I like what you tried on #3, but it didn't work for me. I think #2 is the best of the bunch. To improve it I would try to balance the exposure level across the image. With panoramic work you will constantly be faced with multiple exposures in one image. You will find yourself doing lots of selective exposure compensation. Done carefully you can consider gradually altering the shutter speed or ISO across the wide image, but it is probably easier to make a levels adjustment layer and then blend it with a graduated (right to left) layer mask.