Get out of town

May 29, 2019

Spring has finally sprung after a long miserable winter. Everyone wants to get outside, take in great gulps of air, go somewhere, see something new. A day trip would just fill the bill. Sound good? It’s a bit tricky to arrange without a car, but here are a few day trips you can take using GO Transit. It’s just a small list, because I’ve limited it to locations that you can get to within an hour from Union Station, and that have GO stations within a short walking distance of an area of interest.

  • Hamilton. Take the 16 Hamilton / Toronto express GO bus. Get off at the Hamilton GO Centre. Visit the nearby Whitehern Historic House and Garden or the Art Gallery of Hamilton. Have lunch at one of the restaurants on James St North. Find out more here.
  • Port Credit. From Port Credit GO station, it’s a short walk down to the lake. You feel like you’re in a resort town as you stroll past the shops and restaurants on Lakeshore Rd. Just west of the Credit River is Saddington Park, with beautiful waterfront trails. Find out more here.
  • Stouffville. The Stouffville GO station is right on Main St. Visit the Latcham Gallery (admission free) and outdoor sculpture garden. Along Main St, there are many repurposed historic buildings, and nearby there are many beautiful homes built in late 1800s. Lots of restaurants for lunch. Find out more here.
  • Streetsville. From the Streetsville GO station, walk through the parking lot, then a short distance down Thomas St to Queen St South. You’re stepping back in time into a streetscape that has remained relatively unchanged for over a century. Streetsville is home to the largest concentration of historic buildings in Mississauga. Drop into a Queen St restaurant for lunch. Find out more here.

A few companies offer guided day trips by bus from Toronto. To find some, just type or paste this phrase into the Google search box: toronto day (bus OR coach) (tours OR trips). You’ll see a variety of theatre, history, nature and shopping trips. Give yourself a one-day vacation by tour bus or GO Transit. Bon voyage!