Joanna Booth goes undercover to investigate the history of espionage in the Capital Region
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You may think, dear reader, that Benedict Cumberbatch and I have nothing in common. You’d be wrong.
It’s not my cheekbones, I don’t wear a deerstalker and I didn’t narrowly miss out on a Golden Globe last week. Give up? Well, both Benedict and I can work an Enigma machine.
‘Work’ might be a little strong in my case. After filming The Imitation Game and playing Enigma inventor Alan Turing, Benedict probably has a slightly better grasp of the mechanics. But having a go on an Enigma machine was just one of the memorable moments of my spy-themed tour of the Capital Region.
Sitting right on the Mason-Dixon line, which divides the north and south, this area has played a pivotal role in American history and, as home to the nation’s capital, Washington DC, lies at the heart of US politics. And where war and politics flourish, so will espionage. From tales of the Underground Railroad (which helped slaves escape to the free north) to Cold War intrigues, visitors can discover a hotbed of fascinating spy stories around Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia.
To highlight this, the Capital Region USA tourist body has launched a Scenic Spyways online game that tests players’ spy abilities with challenges they must complete to expose a double agent. scenicspyways.com
Clients who miss out on the prize of a holiday may well have had their interest piqued, motivating them to book a trip anyway, so now is a great time to learn more about this aspect of the region.
Washington DC
“My name is Greta Schmidt. I am 33 years old. I am an astronomer from Germany.” I am at the International Spy Museum and am repeating my cover story to myself over and over again, petrified that I will be challenged and just blurt out my own name. A visit to the museum is essential for anyone who has ever turned their fingers into a handgun and leapt out from behind a wall, shouting “cover me!”
Upon arrival, we choose a fake identity and are then let loose into the exhibition, charged with maintaining our cover when tested. (Greta passed with flying colours, I’ll have you know.)
There is a display of spy gadgets, with everything from radios hidden in shoes, buttonhole cameras and lipstick pistols to an umbrella for firing poison darts, a tiny tool kit you can hide where the sun doesn’t shine and even a transmitter hidden inside a fake dog poo – my personal favourite.
Then we get the chance to test our spy skills with a range of interactive exhibits, from identifying missiles from aerial photography to a virtual shoot-em-up in a block of flats.
There is plenty more cerebral stuff too, from the role espionage played in the Civil War to an exhibition on code-breaking, where visitors can decode messages with Enigma. There is even a homage to Britain’s most famous fictional spy, with a temporary exhibition on Bond Villains.
Tickets for the museum cost $21.95 for adults and $14.95 for seven to 11-year-olds, with under sevens going free. spymuseum.org
If the Spy Museum makes visitors look over their shoulders suspiciously once they are back on the streets, then their paranoia may be justified. Washington DC is said to have more spies per capita than any other city in the world. And there are few more qualified to reveal the hidden haunts of past agents than Carol Bessette of Spies of Washington Tours.
A retired air force intelligence officer, Carol is full of stories that show how intrigue lurked behind grand facades. As we drive through the city, she points out the spot by the canal where one of John F Kennedy’s mistresses was shot, and the restaurant from which KGB colonel Vitaly Yurchenko gave his CIA handlers the slip and double-defected back to the Soviets. Walking tours are also available, starting at $15. spiesofwashingtontour.com
Suitably convinced that every sideways glance is the sign of a secret assignation, we head to a place famous for them – the Occidental. This restaurant is a Washington institution, where the panelled walls are crammed with black-and-white photographs of famous diners, who include numerous American presidents, Winston Churchill and the astronauts from the first moon landing. Yards from the White House, it has been the favoured haunt of politicos since it opened in 1906.
In the 1960s, papers passed under its pristine white tablecloths brought the Cuban missile crisis to a peaceful end. These days, it is a stylish spot with old-fashioned charm, a rich and delicious menu that occasionally nods to southern flavours, and an atmosphere that suggests something exciting is being discussed at the next table. occidentaldc.com
Alternatively, dine at the Capital Hilton, where Nixon spent so much time that he had a phone installed. hilton.com
Maryland
An hour outside of Washington, the National Cryptologic Museum is dwarfed by its neighbour. The National Security Agency is the largest employer in the state, and its headquarters are built on a 140-hectare site.
The relative size of its channel to the public – the museum next door – seems a reflection of how much we are allowed to know, compared with how much we are not. But while it may be diminutive in comparison, the museum is packed with fascinating detail on historic events and declassified technology.
It is here that curator Patrick Weadon lets me use a real Enigma machine. It seems impossible that this small wooden box with keys like an old-fashioned typewriter can create more permutations than there are stars in the universe.
As well as detail on the US involvement in breaking Enigma, there are exhibits on the cracking – and creating – of other significant codes, and how the intelligence gained or hidden was pivotal, particularly in many Second World War battles. I loved the GI Joe doll that speaks in a code developed from the Navajo language.
Admission is free, and guided tours can be organised in advance.
