Let’s Be Spies: The DC Spy Museum

Stealth and espionage always sounds so cool, right? Of course it does. James Bond is so suave and has all those fantastic gadgets. Well, after a visit to the International Spy Museum in Washington, DC, I was both more intrigued and far more impressed by those that actually lived their lives as someone else. There were so many awesome gadgets from all decades of spying, but first-hand accounts of spies in the real world and ways to test your own skills as a master spy.

Can you keep cool under pressure? Can you remember you cover story? How to answer in-depth questions about your secret identity? Spot a suspicious person on the street? Find clues from other spies? You’ll find all these things out and more at the Spy Museum.

Our visit fell during the 50 Years of Bond exhibit that had tons of trivia and memorabilia from the James Bond films. Unfortunately, there was so much there that we had to rush through half of it, so I would suggest getting to the Spy Museum when it opens instead of mid-afternoon, because you’ll likely need half the day to see everything there is. Between the displays, videos and interactive elements – not to mention the extensive gift shop – you’ll notice time slipping away quite quickly. Your admission ticket includes re-entry, so you can leave to have lunch and then return when you’re refreshed and ready to do more spy stuff.

Remember that telephone shoe from Get Smart? Want to know where the concept came from? Real spies!

Ever wonder how spies connect with each other and pass along information without giving themselves away and also getting murdered in the process? Important data can be encrypted, or more likely hidden in objects, like what appears to be litter on a rarely used road, a coin and in between the layers of postcard.

What about weapons? Spies have a lot of them, hidden in everyday object. They may not be as sophisticated as those you see in movies, but they are definitely innovative. One of my favorite old shows was the Avengers with Emma Peel and John Steed. Mr. Steed, ever the gentleman, wore a bowler and carried a fancy umbrella that was used to aid him in fighting bad guys. It concealed a sword for those he needed a little extra help with. This wasn’t so farfetched, because they actually existed.

So, what happened to spies who got caught? Nothing good. None of them ever were able to go back to their normal lives, and the majority of them were killed, brutally. Even the best spies were always one step away from being found out.

During your visit, you’ll have the chance to pick your cover identity and soak in the information of this person. See how well you retain the information in just a few minutes to be able to answer questions at checkpoints throughout the museum. Will you slip up or are you a master liar? Eric and I both took pictures of our alternate identities, just in case, but I was able to easily answer questions about where I’ve been, what I was doing in the country and how long I planned to stay.

If you want to do many things in DC, then take a look at the NOW Pass for DC, which is what we bought in order to get the most of our money and time.

Who’s Your Favorite TV/Movie Spy?

An Animal-Lover’s Guide to Tampa

Florida is known for many things – the beach, theme parks, retirement communities – but you don’t often hear of it as a destination full of unique animal encounters. Last month I shared my Tampa Wish List, but if you're interested in visiting Tampa too, it's possible you're going to go for more than 3-4 days and you'll want to do things other than we do. Tampa offers visitors more than the standard zoo, which makes it a wonderful destination for animal lovers of all ages. Along with the sunny, warm weather and the proximity to the beach, Tampa could well be your perfect getaway all year long.

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Big Cat Rescue

The largest accredited big cat rescue facility in the world is located in Tampa. When cats are abused, mistreated or not able to be properly cared for, BCR takes them in and gives them a new lease on life. Large felines live out their lives in natural habitats, where they will get the attention they need and deserve, while also being spokescats for visitors who would like to know more about how they can get involved and also help change the world around them.

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Tampa Electric Manatee Viewing Center

Located in the discharge canal of the Big Bend Power Station in Apollo Beach, the Viewing Center was created when it was discovered that Tampa Bay’s manatees would seek the warmer waters of the canal as the waters of the Bay became too cool for them. At the Viewing Center, you can learn about Tampa’s environment and weather, how it affects the animals and view manatees in their natural surroundings. The power station uses environmentally friendly practices to supply power to the community, while providing a reliable sanctuary for these endangered animals.

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Lowry Park Zoo

A true animal lover is not going to balk at visiting a zoo; especially one voted #1 in the U.S. by Parents Magazine. This 56-acre park is jam-packed with animal activity, education and interactive experiences. Most zoos only offer views of animals from behind a barrier. At Lowry Park Zoo, you can get up close and personal with critters in a variety of attractions: Giraffe Feeding, White Rhino Feeding, Lorikeet Landing, Bushland Budgies, Wallaroo Station and Stingray Bay. Little ones and their parents will greatly enjoy this unique animal haven.

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Florida Aquarium

Over 20,000 plants and animals reside in this 250,000-square-foot aquarium. Take the journey of a drop of water, originating in one of Florida’s fresh-water springs, until it makes it to the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way, you’ll explore wetlands, the beach, a coral reef and more. Outside, the aquarium offers a 2-acre water adventure zone for everyone to cool off or just relax. Inside, you’ll find a vast array of sea creatures. Touch a shark, watch penguins play or even scuba dive with sharks (and a certified instructor).

