The National Cryptologic Museum is fantastic, detailing the work of code makers and breakers throughout the history of American conflict. Again, I'm not sure why the media has got so hung up on revealing all these "secrets" of government spying when they could have come here and read about it in easy-to-understand displays. And entry is (again) free.
As you would expect, any museum about code machines had plenty of buttons to press, and Pete has plenty of fingers. Just inside the entrance is a huge diorama about hobo symbols that were used during the depression era, and it has working lights in the houses and a train that runs and whistles. Pete was in his element, but his boring old dad made him leave it and do things like type on a WW2 Enigma machine.
My favourite section was the room in which old NSA supercomputers have been dumped. When computer hardware moved away from knobs, dials, and flashing lights, something was lost. They even have a Cray, a machine so large that it has a built-in sofa. One of the museum staff assured me that the smartphone in your pocket now has more computing power that this behemoth (unless you have an Apple product).
We stayed until the museum shut, mostly playing with trains but also watching a robotic tape storage machine do its stuff - an 8ft x 10ft cylindrical monster that could store the equivalent of a USB stick and showed results on a text-only green screen. Pete will never know the romantic era that he missed.
After that we wandered to the not-at-all-provocatively-named Vigilance Park. It has an outdoor collection of old spy planes and sits in the shadow of the NSA building with signs warning that any photos you take may be searched and deleted. They'll be confused when my Dad turns up with his 35mm camera.
The longer we stayed the more I couldn't help feeling that someone was watching, and as we drove away I kept checking the mirror to make sure a large black SUV or stealth helicopter wasn't following us. It's not that I've got something to hide, I just like to protect my privacy. Which is why I write down everything I do on this blog...
I'm here to fix that leak.
Want to see anything else in the museum? No? OK.
This is the correct size, shape, and lighting for a computer.
Apparently the most secretive organisation in the world has a National Geographic film about it.
Robotic tape storage - not very portable.
The secrets inside!
Please hold, I'm just calling in a drone strike.
I think it's a shame that computer design has moved on from this.
I think it's a shame that men's fashion has moved on from this.
Now he'll be able to send messages to Grandma that I can't decode.
Ah, some proper code-breaking history: a piece of the UK's Colossus!
Remember - it's always for your safety.
Toddlers present, remain vigilant.
Are you following me?
To be honest, most of the photos on my blog are unacceptable...
