bys), I insisted that we stick by our original plan to arise the next day at 4 a.m., before sunrise, to drive to Joshua Tree National Park. There were some grumblings and a bit of hesitation about such an early departure from the hotel, but once we were within the barren, eerie 800,000-acre Joshua Tree, we were very happy we had ventured into the unforgettable landscape.

Afterward, we were grateful for a hearty breakfast of bacon, eggs, and toast at Sidewinder Grill. We spent the afternoon visiting antiques stores on North Palm Canyon Drive and a few local nurseries, and we stopped at Sherman's Deli & Bakery to get sandwiches before departing.

After all we had experienced in such a short amount of time, I was satisfied that the well-planned, vigorous Palm Springs immersion was a success.

Mid-Century Masters
Frey House II (1963-1964), designed by Swiss-born Albert Frey, an acolyte of Le Corbusier, is perched high in the hills, looking down on the desert, and is appealing in many ways as an "in and out house," incorporating stone, wood, cement, and metal in innovative and sensible architecture. The Loewy house (1946), also designed by Frey, is a fine example of the simplicity and restraint evident in much of Frey's architecture. This house has an indoor-outdoor pool and many pieces of mid-century furniture in original condition, such as the lounge chair I'm sitting in, designed by Canadian architect A. J. Donahue.

Architectural Oasis
The Kaufmann house (1946), designed by the renowned Viennese architect Richard Neutra, has been painstakingly restored after some alterations to its original design by one of the current owners, Beth Harris. Beth gave us the tour herself, describing how each restorative process was executed. We were all immensely impressed with the exceptional workmanship and the quality of the final result. Clean right angles, a pristine landscape, floor-to-ceiling glass, perfect floors, extraordinary furnishings, and fine craftsmanship make this house a favorite among visitors, including decorating editorial director Kevin Sharkey. 

We loved the vivacity and the stark but friendly home of designer Trina Turk and her husband, Jonathan Skow. The house, known as Ship of the Desert (1936), was designed by Adrian Wilson and Earle Webster and is perched, like a ship, on the side of a steep hill. Bougain Villa (1958) was designed by William Burgess and Hugh Kaptur. It features huge open pavilions, pools, and floor-to-ceiling windows capturing many views of the city. There is also a vast collection of unusual garden urns of many sizes, far right. It was the most lived-in of the houses and is obviously well loved and cared for by its owners, Dorothy and Harold Meyerman.

Landscape Views
Joshua trees are not trees at all but a plant species called Yucca brevifolia, a member of the agave family. The plants are slow-growing (averaging a half inch per year) and infrequently blooming, depending on the temperature and rainfall; the tallest in Joshua Tree National Park is 40 feet, and the oldest is about 300 years old. The spiky, Dr. Seuss-like "trees" dot the desert and in the rising sun of daybreak look like weird sentinels standing guard over the peculiar landscape of balanced rocks and sharp vertical cliffs. The national park is also home to wildlife. 

Itinerary
Where To Stay
Parker Palm Springs 
A chic retreat, thanks to David Mann's renovations and Jonathan Adler's interiors, plus lush gardens and a five-star spa. 4200 East Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs; 760-770-5000. 

Viceroy Palm Springs 
A glamorous 1930s resort with Kelly Wearstler-designed villas and Citron, the top restaurant in town. 415 South Belardo Road, Palm Springs; 760-320-4117.

What To See
Annual Home Tour
Architecture buffs explore Palm Springs' standout houses on this self-guided tour, organized by the Palm Springs Modern Heritage Fund. Saturday, October 31; tickets are $125, with cocktails at the last home. 

Modernism Week 
A yearly homage to the area's renowned mid-century style, with tours, lectures, and films. February 12-20, 2010. 

Palm Springs Art Museum 
An eclectic collection featuring American Indian art, paintings of the West, and works by leading contemporary artists. 101 Museum Drive, Palm Springs; 760-322-4800. 

Steel Homes Architect 
Donald Wexler's modular steel houses from the 1960s. (Private, but worth driving by.) 290 East Simms Road; 300 and 330 East Molino Road; 3100, 3125, 3133, and 3165 North Sunnyview Drive, Palm Springs. 

Bank of America 
Rudi Baumfeld of Victor Gruen Associates created this quirky 1959 building, which recalls late Le Corbusier. 588 South Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs. tramway gas station Capped by a soaring roof, the 1965 structure by Albert Frey and Robson Chambers marks the city's entrance and is now a visitors' center. 2901 North Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs.

Where To Eat 
La Tablita Restaurant 
Handmade corn tortillas, chiles rellenos, and other Mexican fare. 68369 East Palm Canyon Drive, Cathedral City; 760-321-5935. 

Sherman's Deli & Bakery 
The New York deli of the West, with a terrific pastry and cake counter. 401 East Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs; 760-325-1199. 

Sidewinder Grill 
A bustling restaurant for home-style American classics all day. 66121 Pierson Boulevard, Desert Hot Springs; 760-329-7929. 

South Palm Springs Koffi 
Stellar espresso and pastries in an airy cafe. 1700 South Camino Real, Palm Springs; 760-322-7776.

Where To Shop 
Modern Way 
Mid-century lighting and furniture (indoor and out). Here, chrome and Lucite rule. 745 North Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs; 760-320-5455. 

Palm Canyon Galleria 
A 1940s shopping arcade of vintage stores, including Bon Vivant, which offers dazzling 20th-century glass and ceramic wares. 457 North Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs. 

Pioneer Crossing Antiques 
There's everything from cast-iron relics to books at this affordable shop. 55854 29 Palms Highway, Yucca Valley; 760-228-0603. 

Route 66 West 
The place to go for Bakelite jewelry, rhinestone pins, and designer costume pieces. 668 North Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs; 760-322-6669. 

Studio One 11 
Pristine 20th-century furnishings, art, and ceramics by American and Danish designers, among others. 2675 North Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs; 760-323-5104. 

Trina Turk 
This hip outpost shows off the fashion designer's colorful clothing and home goods, as well as curated vintage finds. 891 North Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs; 760-416-2856.

Where To Venture 
Joshua Tree National Park 
Go for a hike among surreal rock formations and the towering namesake yucca. 74485 National Park Drive, Twentynine Palms; 760-367-5500. 

Shields Date Garden 
Sample 10 homegrown varieties and the legendary date shake at this 85-year-old grove. 80-225 U.S. Route 111, Indio; 760-347-7768.

What to Read and Watch 
The city's clean-lined architecture and arresting vistas are captured in Palm Springs Style, an essential compendium by Aline Coquelle (Assouline; 2005). Also recommended: Julius Shulman: Palm Springs, by Michael Stern and Alan Hess (Rizzoli; 2008), and Palm Springs Living, by Diane Dorrans Saeks (Rizzoli; 2007). The Elrod house appears in the James Bond movie Diamonds Are Forever (1971).