I agree with Kiplinger that tourists easily get sucked into the all-inclusive tour deals, especially if they know nothing about the city. I have been trying to get as much of a local flavor of the city as I can--from spending weekends with the Hill staffers to incorporating DC institutions into my weekly routine (such as going to St. Matthew's Cathedral, where Teddy Kennedy attended mass). Last Sunday, I branched out of the Smithsonian circuit and visited the Phillips Collection in Dupont Circle. Founded in 1918, it is America's first modern art museum. The Phillips Collection boasts French Impressionist and American Modernist paintings, and I recommend visitors specifically check out the Rothko room and Renoir's Luncheon of the Boating Party. Just a Metro stop away, the museum makes for a perfect study break.