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Mary Spierling

Articles by Mary Spierling

Berlin in 7 Days or Less

I knew Berlin was a big city, but I never knew how big until I explored it on foot. I had seven days to see the major and not-so-major sites. Since the fall of its …

September 4, 2014
Paddling with gators in Florida's Myakka River State Park

Initially I was petrified at the thought of being in a body of water with alligators, but then I realized I didn’t sign up for this kayak trip to see birds. If you’ve spent much …

Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia

The landlocked (and usually overlooked) country of Bolivia in South America is home to the largest salt flats in the world, visible by astronauts in space. The Salar de Uyuni is 25 times larger than …

Rajasthan, India: land of the kings

The largest state in India, Rajasthan, located in the northwest of the country, is known as “the land of the kings." Rajasthan is wrapped in vibrant colors, with impressive cities including the Pink City of …

Slumming in Budapest's ruin pubs

Hungary is unlike any other country in Europe, and the enchanting city of Budapest is a center of language, culture and history. Backpackers head to Budapest to party and to party on the cheap; most …

November 21, 2013
Budget-friendly Sofia, Bulgaria

Most travelers are unaware that Bulgaria is one of the best travel values in Europe and its capital, Sofia, is one of the cheapest cities to visit. The country has more green space than most …

When in Lisbon

If you’re dying to go to Europe but discouraged by the value of the euro, consider Portugal, where you can actually spend less than $50 a day. Portugal’s capital city, Lisbon, has stunning Moorish castles, …

Bohol, Philippines: hidden paradise

Looking for an off-the-beaten-path island adventure with pristine beaches, wildlife, historical sites and plenty of activities? Consider Bohol in the Philippines. This unassuming island is full of baroque colonial architecture in the form of its …

Los Llanos: wild Colombia

If you look at a map of Colombia in South America, you see a huge region in eastern Colombia comprising sprawling, seasonally flooded plains that have been ignored by tourists due to their location (former …

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4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
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