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By a twist of fate I happened to visit The Panama Hotel yesterday to visit the owner that I had spoken to for years on the phone but never met. I had an hour to kill while waiting for a city office downtown to comeback from lunch so I could renew a license. I thought I might go to the International District a few blocks away from the court house and have a fast Chinese lunch. At the last moment I thought about the small Japan town adjacent to Chinatown a block North of Jackson Street on Main St. It came to me that some sushi would be nice so I started looking to see if any Japanese cafes were open that time of the day. As I climbed the hill and turned the corner onto Main St. The Panama Hotel sign caught my eye. I decided to forget about lunch and see if Jan Johnson the owner was still running the landmark hotel. (She does). I had never met Jan face to face with this icon of historical preservation and I’d like to get a glimpse of the interior of this 125 year old historical place as well. The hotel is fantastic! So is the owner. A real time warp awaits anybody walking into this hotel.. Anybody interested in a unique experience of times long past would enjoy staying here in this eclectic monument to how things used to be. I would highly recommend to any traveler (or local) to book a room here for a real pre-WWII living experience. You would enjoy the tea cafe on the street as well. Guaranteed to be memorable. submitted by /u/DYonkers |
