The thing about summer in New York is: nobody actually wants to be in the city for summer in New York. It’s hot, smelly (one word: CHINATOWN), sticky (although this year we have been sort of blessed with a lot of breezy nice days); tourists are constantly walking in your way to take a selfie slowing down your flow, having to go sit inside a stuffy office for work for most of the day can start to break your soul, and well, it’s sweet to get the heck out of the concrete jungle once in a while for some fresh air and new views.

So when my good friends invited me along to Dia:Beacon, I really had no idea where I was about to be going; I just knew I had to get out of Brooklyn for the day and would do just about anything to make that happen. $35 or so later I had my round trip Metro North ticket to Beacon, NY, and we were well on our way to the museum and town of Upstate.

The train ride is about an hour and a half from Grand Central, and if you’re with friends goes by in the blink of an eye (not to mention you get to see some classic NY scenery along the Hudson).

Once you get off the stop there is a short walk slightly uphill. The museum seems pretty small when you first arrive, but once you enter Dia:Beacon’s many installation rooms you begin to realize how big the facility actually is with its larger than life pieces on display. You will spend hours and hours just walking aimlessly without worry while simultaneously winding down from the stress of the city.

A series of neon light art installations by Dan Flavin:

Bruce Nauman:

Don’t forget to stroll down Main St. and eat ice cream at Beacon Creamery before you leave:

And stop in the cool shops like PLAY for that nostalgic throwback of pop culture to take you down memory lane (candy cigarettes, anyone?):

There are plenty of places to eat, including a visitor favorite POPPY’S, serving their famous grass-fed burgers and other healthy sustainable eats such as this yummy thirst-quenching Little Rabbit Company cherry soda:

 Overall the Beacon experience is a therapeutic day getaway that will give you that refresher you’ve been looking for. Just merely enjoying the quieter parts of small town life are enough to hop on the Metro North for some adventure.