Palm Springs, California

If you're a mid-century-modern nut like me, you'll love this city. The Kaufmann House from 1946, pictured above, was commissioned by Edgar Kaufmann. He also commissioned Fallingwater in 1935.

I've never seen such a collection of 50s/60s homes. I smell meatloaf.

Palm Springs has a terrific modern art museum and oodles of mid-century furniture stores containing objects to drool over.

A gigantic sculpture of Marilyn Monroe overlooks the main drag.

The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway takes you to the top of the San Jacinto Mountains for the most incredible view of the desert. Scroll through this scene for movie footage of the tram from 1967.

Sonny Bono was mayor of Palm Springs from 1988-92.

Palm Springs is a two-hour drive from Los Angeles and San Diego.