Assuming you’re not a lobbyist in town to woo steak-loving senators, Washington can be a great place to visit on a budget. With 17 free Smithsonian museums, gratis gorillas at the National Zoo, engrossing monuments that are far more than photo opportunities, and open public events speckling the spring and summer calendar, you need not spend a dime on entertainment — as I found out during a recent visit, the 12th in my occasional $100 Weekend series.
Since I’d been to D.C. many times before, I decided to avoid any attraction I had visited previously — the Air and Space Museum, for example, and the Library of Congress. But even so, I did manage more than 48 packed hours for less than a porterhouse for two at Charlie Palmer’s on Capitol Hill, which goes for $104.50, including D.C.’s potentially budget-busting 10 percent sales tax.
On previous $100 Weekends, I’ve stayed with Couchsurfing hosts (Istanbul and Santiago), with friends of friends (Paris), even in a tent (Oslo). But people from all over America make their homes in Washington, and one of them might be your friend or relative. (I stayed with my brother one night and friends the other.) If that doesn’t work, you can always ask to crash with your congressman. Just kidding.
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http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/17/travel/a-100-weekend-in-washington-dc.html
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