Washington D.C. on Shoestrings

Bring your sneakers, and plenty of shoestrings, if you’re attending a conference or trade show at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington D.C. Spaces in this city are vast, starting with the the 2.3 million-square-foot glass and concrete convention center itself.

Washington D.C. is all about historic sites. It’s tough to see them all in one visit, but you can take comfort in the fact that convention center is itself a historic site, having hosted the inaugural ball for George W. Bush and six of ten balls honoring President Obama, including the first-ever neighborhood ball.

You’ll need those walking shoes to get around to other the other historic sites. Blocks are long and many of the outdoor monuments require lot of walking. Study up on the top attractions and prioritize your time. Consider a guided walk such as “monuments by moonlight” to make the most of your itinerary. All that walking is good for you, and besides, it’s free.

Since we’re seeing Washington on shoestrings, it’s worth mentioning that there’s much to do for nothing here in the Capital of the land of the free. The official visitor site has nice “Free in DC” list of over a hundred things to do at no charge, or close to it.

If you really want to save money, Washingtonian.com has a section especially devoted to cheap eats, and another section devoted to dirt cheap eats. But there’s plenty of upscale dining too, as you’d expect in a city where lots of wheeling and dealing is done over lunch and drinks. Check out the top restaurants here. With all that shoestringing you’ve done, you deserve to splurge, and set a spell and relax.