Holiday gifts you can't put a price on

Hand over the TV remote for a month. See Washington from unique new perspectives. Share in a treasured art experience with a loved one. Maybe the best gifts are not really the ones money can't buy (who wants to find a box of nothing under the tree?), but in a lean season such as this, there are ways to treat yourself and those on your list without spending anything except time.

We asked seven of our critics to recommend some of their most enriching experiences, all of which you can do for the holidays -- and well beyond.