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Like all big cities around the world, Toronto is a vibrant, dynamic place, with a million things all going on at once. The eclectic mix of people of all races and cultures, the parks, skyscrapers and cultural spots, all the pieces that make the city great work together. This energy combines to make sure that, while you’re in town, you’ll always have something to do and someone to do it with.
However, although we’re all social animals, there comes a time in everyone’s life where the fast-moving pace, with all the lights, sounds, and conversations that come with it, begins to take its toll on our well-being. When that happens, the best thing you can do is retreat to a quiet place where you can recharge your mental and spiritual batteries. There are quite a few of these places in and around Toronto, and here are a few of them.
Ganaraska Forest
Around 60 miles northeast of Toronto, along Lake Ontario, lies Ganaraska Forest. The 12,000-acre natural retreat is home to a number of recreational activities, such as hiking on the many special trails, mountain biking, horseback riding, or just plain sightseeing and appreciation of the breathtakingly beautiful natural landscape. So if you feel smothered by the concrete surrounding you in the big city, this is definitely the perfect place to get a healthy dose of green in your life.
Spadina Museum
The Spadina Museum: Historic House & Gardens, a high-class historic venue that includes 6-acre grounds, is the perfect city escape within the city. Even if you’re new in town, after you’ve found a quiet place to stay, this classical setting will provide an escape from modern life, with the inside of the house instantly taking you back to the 1800s. A stroll through the Victorian and Edwardian style gardens within the venue will succeed in fully removing you from the stress of daily modern life.
Lake Scugog
Few activities connect a person to his or her primal self like a day spent fishing. The hours of quiet solitude give you the time and the place to contemplate and to reconnect with nature, while the excitement and basic pleasure given by catching fish also provide you with a raw sense of purpose and meaning.
Toronto Islands
Image via Flickr by Bruce Guenter
From Toronto, you’re only a 10-minute ferry ride away from America’s biggest car-free space, and a completely different world from the one you left behind only minutes ago. Looking at the majestic Lake Ontario on one side and the busy city skyline on the other can make you feel you’re sitting at the edge of both nature and civilization. While on the island you can take a trip to North America’s oldest functioning lighthouse. If you really want to leave the organized world behind, Hanlan’s Point beach offers you the option of not having any clothes whatsoever.
Toronto is a thriving city, one of North America‘s technology hubs and a place where many cultures peacefully and harmoniously coexist. But when that need for solitude comes, as it does once in a while, you can be sure the city and its surroundings have you covered.
