One of my favorite activities involved the great outdoors. It was visiting Summit Gardens Parque Municipal Summit in Panama. Summit Gardens Parque Municipal Summit Summit Gardens was created in 1923 by the U.S. (as a division of the Panama Canal Project). It was an Experimental Farm Summit to test the adaptation of plant species from different parts of the world to the tropical climate of Panama. During the 1960s a small zoo was started within the botanical garden. The zoo increased ... View the Post

Iglesia de San Jose Church of Saint Joseph might probably be the church I enjoyed the most while visiting Panama. Iglesia de San Jose Church of Saint Joseph The church is quite famous for two reasons.  The first is that the church contains an ornate altar. It is made of  mahogany, carved in the Baroque style, and covered in gold leaf. It is illuminated only by a skylight. The second reason is that it survived pirate Henry Morgan’s sacking of Casco Viejo (Panamá City’s historical ... View the Post

Old Town Panamá Casco Viejo. The historic district of Panamá City is known as Casco Viejo (Spanish for Old Quarter). This section of Panamá City was built by the Spanish colonists in 1673 after the near-total destruction of the original Panamá City in 1671. The new city was built on a peninsula completely isolated by the sea. A defensive system of walls was also created. Old Town Panamá Casco Viejo It was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997. After experiencing decades of ... View the Post

The Basilica Santa Maria la Antigua in Panama (Saint Mary of the Ancient) is located in old Panama City. This Catholic church was consecrated in 1796 although the initial construction work on the church began in 1688. Basilica Santa Maria la Antigua in Panama When the Spaniards first arrived in Panama in 1510 they wanted to dedicate a town to Santa Maria de la Antigua. In 1513 the Antigua was raised to the rank of diocese and church was issued the rank of a Cathedral. The first Bishop was ... View the Post

Recently, while family members were visiting, I took a Field Trip Friday Rustic Log Cabin Village. Field Trip Friday Rustic Log Cabin Village The village has a wonderful collection of structures, objects, and documents dating from the years 1840 through 1890. All the homes and buildings are nestled in a lovely bucolic setting. You can tour the buildings inside and out. It’s quite interesting to see the construction techniques that were used at the time. Lovely layers of varying ... View the Post