Dana Dickey

From the East Coast:
Beacon, New York

Why: Four years after the opening of Dia:Beacon, a $50 million temple to minimalist art in a 300,000-square-foot former biscuit box factory, this little town on the Hudson has become a refuge for New York City's artistic community. And while avant-garde galleries line up on Main Street, wildlife is returning to the Hudson River after a massive clean-up. Where else but here can you spot bald eagles and the next Banksy in one weekend?

What You'll Need: Comfortable, pavement-pounding shoes—or something sturdier if you're planning to venture into the countryside. Temperatures in May hover in the 70s to 80s during the day.

How to Get There: JetBlue flies from Boston to JFK eight times a day and from Washington Dulles to JFK five times daily. Metro North trains run hourly from Manhattan's Grand Central Terminal to Beacon. The trip takes 84 minutes; sit on the left for Hudson River views (mta.info; round-trip, $23). US Airways flies from Philadelphia to Newburgh's Stewart International Airport four times a day, and from Boston to Stewart 12 times a day. The Leprechaun Bus Line has a shuttle service from Stewart to Beacon (800-624-4217; airport bus, $1).

Where to Stay: Until the waterfront eco-hotel Long Dock Beacon opens in 2009 (longdockbeacon.com), your options in town are the handsome Mt. Beacon Bed and Breakfast, which has three immaculate rooms with gleaming wood floors and clawfoot tubs, and a pool (829 Wolcott Ave.; 845-831-0737; doubles, $165–$195), and Botsford Briar, a five-bedroom B&B in a Queen Anne mansion run by seamstress Shirley Botsford, a.k.a. "the tie lady"—she fashions everything from dresses to lamp shades out of vintage ties (845-831-6099; doubles, $135–$225; open Apr.–Nov.). A 15-minute drive south, in the attractive village of Cold Spring, the Pig Hill Inn is a three-story brick house built in 1825. The rooms—some with four-poster beds, fireplaces, and woodburning stoves—are quaint and cozy, and breakfast is served on the terrace in summer (845-265-9247; doubles, $170–$250).

What to Do: First stop: Dia:Beacon. Arrive at 11 a.m., before the day-trippers start pouring in and desecrating the museum's Zen-like atmosphere. On entering, turn left to Dan Flavin's buzzing fluorescent panels, displayed at right angles to the frosted windows. Take a moment to admire the room's scale and natural light before moving on to Michael Heizer's "negative space" sculptures. Then loop back to Sol LeWitt's uplifting wall drawings before losing yourself, figuratively speaking, inside Richard Serra's enigmatic steel structures. Finish at Louise Bourgeois's Spider, jealously guarding its corner of the dank attic gallery (848-440-0100; diaart.org). Before heading into town, stroll the Robert Irwin–designed grounds, which echo the geometric forms of much of the art inside. A crafts and farmers' market sets up behind the Beacon train station every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., where all manner of local produce, including cheeses and blackberry kir wine, are peddled. Caffeinate at the Muddy Cup Coffee House, where you can add one of 20 different flavors to your latte—our favorite, English toffee (129 Main St.; 845-440-8855)—before wandering east down Main Street. Stop in at the Pearl Daddy boutique for nifty freshwater pearl bracelets cum necklaces (183 Main St.; 845-765-0169); Fovea, a not-for-profit gallery displaying disarming large-scale prints by international photojournalists (143 Main St.; 845-765-2199); and BAU, a collective of five local artists, including Calder--inspired sculptor Tom Holmes (161 Main St.; 845-440-7584). Browse the midcentury antiques stores Relic, for multicolored Russel Wright china (174 Main St.; 845-440-0248), and Iron Fish Trading Co., for modish lamps and chairs (167 Main St.; 845-590-4849). The next day, make your way to the east end of Main Street, where you'll find a crop of new galleries. The Van Brunt Gallery exhibits eclectic works such as wood assemblages and quirky miniature oils by established Hudson Valley artists (460 Main St.; 845-838-2995). Just off the main drag you'll find the radical Hermitage, a rickety two-story clapboard house displaying limited-edition midcentury American poetry and collage (12 Tioronda Ave.; 845-765-1650). The three curators at Go North take turns mounting exhibitions by contemporary artists in different media (469 Main St.; 845-242-1951). Around the corner, Beacon Art Supply, with its tantalizing array of pencils and paints, is a must-stop for budding artists (506 Main St.; 845-440-7904). Next door is Open Space, a studio/gallery run by two graphic designers: Their periodic exhibitions feature prints by street artists such as Evan Hecox (510 Main St.; 845-765-0731).