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Busch Gardens

Mix your love of animals with your love of roller coasters at this popular theme park that features creatures from Africa. Interspersed between some of the most exciting thrill rides you’ve experienced, you can view everything from lemurs to elephants in realistic habitats. Meet the animals in person (some with extra fees beyond your park ticket), including the Serengeti Night Safari, Jambo Junction and Walkabout Way. It’s the most interesting and fun way to get a glimpse of African animals without the expensive plane ride.

As you can see, Tampa is a haven for the furry, feathery and scaly and those who enjoy being near them. There are plenty of other things to pique your interest in the city as well, including delicious dining options and shopping opportunities, all with sunny weather during many months.

3 Ways F-Secure Freedome Can Save Your Vacation

I don’t know about you, but the fewer things that can go wrong on a trip, the better I feel. Of course, I’ve taken vacations where it was one big learning opportunity (ahem, Ecuador), but not in the way where I had to just give up and go home or spend my whole trip trying to take care of some horrible problem that occurred. F-Secure’s Freedome can help prevent some of those terrible things from happening. Here are just a few of the reasons why you should install it into your web-enabled electronics before leaving home:

Avoid Computer Viruses

First of all, getting a virus is highly annoying, because it can wipe your computer or just take over so you can’t use it. It’s happened to the best of us, but that’s also why we have anti-virus protection. Believe it or not, those don’t keep all viruses at bay, but F-Secure Freedome gives you an extra level of protection and shows you just how many viruses and hacks it has deflected. When you’re on vacation and something takes over your computer, it can really mess up your trip.

• You’ll have to spend your time and money looking for a place that can – hopefully – fix your laptop.
• If you use your laptop/netbook for work, you’re pretty much screwed if you have files on your actual computer you need to access.
• You either have to use your phone, use the hotel’s business center or find an internet café to be able to check/send emails, access your travel info and confirmations or look up your bank or credit card accounts. This is just as safe as not using any protection on your laptop, too.
• You’re basically now carrying around a useless block. You may as well have left it at home – except if you did that, you probably wouldn’t have gotten that virus.

Keep Your Personal Info Hidden

So, if you’ve ever had your identity stolen, or even just a credit card, you know it sucks. Ten years ago I was unfortunate enough to have someone steal my debit card info and then proceed to use it to go online and purchase a computer. After several phone calls, I was able to convince the bank that I didn’t buy that thing and had no idea who the person was who did, but it wasted everyone’s time, plus I had to wait for a new debit card and for my money to be returned. Freedome blocks your ISP and internet activity to the world, so if you keep any of those personal things on your computer, tablet or phone, it’s safe from those nefarious folks who want to use it for themselves.

• Keep your money in your bank account for you to use. If you log into your bank account online, those keystrokes won’t be able to be swiped and reused to drain you dry.
• You won’t spend hours on the phone – and possibly hundreds of dollars in foreign call fees – trying to sort out all your issues when you could be out having fun.
• No one will be able to hack into your computer and find all the info they can use to steal your identity and make you super sad when you get home, or possibly even before then. It wouldn’t be awesome to find out that none of your credit cards work and you have no money to finish your trip or get home.
• You can use unsecured public Wi-Fi hotspots without fear, because you never realize how much you rely on free internet while you’re out in the world, especially when you travel and need to find directions and such. 
• Less annoying than a stolen identity, but just as irritating and time consuming is having someone access all your passwords to your accounts and having to change them all…again. I bet I’m not the only one who yells at their computer when they see one of those “Please change your X password” emails. 

Be Able to Connect to All Your Accounts

Have you ever gone somewhere and tried to log into a site you use all the time only to be told that no, you can’t, because you aren’t in your home country? I have, and it sucks. Freedome works as a VPN (virtual personal network), so you can trick the internet into thinking you’re anywhere in the world. While this isn’t really something that can ruin your trip, it helps to have the option to use said websites, especially if you’re in a country that blocks normal things, too, like Facebook.

• Access your Netflix, Hulu and other streaming services wherever you are. I’m not always outside of my hotel doing things. Sometimes I like to relax. Maybe eat in my room and do some laundry. There’s nothing better than catching up on a movie or show when I have the time. 
• Be able to watch streaming TV on the channel site. Once when I was in Nassau, we were stuck inside due to a hurricane warning, so we were tired of watching the news and playing Gameboy. We attempted to get online to watch some CBS shows we had missed while we were away and were blocked. Bummer. With Freedome, I can set my location to the U.S. and watch whatever I want that’s available online. On the other hand, I can set my location to other countries and watch shows I liked when I was there.
• Maybe your kids like to play games online or have a show they can’t live without that you stream and haven’t downloaded. Well, prevent a breakdown when they are cranky and just want something they are used to by using the VPN function of Freedome. 

Imagine how much grief F-Secure Freedome can save you in your everyday life and on your travels. I know that my security is more important to me than saving a few bucks a month. In fact, Freedome is only 29.90€ for a year, which comes out to less than $2.80/month. But don’t just take my word for how good Freedome is. Take my challenge and try it for yourself for free:

Use Freedome for 90 days by using code qsf257

Make sure your devices are safe wherever you are and head off those snags that can happen before they do, because there are some things you can control.

Disclaimer: As a brand ambassador for F-Secure, I am being compensated for my time, however I fully support this company and product.