| Think zoo and you think of San Diego. Think of San | | | | liking, the Prado Restaurant is in the same general |
| Diego and you think of the San Diego Zoo. For | | | | vicinity. |
| decades, this world-famous zoo has been attracting | | | | After pausing for a brief lunch at the deli, we took a |
| visitors from all over the world ' and its popularity is as | | | | brisk walk down to the southern edge of the park |
| great as ever. | | | | where we wanted to be sure and take in the San |
| Yet many people don't realize that the San Diego Zoo | | | | Diego Aerospace Museum. True air museum buffs will |
| is just one part of an amazing collection of fascinating | | | | really appreciate the fact that this museum is directly |
| attractions and museums that, together, comprise | | | | under the flight path for a major airport. When you're |
| Balboa Park. While you might allow several hours for | | | | looking at historic aircraft displays, somehow it just |
| your visit to the zoo, you could literally come back | | | | seems fitting to have the building rattled every several |
| several different days to enjoy the 15 museums | | | | minutes by aircraft seemingly just a couple of hundred |
| located on this picturesque piece of San Diego real | | | | feet overhead. |
| estate. | | | | The Aerospace Museum is a jewel for anyone |
| The park has become a cultural centerpiece for a city | | | | fascinated with airplanes. The circular building is packed |
| that combines majestic seascapes with a | | | | full of real aircraft, all displayed logically, whether by |
| cosmopolitan downtown ' and, oh, did we mention the | | | | type or by historic timeline. You'll find a replica of the |
| weather? Reputed to have the best climate in the | | | | Wright Borthers' airplane, as well as a flight simulator. A |
| country, San Diego boasts hundreds of blue-sky | | | | progression is shown through World War I aircraft, |
| 65-to-75-degree days every year. | | | | including one display where you can view the uniform, |
| And so, much more often than not, the sun casts a | | | | maps, goggles and other equipment of a real World |
| warm glow over Balboa Park, illuminating the park's | | | | War I ace. For those interested in military weaponry, it's |
| stunning combination of historic architecture and lush | | | | almost astonishing to see what they used for bombs ' |
| landscaping. Many of the park's buildings were the | | | | a small hand grenade with missile fins that they just |
| result of two expositions ' the 1915-16 | | | | threw out of the cockpit. |
| Panama-California Exposition and the 1935-36 | | | | World War II and commercial aviation are covered as |
| California Pacific International Exposition. Everywhere | | | | well, but a more recent part of aviation history is the |
| you go in the park you are reminded of the ornate, | | | | Apollo 9 spacecraft on display at the museum ' the |
| almost palace-like designs common in the first part of | | | | only such craft displayed in the western United States. |
| the 20th Century. | | | | The exhibits include moonrocks, as well as space suits |
| While we had enjoyed many visits to the San Diego | | | | and other equipment used by our astronauts. |
| Zoo, the focus of our most recent visit was the | | | | Just one building north of the Aerospace Museum is |
| OTHER side of the park ' the part that houses the | | | | where you'll find plenty of hot cars -- the San Diego |
| museums, gardens and many other attractions. We'd | | | | Automotive Museum. Similar to the classic car shows |
| suggest you allow lots of time for your visit. And, no | | | | you might find in Las Vegas or Laughlin, Nevada, this |
| question, you'll be getting your walking exercise. | | | | museum is a showroom packed to the rafters with |
| After a quick visit to the park Visitor Center ' where | | | | historic cars produced all over the world. Altogether |
| you can buy combo passes that allow you to get in | | | | there are more than 80 historic cars and motorcycles |
| most of the museums for one flat price ' we stopped | | | | and, every few months, a special display is brought in |
| in first at the nearby Museum of Photographic Arts. | | | | -- such as the Italian cars on display during our visit. |
| Rows and rows of wall-mounted enlarged | | | | Walking to our next museum stop, we stopped by the |
| black-and-while photos were tastefully arranged just | | | | outdoor Spreckles Organ Pavilion, where free |
| like you would expect in any exhibit of modern art. This | | | | concerts are offered each Sunday at 2 p.m. It's a |
| modern art does a wonderful job of conveying many | | | | great place to get off your feet for a few minutes |
| historic times from earlier in the century. Photos often | | | | while listening to a top-rated musician demonstrating |
| seemed to be taken in the 30s or 40s. | | | | this extraordinary pipe organ. Visitors of all ages were |
| The museum features photos by some of the | | | | enjoying the music. |
| greatest photographers in the country but we thought | | | | We finished off our day with stops at the Mingei |
| some of the most fascinating photos were part of an | | | | International Museum and the San Diego Natural |
| exhibit by film star Jeff Bridges. His wife gave him a | | | | History Museum. The Mingei offers a fine collection of |
| special camera shortly after they were married and | | | | contemporary folk art and, upstairs, an impressive |
| this camera, in effect, creates wide angle black and | | | | collection of children's toys and dollhouses. The Natural |
| white photos that are the same shape as a movie | | | | History Museum is worth some extra time and, in |
| screen. Bridges apparently has taken photos on most | | | | addition to more generalized exhibits about the natural |
| of his movie sets, and this "behind-the-scenes" look at | | | | world, the museum currently offers an especially |
| movie-making is not only artful, but interesting. | | | | topical exhibit called Earth, Wind and Wildfire, detailing |
| Next door was the San Diego Model Railroad | | | | the wildfires that struck the San Diego area in October |
| Museum, a sure-fire hit with our four-year-old and a | | | | 2003. |
| reminder of our own boyhood memories of driving | | | | It took us the better part of the day to just scratch the |
| electric Lionel trains. Our own trains had track systems | | | | surface of Balboa Park's many museums and |
| pretty much confined to the bedroom floor, and our | | | | attractions ' in future trips we'll no doubt spend time at |
| scenery amounted to a train station and a few | | | | such park attractions as the Reuben H. Fleet Science |
| miniature people. The Model Railroad Museum offers | | | | Center, which includes am impressive IMAX theater, |
| us all the train set we always wished we could have | | | | and the San Diego Museum of Art. And there is so |
| had ' actually a series of trains and tracks that show | | | | much more. |
| highly detailed dioramas of the terrain in San Diego | | | | Indeed, now when we think Balboa Park and we're |
| County and the Southwestern U.S. | | | | likely to think about a whole lot more than just the zoo |
| It's obvious that many hundreds of hours have gone | | | | that made this park famous. |
| into the careful re-creation of small cities, passenger | | | | AT A GLANCE |
| stations, switching stations, freight yards and even | | | | WHERE: Balboa Park is located near downtown San |
| such things as model refineries and other industrial | | | | Diego and is easily accessible from Interstate 5 or |
| locations. Spread throughout a series of rooms are | | | | Highway 163. |
| several train systems, each shown traveling through a | | | | WHAT: The park is home to not only the San Diego |
| different geographical region of the country. Standing | | | | Zoo, but 15 unique museums as well as several |
| somewhere in the middle of it all were the middle-aged | | | | gardens and trails. There are also a couple of theaters |
| engineers ' still boys at heart, every one. | | | | offering live performances. |
| Just upstairs from the Model Railroad Museum is a | | | | WHEN: Year-round. |
| remarkably good snack bar that offers deli-style | | | | WHY: The park has something for everyone. Whether |
| sandwiches and a tantalizing assortment of fresh | | | | you're interested in cars, airplanes, trains, art, science or |
| pastries. If an elegant sit-down meal is more to your | | | | just a beautiful setting, Balboa has it. |