Thoughts On Washington D.C.

I’ve been to D.C. before, but this past visit had me falling in love with the city.  I went to visit a friend in law school and see the city without any of the restrictions placed on me by parents or teachers during former trips.  What I found was a great international city with a diverse, eclectic food scene.  Basically, my kind of city.  The only problem I had was the cost.  Things that would normally cost around 10-12 bucks at home ended up setting me back 30 dollars.  No matter how good the food, that kind of meal barely fit into my budget (as a dedicated traveler yet barely employed writer these money matters are things I must consider).

The best thing about D.C. is how many great things there are to do in the city for free.  You can spend an entire vacation in the capital without spending any money on activities.  Sure, meals, hotels, transportation, and all will set you back, but the free entertainment makes up for it in my opinion.  I found myself thinking several times about the difference between D.C. where so many things are free to the public and Memphis where so little is free (except on certain days for like an hour if you bring a can and stand on your head while praying).

Fun & Free Activities in D.C.:

• Visit the Supreme Court.  It is free to enter and there are 40 minute lectures in the main hall for free.
• Visit the Capital Building. The Capital offers free tours throughout the day. Tickets are available at 8:30am on a first come first serve basis.
• Visit the Smithsonian Museums. All the museums are free and they even have free wi-fi.
• Visit the National Zoo. As part of the Smithsonian institutions, the wonderful zoo is also free.
• Visit the Monuments. All the monuments are around the National Mall are free and you can spend the better part of a day visiting them.
• People watching.  This is a given in any city when you don’t want to spend money and D.C. offers world class people watching.

Washington D.C. is definitely not cheap but since so many of the city’s great activities are free it balances out nicely.  You can also catch a lot of deals during happy hour at bars and restaurants.  Dupont Circle, Georgetown, and Adams Morgan are nice areas with tons of great restaurants.  And if you get the chance, definitely go buy a cupcake at Georgetown Cupcake where the “designer cupcakes” are definitely worth the wait and the money.  Yummmm.

Tagged as: capital, travel, Washington