Three Fabulous Road Trips for Art Lovers

Ready for your next road trip? Instead of traveling in a specific season or randomly picking a place to visit, try a themed road trip. For instance, a food trail makes the perfect journey for a foodie. If art is your thing, how about a road trip for art lovers? We’ve already done some of the legwork by identifying three trips geared for the art lover.

Each one includes two art-filled cities that are close enough to explore together over the course of a long weekend. Or if you prefer to stick with one city at a time, there’s enough art in each of these places to fill your itinerary.

Along the Florida Coast: Miami and Fort Lauderdale

Let’s start with Miami. It’s home to multiple contemporary art museums. These include The Bass, the Perez Art Museum Miami, the Rubell Museum and the Institute of Contemporary Art Miami.

The latter is in Miami’s Design District, which you won’t want to miss. You can shop, dine and visit its many art galleries. And if you want to enjoy Miami’s warm weather in winter, consider planning your trip around Art Basel. This five-day international art fair welcomes artists from around the world every December.

Once you’ve exhausted Miami’s art scene, head north toward Fort Lauderdale. It’s less than a 30-mile drive. But make time for a pitstop along the way to check out the Downtown Hollywood Mural Project.

In Fort Lauderdale, visitors flock to the Flagler Arts and Technology (FAT) Village. Located in downtown, this four-block area was once the city’s warehouse district. The repurposed buildings are now home to a thriving art community. Northeast of Fort Lauderdale, you’ll also find the Coral Springs Museum of Art, which features the work of local and international artists.

And if you also happen to be a classic car fan or are traveling with one, the Dauer Museum of Classic Cars makes a fun detour. Located in Sunrise, it’s about 11 miles from Fort Lauderdale.

In the Rockies: Boulder and Denver

Denver is another art-lover’s dream. It boasts these eight art districts:

• Art District on Sante Fe: It boasts the largest concentration of art galleries in Colorado.
• Golden Triangle Creative District: This is where you’ll find the Denver Art Museum and the Kirkland Museum of Fine and Decorate Art.
• River North Art District (RINO): It’s known for its street art.
• Tennyson Street Cultural District: You can browse the work of local artists at its many galleries.
• Westwood Creative District: Murals, gardens, plazas and public art await you here.
• Arts on Belmar: Enjoy the work of local artisans at this district’s First Friday Art Walk.
• South Pearl Street: It’s another area featuring galleries, plus live music.
• 40 West Arts: The Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design is located here along with several public art installations.

Next, jump in the car and head north about 28 miles to Boulder. Though much smaller than Denver, this Colorado city still has its fair share of road-trip-worthy museums, including these:

• Museum of Boulder: It features history and artifacts of the city.
• Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art: Enjoy free admission every Saturday.
• University of Colorado Art Museum: It’s located on campus along with the school’s Museum of Natural History and Heritage Center.

Like the Fort Lauderdale suburb of Sunrise, Boulder is also home to a classic car museum. The Shelby American Collection Historic Car Museum is dedicated to car maker Carroll Shelby of Ford vs Ferrari fame. The displays represent a different work of art, but art, nonetheless.

Out West: San Francisco and Berkeley

San Francisco has an art museum for every taste. At the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, you can view American art at the de Young in Golden Gate Park and European art at the Legion of Honor in Lincoln Park. Other popular area museums include these:

• San Francisco Museum of Modern Art: In addition to the exhibits inside, don’t forget to visit the 30-foot Living Wall outside the museum. It’s made up of 19,000 plants!
• Asian Art Museum: Part of the San Francisco Civic Center, this museum features 18,000 pieces of Asian artwork.
• Museo Italo Americano: Another of San Francisco’s specialty museums, this one is “devoted exclusively to Italian and Italian-American art and culture.”
• Cartoon Art Museum: If you’re ready for lighter fare or have kids in tow, make sure to include this museum on your itinerary.

But don’t forget about Berkeley. It’s less than 15 miles from San Francisco by way of the Bay Bridge. Located on campus, the UC Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive features over 28,000 works of art, mostly 20^th and 21^st century pieces. Other options for your itinerary include these stops:

• The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life, located just off the UC Berkeley campus
• Berkeley Art Center, a gallery featuring contemporary art
• The Foster, a museum housing the watercolors of artist-explorer Tony Foster

Whether you opt for these suggestions or choose something different for your road trip for art lovers, just remember to stay cybersafe while traveling.

Editor’s note: Quorum derives no benefit from businesses for placement in this article.