Maryland may be home to the headquarters of government surveillance, but it produced an anti-establishment heroine too. Harriet Tubman was born a slave here in 1822, and during her incredible life not only escaped to freedom in the north herself, but also returned repeatedly for about 70 family members and friends. During the Civil War, she was a spy for the Unionists, and in the post-war era, she campaigned for women’s suffrage.
We begin our quest to discover more about this remarkable woman in Cambridge, at the Harriet Tubman Museum and Educational Center, and after getting a broad overview of her life, we are ready to hit the road – the Harriet Tubman Byway, to be exact – to follow in her footsteps.
Our first stop is the Bucktown Village Store, where at 12, Harriet was hit over the head while trying to help a fellow slave escape from an overseer. The current owner of the store – and operator of Blackwater Pedal and Paddle canoe, kayak and bike rental – Susan Meredith is on hand to talk about the incident, and much of Harriet’s wider history. “If they had caught her, they would have hung her, but she came back over and over again,” she says.
Susan’s passion for her subject is palpable, and after a few more revelations – “Harriet was America’s first cougar; after her first husband died, she remarried a man 20 years her younger” – it is as if Harriet has come to life in front of us.
The sites of interest dotted along the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay relate to Harriet’s activities as an active member of the Underground Railroad. This had no engine and no tracks – it was a network of sympathetic black and white people who were ready to help fleeing slaves. Harriet was a ‘conductor’ – a guide who escorted slaves on their dangerous journey to freedom.
Her success was incredible. She wrote: “I can say what most conductors can’t – I never ran my train off the track and I never lost a passenger.”
harriettubmanbyway.org
Virginia
Virginia has seen plenty of action. Cradle of the Revolution – and home to Mount Vernon, the ancestral home of America’s first president George Washington – it is also dotted with Civil War battlefields. After the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, Prince William Forest Park became the training ground for the Office of Strategic Services, the precursor to the CIA, and even to this day the state is home to many military bases.
Colonial Williamsburg is described as a living history museum, but that doesn’t do justice to its scale. It’s as if a 120-hectare village within the city of Williamsburg has jumped back in time to the Revolution, and everyone is carrying on as normal.
The streets are lined with 18th-century buildings – some original and restored, others reconstructed – and museum staff dress and speak as they would have in the colonial era. But tourists and locals going about their daily lives don’t, so the present sloshes around the past like oil on water.
Visitors can walk around the family homes, shops, taverns and public buildings, including a courthouse and armoury, on their own or take a guided tour. But the best way to get fully immersed in the experience is to embark on Revquest, an interactive game. Players become undercover agents during the Revolutionary War, with clues to follow, codes to crack and informers to locate. The activity is included in the admission ticket. Prices start at $25.95 for adults and $13 for six to 13-year-olds. colonialwilliamsburg.com
In Richmond, we caught up on our Civil War history – and dressed up in uniform – at the entertaining American Civil War Museum. acwm.org
Tell clients to dispense with lunch and take Real Richmond’s From Spies to Pies tour. Our guide Laurie filled us in on the Church Hill neighbourhood’s spy history, while filling us up with delicious dishes at a range of foodie haunts. A two-and-a-half-hour tour costs $55. realrichmondva.com
I tried to pay attention to the story of Elizabeth Van Lew and her spy ring, but I kept getting sidetracked – by pork rillettes at restaurant Dutch & Company; by canelés and cupcakes at the WPA Bakery; and by pastry perfection at the Proper Pie Company. I think I would make a better restaurant critic than a spy.
Find out more: capitalregionusa.co.uk
Tried & Tested: Capital Region hotels
Donovan House, Washington DC
Named after ‘Wild Bill’ Donovan, the father of the CIA, this Kimpton hotel has a faint spy theme, although that really extends only to a slightly Bond-ish sense of glamour. The true selling points are the location – Thomas Circle itself is a little dull, but you’re just a few blocks from the White House and within walking distance of the National Mall – the excellent pan-Asian restaurant Zentan, and the roof-top pool and bar. Rooms are small but stylish. Prices start at $149 a night.
donovanhousehotel.com
Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay, Cambridge
This 400-room resort hotel on the shores of Chesapeake Bay has absolutely stunning grounds that are home to a golf course, marina and running trails through woodland where deer roam. After soaking in the outdoor hot tub and enjoying a drink in the bar, which has floor-to-ceiling views of the bay, we toasted s’mores (marshmallow and chocolate sandwiched in between crackers) by the firepit. The hotel has a spa, kids’ club, and seven restaurants and bars. The plush rooms start at $180 a night.chesapeakebay.
hyatt.com
Fort Magruder Hotel, Williamsburg
Friendly and comfortable rather than stylish, this hotel has a historical connection that isn’t immediately evident from its modern exterior. The property is on the site of a Civil War battlefield, and visitors can see an earthwork redoubt in the grounds. The hotel lobby is home to artefacts including musket balls and swords. The decor is traditional, the rooms are spacious, and there are outdoor and indoor pools to keep the kids entertained. Prices start at $74 a night.
fortmagruderhotel.com
