Day 1 - Morning Driving Trip in Toronto
Humber Bay Park West (https://goo.gl/maps/cJijX3Xk1jUavFfK6) - 2225 Lake Shore Blvd W, Etobicoke, ON M8V 3X7
Humber Bay Park West is the perfect place to catch the sunrise in Toronto! So, if you can get out early enough then I would definitely recommend catching the sunrise there! But even if you don’t catch the sunrise, it’s still a very scenic spot!
There are tons of parking lots to park at in this park so if you drive straight in you can decide where you want to park the car and perhaps go out for a little walk! There are two main lookout points at this destination. The first one is straight up called Lookout Point (https://goo.gl/maps/QENBoHBxYKpFZ9rL7) and the second one is called Etobicoke Point (https://goo.gl/maps/X6bzqDGmu5dggphT7). Both lookout points offer amazing views of the Toronto skyline!
Additionally, Sheldon Lookout (https://goo.gl/maps/vCqdYarhhGX3KrdK6) which is about a 3–5-minute drive from Humber Bay Park West and right by the Humber Bay Arch Bridge is another spot to get an amazing view of the Toronto skyline!
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After exploring a bit of Etobicoke, I recommend going to What a Bagel (https://goo.gl/maps/yngGJgrMSd1tnaXP6) - 130 Spadina Ave, Toronto, ON M5V 1X9 for lox! Their lox is excellent, and their bagels are always super fresh!
https://www.whatabagel.com/stores/130-spadina-ave/
On Sundays they are open from 8AM – 5PM and it is about a 15–20-minute drive from Humber Bay West Park. This bagel shop is located in a building in downtown so street parking would be your best bet. There is a parking lot near the bagel shop located at 355 Adelaide St W, however you must pay at this parking lot so if you don’t plan to get out of the car and walk around that area for a bit then I would recommend just street parking.
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After getting your bagels, I recommend driving along Queen St W to pass by Nathan Phillips Square (https://goo.gl/maps/4CktLxZqUZ2QzhSv7) and Toronto Old City Hall (https://goo.gl/maps/KqtPmN6VTp6xzoqFA)! This is a scenic area with an iconic light up Toronto sign! There is an outdoor skating rink right at Nathan Phillips Square, however with the lockdown you must pre-book it on the City of Toronto (efun.toronto.ca) website beforehand (it gets filled up very quickly though). FYI - Nathan Phillips Square is the only outdoor rink at the moment that offers skate rentals and sharpening.
Nathan Phillips Square - 100 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M5H 2N1
Toronto Old City Hall - 60 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M5H 2M3
If you would like to do some outdoor skating (that is one of the only activities that is open at the moment), and if Nathan Phillips Square is all booked up, I recommend going to Barbara Ann Scott Ice Trail (https://goo.gl/maps/ukgLX4oCS6SiwsgA7) - 420 Yonge St, Toronto, ON M5B 2H3. This is a less popular small skating trail close by Nathan Phillips that still requires you to pre-book on efun.toronto.ca, however there is rarely a line for drop ins here. This is a smaller skating rink but there is plenty of seating space available and there are also public washrooms. There are no skate rentals available here so you must bring your own skates.
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After driving through Nathan Phillips Square and Old City Hall, I recommend also driving by Yonge and Dundas Square (https://goo.gl/maps/n1eqrVCoHnf7LL5L9) - 1 Dundas St E, Toronto, ON M5B 2R8. This is what I like to call the Heart of Downtown Toronto (similar to the Big Apple in NYC but smaller). Therefore, driving through this area may be a bit busy depending on the time, but it is only a 2-minute drive from Nathan Phillips Square and Toronto Old City Hall.
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After driving through Yonge and Dundas Square, I recommend driving down Bayview Avenue (south of Moore Avenue). This road creates a wonderful 20-ish minute driving route that is overflowing with trees. From the top of Bayview, you get a panoramic view of the city as you drive South.
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I recommend going all the way down Bayview Avenue and heading to the Distillery Historic District. You can park at the Green P lot if you decide to walk around in the district, but this lot does require payment - 373 Front St E, Toronto, ON M5A 1G4. Although all the cute shops and restaurants here are closed, it is still a very cute place to walk around in and take some pictures!
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Not too far from the Distillery District, there is cool building and fountain that I recommend stopping by. It is about a 5-minute drive and a 20-minute walk from the Distillery District. The building is called the Gooderham Building (https://goo.gl/maps/7pcWrvdfvEBPrSiU8) - 49 Wellington St E, Toronto, ON M5E 1C9. It is a red brick flatiron building. Right in front of the building there is a small park called Berczy Park with a cute dog water fountain in the middle. During the winter the water fountain might not be on, but the statues of the dogs are still cute to look at!
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If time permits and you are looking for more adventure (and if the kids are not tired) …
Tommy Thompson Park (https://g.page/tommythompsonpark?share) - 1 Leslie St, Toronto, ON M4M 3M2
This is not somewhere you can drive through, but it is definitely a place that I recommend for walking/hiking or biking! There are paved trails here for socially distanced use, and it is not far from the Distillery District or the Gooderham Building (10–12-minute drive). There is free parking at the entrance or street parking is also available on Leslie Street and Unwin Avenue. This natural park is an amazing place for a long walk or bike ride. It is also considered the best in the city for bird watching! The hiking trail here that I recommend is called Leslie Street Spit Trail (https://www.alltrails.com/trail/canada/ontario/leslie-street-spit-trail#:~:text=Leslie%20Street%20Spit%20Trail%20is,%2C%20running%2C%20and%20road%20biking).
This sounds like a great itinerary, bookmarking for a future trip to Toronto. I've never been and would love to go. Its good to know there is lots of parking, thats something that always worries me about driving in unfamiliar places, struggling to find somewhere to park. Would you recommend more time in Toronto?