DeeCee FreeBee

The one thing I love about DC is that everything is free. If you can get a place to stay, the city can be explored for days without sweating too much cash. And find a place to stay I did.

I've been to DC twice... several things I'd recommend:

• Jefferson Memorial at night... it's more quiet than Lincoln Memorial, and the Tidal Basin is quite pretty

• Lincoln Memorial in the early morning where you can beat the crowd; ditto with any location on the Mall! All the memorials were nice and quiet in the morning.
  

• The Mall at night
  

• FDR Memorial is nicely tucked inside some woods and on the side of the Tidal Basin
• I liked the National Gallery and Portrait and I don't think anyone should miss the gallery for presidents; the other museums are really up to your own preference
• Apparently many miss the National Archives where you can see Constitution and the Declaration of Independence (and Bill of Rights too...)

One note: the food in The Mall is awful. You need to head a bit North to get decent food choices. Like Chipotle and Pot Belly. Yeah, it was that bad.

Overrated:

• Washington Monument... the outside is fine... you don't really need to go up and see DC through think and dirty glasses. Want proof?

• The Library at The Capitol... yes, it's pretty, but you can only see if from afar, and no photography allowed (who still uses a library for research anyway??)