If you're looking for a vacation jam-packed with free attractions, you need look no farther than our Nation's Capitol, where I recently visited. The first trick to make your trip to D.C. budget-friendly is to find a reasonably-priced hotel. My sister was attending a work related event and found a hotel - The Capitol Hill Liason- for $159 a night, which I thought was a great deal, but, after looking around found even better deals ($99) on travel websites. Second trick, find a cheap airfare. After these two requirements are met, you are home free to a dirt cheap vacay in the land of the free. And free it is. All Smithsonian Museums (there are 17! ) are totally and completely free. I visited two- the U.S. Postal Museum and National Museum of the American Indian- that I had never seen before and, as a bonus, they have cafeterias that serve great food for a reasonable price. All monuments on the mall are free, as are Arlington Cemetery, the Pentagon, the White House Visitor Center, the National Archives and the Library of Congress.
You can use the Metro to get around (it even takes you to and from the airport) for $9 for an all day pass, but we opted for the Big Bus Tour ($45 for 2 days) that stops at 60 different points of interest. Pitfalls you need to watch for, as you're watching your wallet are: stopping in for $13 lychee martinis, $4 (price-gouging) ice cream treats sold on the mall, taxis and anything at your hotel. We were there right after July 4th in record heat (107+), so it was hard to say no to anything cold and refreshing. Luckily, all the museums are air conditioned and our hotel had a rooftop pool, with free yoga in the morning and a container of cool drinks in the lobby. I always try and take advantage of anything free a hotel offers, but this is the first one I've been to that offered free yoga- a great perk! So next time you find a cheap airfare and cheap hotel in D.C., get yee to the Nation's Capitol and enjoy all the free perks. As my son said, "It's not really free, we pay for it!" True, and all the more reason to take advantage.
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