Once upon a time, there was a beautiful city built upon the water.  Instead of streets this city had canals, and in the middle of this floating city there was a large, open square.  The city was called Venice, and the square was San Marco’s Piazza.  Just a block away from San Marco, there was […]

I’m “Southern,” so there are certain realities about myself that I have come to accept.  I sometimes drop the “g” from the ends of words.  I’m never “about to” do something, but rather, I’m “fixin’ to,” and yes, I enjoy the occasional fried food.  However, one of the things that I think most defines southern […]

The holiday season is upon us once again, and this year’s shopping mayhem comes with the extra pressure of knowing that there is actually less time between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  You’ll have to double your efforts to get it all pulled together. Don’t panic, though.  I’m hear to help you find the perfect gift for […]

I had an interesting conversation last week.  A friend of mine told me that he always wanted to travel, but could never decide where he wanted to go.  He explained that he was overwhelmed by all the possibilities.  As a result, his vacations tended to be very repetitive, and had become so boring that it […]

This is the third in a series of articles about the transformative power of traveling.  No one really knows the impact a trip is going to have on their life.  It can be a restorative escape, educational, or thought provoking – often all at the same time.  Sometimes the experiences a person has while traveling, […]

I took the plunge and I’m now on Instagram!  I know, I know.  I’m more than a little late to the game, but if you are more visually inclined, you can keep up with me on the road now with all of the pictures and almost none of those pesky words! You can still “like” […]

This is the third in a series of stories about my trip to Russia shortly after the fall of the Iron Curtain in the 1990s.  The first two entries can be found here and here. As part of my month long, teenage journey to the very “new” Russia, it was deemed that each person in […]

I’m pretty much guilty of each of these!  Check out the list Buzzfeed has put together to determine if you’re a traveler at heart.  Are you? http://www.buzzfeed.com/ashleyperez/31-signs-youre-a-traveler-at-heart   Like Toland Travels on Facebook, and “like” it on Twitter.

It’s interesting to me that when most people consider a vacation in the southern United States, certain cities tend to come up again and again.  Nashville, New Orleans, Savannah, and Charleston regularly make the cut, yet Atlanta always seems to come up short.  In recent years this has begun to change, though.  For a decade […]

The folks over at Buzzfeed.com have put together a stunning collection of artwork advertising the London Underground/Subway from the early 1900s.  These are only a few.  Follow the link and see the entire set.  I want a few of these to hang around my house! http://www.buzzfeed.com/ailbhemalone/20-gorgeous-vintage-posters-for-the-london-underground