Getaways on a Time

(page 2 of 5)

—O’rya Hyde-Keller

FRIDAY

Noon
The Museum Trifecta, Part One
Tour MASS MoCA in North Adams. This museum in a restored industrial complex opened in 1999, immediately setting off an artistic renaissance of sorts in this gritty former factory town. Wander through the revolving exhibits of modern art set among the museum’s labyrinth of high-ceilinged galleries. This summer, don’t miss “What Time Is It on the Sun?,” an exhibition by multimedia artist Spencer Finch, including an installation in which he uses colored lighting gels to filter the local sunlight to match the light he has measured daily in his Brooklyn studio since January. Break for lunch at Café Latino, a South American-themed eatery on the MASS MoCA campus, with lighter fare like fish tacos, and family-style entrees like slow-roasted Peruvian chicken in a spicy mint sauce (entrees $9-$31). 87 Marshall Street, North Adams, 413-662-2111, massmoca.org, adults $12.50, children $5.

4 p.m.
Granny-Chic Lodging
Check in to Porches Inn, a boutique hotel right across from the museum in a series of row houses where mill workers once lived. The rooms and public spaces, bedecked in a retro mish-mash of found –– or made to look found –– objects (plates displayed on walls, vintage lampshades, paint-by-number art), evoke the recent trend of crafty decor that’s still chic. The rooms are not cluttered, though, but spare and comfortable (cotton duvets instead of scary, germ-laden polyester ones, hardwood floors instead of industrial carpet). The location isn’t immediately inspiring (right down the street from a package store), but it actually complements the everything-old-is-new-again North Adams vibe. 231 River Street, North Adams, 413-664-0400, porchesinn.com, $125-$450/night.

7 p.m.
New York in North Adams
Dine at the Gramercy Bistro, which offers high-end American cuisine (with a hint of Asian inspiration) in a dimly lit dining room awash in warm colors. The menu incorporates organic, farm-raised meat and local produce. One notable, but deli-cious, exception: the Prince Edward Island mussels in a curried broth. Entrees run $18-$26. Marshall Street, North Adams, 413-663-5300, gramercybistro.com.

10 p.m.
Uber-Local Drinking
If you’re okay getting looked up and down by every eye in the room (while also get-ting the honest, local take on how North Adams has changed over the last decade), check out the State Street Tavern where they have Bud on tap and Johnny Cash on the jukebox. 167 State Street, North Adams, 413-664-9151.

SATURDAY

8 a.m.
Caffeine Quench
Wake up with a latte and bagel at The Cup and Saucer. Choose from quirky alternatives to the Starbucks standards like a Mik-tiano (named after a customer) and a Mass Mocha. 67 Main Street, North Adams, 413-664-4225, cupandsaucer.us.

10 a.m.
The Museum Trifecta, Part Two
The wide-ranging permanent collection at the Williams College Museum of Art in Williamstown (a fifteen-minute drive from North Adams), and the wonderfully random way it’s displayed (artists are not grouped together by style or time period), make this museum a practice in discovery. You may see a Pissarro next to a Prendergast, an O’Keefe next to a Cassatt. Though the works range from ancient to contemporary, from European to African, nearly half are by American artists, and the museum has a substantial modern collection. Two iconic don’t-miss works: Edward Hopper’s “Morning in the City” and An-dy Warhol’s “Self Portrait.” 15 Lawrence Hall Drive, Williamstown, 413-597-2429, wcma.org, adults $12.50, children under eighteen and students free.

1 p.m.
Far Out Far East
If you wander around Williamstown asking for lunch suggestions, Sushi Thai Gar-den gets the most nods by far. The no-frills eatery serves up Thai food that’s complex and actually spicy. Try the classic panang curry or the gai gra praw, finely minced chicken sauteed with peppers, garlic and basil. Lunch for two is around $20. 27 Spring Street, Williamstown, 413-458-0004.

2:30 p.m.
Haute Couture in the Hills
Revamp your wardrobe at The Browns. For men, there are Paul and Shark button-up shirts and Etro suits. For women: J Brand jeans, and dresses and tops by Lida Baday. Also look for whimsical charms in the shape of miniature cheese graters, Adirondack chairs and thimbles from Luna Parc, and simple, olive-oil based scents from Bar XV. 16 Water Street,Williamstown, 413-458-1618.

7 p.m.
Dinner and a Movie
Grab dinner in Williamstown at The Red Herring (46 Spring Street, 413- 458-2808), a British-style pub, and then go right next door to catch a flick at Images Cinema (50 Spring Street, 413-458-1039, imagescinema.org), a tiny nonprofit movie house that offers well-selected independent film, organic popcorn and blankets in case the theater gets too cold.

SUNDAY

10 a.m.
The Museum Trifecta, Part Three
Originally slated for location in New York City, the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute was instead built in 1955 in this more bucolic setting because the Clarks feared nuclear attack. Their fantastic collection specializes in pre-twentieth century art, with works by Renoir, Degas and Sargent among others. One recent acquisition to search for: “Two Horses Fighting in a Stormy Landscape,” a painting by French Romantic painter Eugene Delacroix. This summer, the museum will feature the first major exhibition to focus on Claude Monet’s works on paper (through September 16). 225 South Street, Williamstown, 413-458-2303, clarkart.edu, adults $12.50, children under eighteen and students free.