SusanInToronto

Since my current assignment at work ends tomorrow, I'm likely taking next week off. We're going up to Bracebridge on the Friday following Canada Day to visit friends, but I have to be in Toronto on the Thursday evening for a prior commitment. As much as I love Toronto, I always feel that it's a waste of good vacation days to hang around the city, but I don't have the cash to actually go somewhere else for a few days. Any ideas for days trips from Toronto? I don't want the week to end and I've spent all my time at home.

We will be going to the NOTL area later in the summer, also Collingwood area, so I'd prefer somewhere new.

Let's just hope it doesn't rain all next week

goldilox

What about Stratford? You could have a picnic by the river and see a matinee... (you might be able to find some great deals on theatre tickets)

goddesstogo

Buffalo Bisons baseball game?

almcd

My first choice would be to go to St Jacobs just outside Kitchener. The Saturday market is fabulous and the town is a very pleasant place to walk around. Secondly, Peterborough lift-lock is something worth seeing. You could continue on to Bobcaygeon and watch the boats there. Thirdly, there is Bayfield, west of Toronto on Lake Huron. It is a very pleasant small town with a good beach and excellent places to dine. Personally, I would rather have my toenails pulled out before watching a Buffalo Bisons baseball game.

SusanInToronto

Thanks for the ideas. It's been years since I've been to St. Jacobs - I think it's time to go again. It's near Elora, I think, so maybe we could hit both places.

goddesstogo

Really, almcd? Have you ever been to a Bisons game?

It's a beautiful, small, classic ballpark, there's great local food (no MacDonalds or chains of any kind), and it's a big family affair with lots of kids and fun mascot stuff happening. I love baseball and I guess I'm really corny because I find the Bisons games lots of fun. That and a two-hour drive home on a beautiful warm summer night with the top down on the car and the blues station on the radio -- heaven!

Oh well, to each his own.

kodi

DO you like gardens? How about the Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington? The roses are all blooming now and they are beautiful to see. The boardwalk through the wilderness area is also great to see..and to wander along.. Many birds will eat out of your hand along this area.

The walk along the water at Beach Boulevard in Hamilton is a pretty walk. YOu can walk quite a ways, and stop to eat at Baranga's on the Beach, or at Hutch's for a great burger or ice cream.

BAK

My book covered 10 Ontario Town worth visiting, all reachable in a day (round trip) although some of the return would be well into the evening.

Niagara on the Lake, Paris, St. Marys, Stratford, Goderich, Port Hope, Cobourg, Picton, Merrickville, and Perth.

(See Ashenburg.com for more ont he book)

Each town is worth a visit; The book, written by Katherine Ashenburg, is hard to find, but the idea was this: Buy the book, go to the town, park your car, and follow the maps, learning about the houses and other buildings I photographed.

But even without the book, each place is worth a visit. If I had to put them in order, best first, based on interest and convenience:

Niagara on the Lake (already on your schedule)
Picton, plus spend some time on other parts of Prince Edward County. And I'd go to the mainland via the Glenora Ferry, even though that's goign the wrong direction -- unless you go on to Kingston.
Stratford -- we're thinking of seeing A Funny Thing Happened...
Merrickville -- pretty far away, but the whole drive can be fun.

Have you been to African Lion Safari? Great place.

BAK

SallyCanuck

What about Port Perry?

SusanInToronto

Actually we're thinking of Port Perry - that's a great idea.

We love Prince Edward County and have been there a few times over the years. It's a place that I wouldn't mind revisiting.

We love gardens, so it might be time to revisit RBG.

Now if we could just have some decent weather. Apart from tomorrow, the forecast is looking pretty dismal. If it rains every day, I won't be a happy traveller.

Thanks for all the ideas.

Mathieu

Go up to Midland - theres lots to do there.
I hear the boat cruise is very pleasant and theres lots to see as well.

Also Orillia. Summer theatre there is supposed to be great from those I know who've been.

Daniel_Williams

You might find this suggestion sounds a bit insane as it's a bit of a day, but I'll propose it anyway. I enjoyed a few years back, from Montreal, taking a day trip with a friend to Kingston by VIA Rail. I found Kingston charming, friendly and compact enough so as to make for enjoyable exploring by foot (we took the #4 bus into town and caught a cab back to the train station). An enjoyable Farmer's Market, Queen's campus, John A. MacDonald's home, good restaurants/bakeries and a historic look quite different from Montreal or Toronto made the day quite worthwhile. One could equally do VIA from Toronto, as Kingston's about half-way in-between.

SusanInToronto

Well, given the rain today, we may be spending time here in Toronto. I am SO disappointed. It's bad enough that I had to take the week off with no plans to go anywhere - it's awful if it rains every day. We did go to Port Perry yesterday - very nice day, great weather, and we bought a wonderful piece of pottery from a young Ontario potter (Shane Norrie is his name).

Tuesday we'll go to the free Jane Bunnett concert at Nathan Phillips - that might not be so pleasant with the rain - those tents can get stuffy, but so it goes.

I know that the Dead Sea Scrolls are at ROM, there's Pacific Northwest art at the McMichael. Both could be great, it's just not how I wanted to spend this week. It's really wet out there today.

wilfie

hey on a sunny day a good place to visit is the falconry centre its really cheap admission and it includes everything the show, audio tour, and more. heres the link to there website www.falconrycentre.com

SusanInToronto

Well, the weather actually turned out surprisingly nice. I think we were in a little bubble since we heard from everyone else that the weather sucked. Apart from Monday afternoon, I don't think we had much rain. (That put a bit of a damper on our plans to entertain in the garden that evening.) But we took in the Jane Bunnett concert at Nathan Phillips - no rain so that was good. On Wednesday (Canada Day), we went to the Wychwood Park neighbourhood - I had lived not far from there years ago, but I don't think I had gone through that particular area. I saw the Wychwood barns but nothing much was happening because of Canada Day, so I'll have to go back there some other time. Then we ended up at the Madison for a beer and late lunch later in the afternoon. (We met there a couple of decades ago, so usually go there at least once in the summer.) Again good weather. Thursday was busy - we were going to Bracebridge on Friday and I had to make a dessert and get groceries, plus I had other plans in the late afternoon / evening.

So the week passed by very enjoyably! And now I have some ideas on where to go next time I want to get out of the city. Thanks everyone.

merckxxx

Bruce Trail - many, many unforgettable hikes along the Trail - esp. north of Orangeville. There is a nice hike along the Grand River - which is a river genuinely entitled to the name "Grand river." Hiking the Grand is hiking lowlands, and all the main Bruce trails are essentially highlands.