St Ives, Cornwall - day trips from

PasturesNew

Use the train at least once, it goes to Hayle.
As said above, Hayle Towans.
Godrevy Lighthouse - and, from the top of the cliff off the NT car park, you can peer down and maybe see lots of seals lying on the beach.
Penzance is nice, but also check out Marazion (and St Michael's Mount, NT).
Adjoining Penzance, look at Newlyn/harbour, it's historical and where a bunch of artists set up their Art School that then became the root of lots of the artist types flocking there.
Zennor's good, check out the Tinner's Arms.
Mousehole, they lost all their lads in an RNLI tragedy at Xmas 1981 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penlee_lifeboat_disaster