The DC Write-Up

Once you’ve taken care of transportation and accommodations for your Washington, D.C. trip, you’ll probably want to save your money for important things like dining, museums, and souvenirs. Not everybody knows that a cheap night doesn’t have to mean sitting in the hotel watching Pay-Per-View. There are plenty of regular free events for tourists to enjoy.At the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, visitors can witness the last natural marsh in D.C. War veteran Walter Shaw started the water gardens in the late 1800s, using wild water lilies from his home state of Maine. Today, the Gardens house a delicate system of plants and animals, including butterflies and beavers, that make it a popular spot for an afternoon stroll.The C & O (Chesapeake & Ohio) Canal is a shipping route leading to the Potomac. At 185 miles long, though, it’s still an impressive tourist attraction, and it’s not uncommon to see people biking alongside the banks. Just make a detour to see this site during your trip to Georgetown.For more historically-minded visitors, the National Archives are free and open, featuring all the important government documents of our country. Among the three billion records is the original Declaration of Independence. Genealogists can also use the text and microfilm records to look into their family histories. The only cost is for making copies of the documents.Family-friendly theater lovers will want to start their weekend off at the National Theatre with Saturday Morning at the National, a free series which has been going on since 1984. The new season kicks off on September 19 with magician Damian Hart, followed by snake expert Michael Shwedick and his scaly friends on September 26.If you’re in the area on the second Thursday of the month, check out free jazz at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in their “Take Five!” series, with refreshments available at the museum caf. This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to D.C. freebies. See what else you can find on your own.