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Looking to escape the city and get a culture fix? Dia: Beacon may have stolen the spotlight this year, but we've chosen a handful of other cutting-edge museums outside major urban hubs—from Boston to Los Angeles—that should not be missed.
—Jaime Gross
Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum (258 Main St., Ridgefield, Conn.; 203/438-4519; www.aldrichart.org). WHERE 50 miles north of New York City; 60 miles southwest of Hartford. WHAT'S ON After a yearlong, $9 million renovation that doubled its size, the Aldrich reopened last month with a 100-foot-long wall drawing by Sol LeWitt and a survey of work by emerging British sculptors (through September 1). STAY The Elms Inn (500 Main St.; 203/438-2541; www.elmsinn.com; doubles from $150), a short walk from the Aldrich, has 23 Victorian-style rooms. EAT The best restaurant in town is the Elms Restaurant (203/438-9206; dinner for two $100), where chef Brendan Walsh grills a mean buffalo steak.
MASS MoCA (87 Marshall St., North Adams, Mass.; 413/662-2111; www.massmoca.org). WHERE 125 miles west of Boston; 175 miles north of New York City. WHAT'S ON For corpus, installation artist Ann Hamilton fills a football field-sized building with millions of drifting sheets of paper accompanied by light and sound effects (through October). STAY Paint-by-number pictures adorn the 47 retro rooms at Porches Inn (231 River St.; 413/664-0400; www.porches.com; doubles from $160). EAT For the best barbecued spare ribs north of the Mason-Dixon Line, head to Hickory Bill's BBQ (20 Holden St.; 413/663-6665; lunch for two $12).
Tacoma Art Museum (1701 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, Wash.; 253/272-4258; www.tacomaartmuseum.org). WHERE 35 miles south of Seattle. WHAT'S ON "Andy Goldsworthy: Mountain and Coast Autumn into Winter" highlights a selection of the British artist's trademark stone, leaf, and twig sculptures. STAY Chinaberry Hill (302 Tacoma Ave. N.; 253/272-1282; www.chinaberryhill.com; doubles from $125), an 1889 Victorian mansion, has a wraparound porch overlooking the bay. EAT 21 Commerce (21st and Commerce Sts.; 253/272-6278; dinner for two $35) is known for its Northwest-influenced Asian dishes and its extensive martini menu.
Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, La Jolla (700 Prospect St., La Jolla, Calif.; 858/454-3541; www.mcasd.org). WHERE 12 miles north of San Diego; 110 miles southeast of Los Angeles. WHAT'S ON "Chicano Visions: American Painters on the Verge" will be on display at this oceanfront museum through September 12. The show includes works by artists such as Gronk, Patssi Valdez, and Rupert García. STAY On a bluff overlooking the Pacific, the Lodge at Torrey Pines (11480 N. Torrey Pines Rd.; 800/656-0087; www.lodgetorreypines.com; doubles from $375) is an Arts and Crafts masterpiece. EAT Fresh (1044 Wall St.; 858/551-7575; dinner for two $80) lives up to its name with a creative seafood menu (try the ahi carpaccio with wasabi cream).
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