I finally put up my trip journal for my trip to Panama. This is the trip that I talked about on:

Episode 113 - Theme Cruise to Panama (Shakespeare at Sea / MacMania)
Video Episode 25 - Curaçao - Sailing and Snorkeling with the Bounty (part 1)

The Union Oyster House is the oldest restaurant in continuous service in the United States.  It is the earliest standing brick building in Boston.  For more then 250 years it has stood sturdily on Union Street as a major local landmark.  In 1742 the building housed importer Hopestill Capen’s fancy dress goods business, known colorfully as “At the Sign of the Cornfields.”  In 1771, from this site the painter Isaiah Thomas published his newspaper “The Massachusetts Spy,” long known as the oldest newspaper in the United States.  In 1775 Capesn’s silk and dry Goods store became headquarters fro Ebenezer Handcock, and Federal Troops received their “War Wages” in this official pay station.  In 1796 the future King of France, Louis Philippe, lived on the second floor.  Exiled from his country, he earned his living by teaching French to many of Boston’s fashionable young ladies.  1862 marked the end of Capesn’s silk and dry Goods store and the beginning of Atwood and Bacon’s establishment.  The new owners installed the now world renowned semi-circular Oyster Bar where Daniel Webster was a constant customer.   Another first for the Union Oyster House is it has the honor of being the first place in the United States that a tooth pick was used.  Enterprising Charles Foster of Maine imported the picks from South America.  To promote his new business, he hired Harvard boys to dine at the Oyster House and ask for toothpicks.   President Kennedy and other members of his family have dined at the   Oyster house for years.  J.F.K. favorite spot was a booth in the upstairs dinning room.  This booth has been dedicated in his honor.   In 2003 the Union Oyster House was designated a National Historic landmark.  This is a double designation.  Not only is it the oldest continually operated restaurant in the United States, it is also the earliest standing brick building in Boston’s Georgian architecture. 
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Saturday, July 8th
Time to say hello to Vieques again after a nine year absence. We drove from San Juan to the Fajardo ferry terminal and parked in the long term parking ($40 for a week). We bought our tickets ($2 each) and waited for the ferry to arrive. Prior to boarding everyone lines up in a fairly disorganized queue at a metal gate. When the gate opens it’s everyone for themselves and a rush to board. However, I’d expected this and told my kids this short term discomfort would soon be forgotten. If you expect the ferry to be like this you’ll deal with it OK. If you like airport style comfort, just pay the extra and fly. Once on the ferry everything is fine, it’s fairly new and well air-conditioned to the point of being actually quite cold. The ferry ride takes around an hour and then you disembark much the way you embarked. After the ferry docked Penny from the Seagate picked us up at the harbor & took us to the hotel. We stayed at the Seagate (787 741 4661) on our last trip and had a fabulous time and when we decided to return to Vieques the Seagate was our only option. It’s a nice perk that they’ll pick you up from the terminal so that you don’t have to deal with renting a taxi for what is only a pretty short ride to the hotel in Isabel Segunda. It’s set high up on the hill behind the Fort (El Fortin Conde de Mirasol) and offers 6 apartment style accommodations plus some additional houses & properties on the ground. It’s very down to earth and you feel at home the moment you arrive. The grounds are lush with tropical vegetation and you almost feel like you’re in El Yunque. Note – this is not your 5 star bells & whistle sterile casino style spa resort. If you like that try the Martineau and good luck to you. If you are less pretentious, like discovering the real island feel and like more down to earth surroundings the Seagate is for you. We love it and will not stay anywhere else.
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Here is the my collected trip Journal from my recent trip to Europe. The trip covered 15 days and 4 countries.

day 1 - Rothenberg, Germany
day 2 - Rothenberg
day 3 - Zurich, Swizterland
day 4 - Zurich - Zueri Faescht
day 5 - Grindelwald
day 6 - Grindelwald
day 7 - the road to Nice, France
day 8 - Nice and Monaco
day 9 - Nice and Cannes
day 10 - Nice and Antibes
day 11 - to the Cinque Terra, Italy
day 12 - the Cinque Terra
day 13 - to Lake Como
day 14 - Lake Como
day 15 - Lake Como to Melano