As summer creeps into the city I get an itch to escape the concrete jungle, even if for a day. This Memorial Day Weekend I felt just exactly that. I had a good friend visiting from outside the city, and after exhausting the many, many restaurants we tried (including Vandal, The Lucky Bee, and Grand Banks, to name a few) I thought it may be the perfect time to take a day trip to upstate New York. I have been dying to visit the gorgeous modern art museum that is Dia:Beacon in Beacon, NY, and I finally got my chance!

We took the train out of Grand Central Station (which was great to check off the list for my visiting friend!) and had a beautiful ride along the Hudson River all the way to Beacon. Thankfully the weather held up, as the exterior of the museum was surrounded by gorgeous manicured gardens – perfect for exploring and photo opps.

We entered the galleries at Dia:Beacon and spent hours exploring. While I enjoyed so many installations from a variety of artists, it was one artist who repeatedly caught my attention. Dan Flavin was featured throughout the museum, and his neon sculptures were absolutely breathtaking. I stared at each installation forever, to my friend’s dismay, and of course had to get some photographs in!

After many, and I mean many, photos inside we headed outdoors to walk the gardens, which did not disappoint. It was so peaceful walking in the greenery and taking in the views, I could have stayed for hours. Nevertheless we made our way from the museum and ended up walking around the main street of Beacon for a bit, stopping to try some delicious bites along the way. Speaking of, if you ever find yourself in Beacon, make sure to stop at Tito Santana for a delicious smoked brisket taco, and Beacon Creamery for the best peanut butter ice cream cone.

I highly recommend Dia:Beacon and the city of Beacon, NY as a day trip for all New Yorkers during summer! For a quick trip, it sure does the trick.

shirt H&M // t-shirt Banana Republic // pants Theory (similar here) // shoes Adidas // sunglasses Sunglasses.la

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