It's obvious that many hundreds of hours have gone into the careful re-creation of small cities, passenger stations, switching stations, freight yards and even such things as model refineries and other industrial locations. The train systems are not located all in one room, but spread throughout a series of rooms that take the visitor through the various geographic regions. Standing somewhere in the middle of it all were the middle-aged engineers ' still boys at heart, every one.

Just upstairs from the Model Railroad Museum is a remarkably good snack bar that offers deli-style sandwiches and a tantalizing assortment of fresh pastries. If an elegant sit-down meal is more to your liking, the Prado Restaurant is in the same general vicinity.

After pausing for a brief lunch at the deli, we took a brisk walk down to the southern edge of the park where we wanted to be sure and take in the San Diego Aerospace Museum. This is probably the only air museum in the country that has the added realism of being located almost directly under the flight path for a major airport. When you're looking at historic aircraft displays, somehow it just seems fitting to have the building rattled every several minutes by aircraft seemingly just a couple of hundred feet overhead.

The Aerospace Museum is a jewel for anyone fascinated with airplanes. The circular building is packed full of real aircraft, all displayed logically, whether by type or by historic timeline. You'll find a replica of the Wright Brothers' airplane, as well as a flight simulator. A progression is shown through World War I aircraft, including one display where you can view the uniform, maps, goggles and other equipment of a real World War I ace. For those interested in military weaponry, it's almost astonishing to see what they used for bombs ' a small hand grenade with missile fins that they just threw out of the cockpit.

World War II and commercial aviation are covered as well, but a more recent part of aviation history is the Apollo 9 spacecraft on display at the museum ' the only such craft displayed in the western United States. Moon rocks are on hand, as are examples of the space suits and other equipment used by our astronauts in the various programs that put Americans into space.

Just one building north of the Aerospace Museum is where you'll find plenty of hot cars -- the San Diego Automotive Museum. Similar to the classic car shows you might find in Las Vegas or Laughlin, Nevada, this museum is a showroom packed to the rafters with historic cars produced all over the world. Altogether there are more than 80 historic cars and motorcycles and, every few months, a special display is brought in -- such as the Italian cars on display during our visit.

Walking to our next museum stop, we stopped by the outdoor Spreckles Organ Pavilion, where free concerts are offered each Sunday at 2 p.m. It's a great place to get off your feet for a few minutes while listening to a top-rated musician demonstrating this extraordinary pipe organ. Visitors of all ages were enjoying the music.

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