Dying for a day trip? Steel away to Hamilton, just an hour from Toronto, where you’ll find everything from waterfalls to castles, all punctuated by a great arts, culture and casual food scene.
Ignore the fire-breathing dragon of steel mills and head to Treetop Trekking in the Binbrook Conservation Area. Like a sky-high obstacle course, Treetop Trekking will challenge you to climb trees, swing across rope bridges, scale log-stacles and release your inner monkey. High above the ground, you’ll be tethered comfortingly to overhead cables, feeling just like Tarzan.
If heights aren’t your thing, hike the Great Falls Loop instead, a 3.5 km segment of the Bruce Trail. Park at Mill St. S. in Waterdown, start snapping Insta shots at the Great Falls overlook, then make the very doable climb up the Smokey Hollow Side Trail to the top of the Niagara Escarpment. Want more outdoorsy stuff? Drive to the Royal Botanical Gardens where more than 50 acres, 27 kms of nature trails and five cultivated garden areas showcase over 312,000 plant species.
All that fresh air builds an appetite so it’s time to picnic at Bay Front Park at 200 Bayfront Drive. Grab to-die-for burgers and fries from iconic Hutch’s Harbourfront, or choose a takeout order of Three Meat Chipotle Mac and Cheese from the Harbour Diner, then visit Grandad’s Donuts for dessert. Both establishments are near the park, on James Street North.
Your first après-lunch stop, just a five-minute drive away, is the elegant Hamilton Art Gallery which showcases 10,000 exciting works by both Canadian artists and international contemporary creators. Next, you’ll satisfy your Downton Abbey/Gilded Age urges with an upstairs-downstairs tour of Dundurn Castle, built in the 1830’s for Sir Allan Napier MacNab, Premier of the United Canadas. Costumed hosts will show you everything from the lush kitchen garden to the Castle Shop.
For more retail therapy, hit the Hamilton Farmer’s Market, treat yourself to a delicious pour-over at Relay Coffee Roasters and grab one of the Hammer’s best chocolate chip cookies at Lina’s Coffee. Explore James Street North, the site of monthly Art Crawls, and discover the Reloved Boutique, the funky b contemporary gallery and DeMontigny.
Ready for dinner?
Head for the corner of James and King William Street to try Berkeley North’s famous fried chicken slider or a standout pizza at the Bread Bar, followed by fantastic ice cream from Chocolat – the perfect finish for your steel town getaway.