Teamed up with Honda Canada recently to take part in some Day Trips from Toronto. I got to take the new Honda HRV on my adventures which had me hiking, paddling, swimming, and of course, eating.
The car was a good size for city driving while still having the stability and room of a smaller sized SUV. The large sunroof and the quality of the sound in the car combined with 5 sunny days made the trip extra special.
I wanted to find some fun outdoor activities close to the city that can be done while the weather is still moderate. The items we came up with were as follows.
1. Scarborough Bluffs
The Scarborough Bluffs are often missed by those that reside in Toronto proper. The banks of the escarpment tower over one of the city’s nicest beaches, Bluffers Park Beach. The beach, the hiking trails and the marina all provide a great outdoor adventure minutes away from the city.
Parking is located right by the entrance to the marina, the beach and the hiking trails. While driving down I found out about the economy mode on a lot of these new cars that tell you how much preassure to apply on the gas to make best use of fuel. I was burning way too much apparently.
2. Niagara-On-The-Lake
An hour outside Toronto, before you get to Niagara falls, lies the very pretty town of Niagara-On-The-Lake. The main street is lined with styalized housing with the town dating back to the 18th century. As well as there being an abundance of good wine in the region, some restaurants provide some great farm-to-Table options.
We headed over to Treadwell Restaurant and had a delicious meal with beer and wine pairings to match.
Here are a few of the items we had.
3. Elora Gorge
About an hour and a half outside of Toronto is Elora, Ontario. Within Elora (right downtown) lies the Elora Gorge and Zipline. The zipline is a short run but worth it to catch some footage of the experience. It goes straight across the river and is only about a 10 second ride. It is very easy to access and is located in downtown Elora so you can go exploring the many beautiful thing this town has to offer.
4. Kayaking the Humber River
It is easy to forget that Toronto is surrounded by nature. If you head over to Old Mill Subway station, you can walk or drive down to the Humber river where you can rent canoes and kayaks from Toronto Adventures.
There is a ton of wildlife along the river. We saw swans, blue herons, turtles and white herons to name a few.
You can travel quite a long way. We were told the full length trip is about 45 minutes and then 45+ (depending on current) minutes back.
5. Stand Up Paddleboarding on the Toronto Islands
I have to admit that I am becoming a fan of SUP. I went over to the Island recently to meet up with the folks at Toronto Island SUP. You can catch the ferry to Ward’s Island and then head straight off the ferry, past the cafe, and on to the beach. Here you can meet up with the Toronto Isalnd SUP staff who will get you embarked on one of their paddleboards.
Once you are on your way, you can turn around and see the city skyline over the islands. A great time to have your GoPro.
The whole trip was done in 5 days. Each day, I went to one of the destinations and managed to use only $55 worth of gas for all the trips combined.
Please visit some of these great Ontario attractions which are all run by some very friendly folks. If you want more info about the Honda HRV, visit their website.
