Qype: International Spy Museum in Washington

Washington - Arts & Entertainment - Museums


I had heard excellent things about the International Spy Museum, so I recently took my James Bond-lovin' father and my mother to this museum during their vacation in the DC area. While we found it to be an interesting idea to have a museum dedicated to espionage, we were slightly disappointed in the execution.

The museum experience begins with your selection of your cover ID, about which you are later quizzed. However, after that first exhibit, there is a lot of reading and fewer interactive exhibits. Near the end of the two hours that it took to walk through the museum, I was struggling to keep my eyes open.

Perhaps the coolest exhibit is the James Bond car. Other interesting exhibits include the displays of tools and gadgets used by spies of past and present.

Adult tickets cost $18 at the door, but you can purchase them online via the museum's website for $20. Purchasing the tickets online guarantees entry to the museum for the purchased date. If you do not buy tickets ahead of time, I would suggest going early in the day. Otherwise, the tickets could be sold out. To get to the Spy Museum via the Metro, take the red, green or yellow lines to Gallery Pl-Chinatown, and then exit the metro station at F and 7th streets. The museum will then be one block away.

Check out my review of International Spy Museum - I am erinklema - on Qype

Qype: Ellen's Stardust Diner in New York

New York - Eating & Drinking - Restaurants - American


If you don't get the opportunity to see a Broadway show while visiting New York, Ellen's Stardust Diner is your next best bet. The wait staff of this 1950's themed eatery entertain guests with singing and dancing, and you never know what you might hear... some classics, some Gaga and definitely some show tunes. That waiter or waitress dancing on top of a table may just be Broadway's next big star! Members of the wait staff have gone on to perform on Broadway, London's West End and in regional and national tours in the states.

The food is a little pricey - but not outrageously - for what you are getting. However, you have to remember: 1. These are NYC prices. 2. These are Times Square prices. 3. You are paying for the atmosphere too. Some of the dishes are large portions, which could possibly be shared to cut costs. However, all the food looked delicious, and for dinner and a show the prices are worth it. My friends and I really enjoyed our Caesar Salad, Keish and grilled cheese sandwiches. The menu also features burgers, other salads and sandwiches, ice cream, milkshakes and homemade sangria.

As your waitress belts out Wicked's "Defying Gravity", she obviously is not taking your order or checking on your table. Therefore, the service is slow and somewhat unattentive, so I suggest you be prepared to order when your server is free and enjoy the show!

Check out my review of Ellen's Stardust Diner - I am erinklema - on Qype