Kayaking Long Island Sound w/ TC

 

Spilt Beer

Capitol Reef National Park

Located in south-central Utah in the heart of red rock country - halfway between Zion and Arches - Capitol Reef National Park is a hidden treasure filled with cliffs, canyons, domes, and bridges extending almost 100 miles.

Definitely less crowded than other Utah national parks, which makes Capitol Reef National Park is worth visiting, especially if visiting Zion and Arches. The park provides the perfect mix of beautiful landscapes, scenic hikes, and historic landmarks, enough to keep any visitor entertained for days.

Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon National Park which despite its name, is not a canyon, but a collection of giant natural amphitheaters along a plateau. Bryce is distinctive due to geological structures called hoodoos, formed by frost weathering and stream erosion of the river and lake bed sedimentary rocks. The red, orange, and white colors of the rocks provide spectacular views for park visitors. Bryce Canyon National Park is much smaller and sits at a much higher elevation than nearby Zion National Park. 

The Bryce Canyon was named after Ebenezer Bryce, who homesteaded in the area in 1874. While visiting Utah, I can’t stop pondering how the pioneers and homesteaders travel through this terrain with horses and covered wagons.

Zion National Park

Zion is a national park located in Utah, USA, known for its stunning red rock formations and hiking trails. The name Zion means "a place of peace and safety" and is a perfect name for parents who want to give their child a name that represents the beauty and serenity of nature.

While very beautiful and majestic, there were too many tourist. It had a bit of a Disneyland vibe occurring. Glad I visited nevertheless. 

 The most well-known of Utah’s parks are its “Mighty 5” national parks. The five national parks include  Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Arches, and Canyonlands. 

• Day 1: Arrive in Las Vegas and drive to Zion National Park April 22
• Day 2: Zion National Park April 23 
• Day 3: Zion & drive to Bryce Canyon April 24 
• Day 4: Rest Day April 25
• Day 5: Capitol Reef National Park April 26
• Day 6: Drive to Arches National Park April 27
• Day 7: Arches National Park April 28
• Day 8: Canyonlands National Park and drive to Salt Lake City April 29
• Day 9 Fly home April 30 

Cap Haitien, Haiti

Île a Rat, Haiti

 A day spent on a remote island. It was pure relaxation!

The Citadel Laferrière, Haiti

The Citadel Laferrière or, Citadel Henri Christophe, or simply the Citadel is a large early 19th-century fortress located on the Bonnet à l'Evêque mountaintop in  North Haiti, within driving distance of Cap Haitien, approximately 27 kilometers (17 miles) south of the city.  Commissioned by Haitian revolutionary leader Henri Christophe, and built by tens of thousands of former slaves, the Citadel played a key role in the newly independent Haiti's defensive strategy against potential French incursion.

Including several smaller forts across the country, the stronghold remains the only African-derived military fortification in the New World as well as the first example of African-derived colonial architecture; which it shares with Sans-Souci Palace, also commissioned by Christophe. Both were disunited by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1982. The fortress is universally regarded as an icon of the Caribbean nation.

Sans-Souci Palace, Haiti

Sans-Souci Palace was the principal royal residence of Henri Christophe or King Henri Christophe the first and only monarch of Haiti. It is located in the town of Milot, yet accessible from Cap Haitien, which is a safe part of Haiti. It was among the first buildings constructed in a free Haiti after the Haitian Revolution. the Palace and the neighboring Citadel (next post) are Haitian icons and global symbols of liberty, and were inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1982. 

Only our first day here, but clearly the country has lots of potential. It just seems to need some proper leadership to help it recover.

Happy Birthday to Me

Jua has one Michelin Star and a rave review by the NYTimes. I thought it would have been better. 

“The Collaboration”

“The Collaboration” is a play written by Anthony McCarten and directed by Kwame Kwei-Armah. The play originated on the West End at the The Young Vic in London. The play stars Paul Bettany as Andy Warhol and Jeremy Pope as Jean-Michel Basquiat. The story, set in New York in 1984, centers around the collaboration between Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat and their new exhibition. 

 Arifa Akbar of The Guardian praised the performances writing, "Bettany and Pope do so much more than merely ventriloquising their celebrity parts. Bettany captures Warhol's tics – his gawkiness and gormless stares with a deadpan streak of cynicism...Pope gives us a seductive, childlike free spirit in his Basquiat”. 

 Prior to seeing the and “The Collaboration”, I watch the Andy Warhol Dairies on Netflix. All with definitely with it.

JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT: King Pleasure

JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT: King Pleasure an exhibit that closed today. The exhibit was organized and curated by the family of Jean-Michel Basquiat. It includes over 200 never-before-seen and rarely shown paintings, drawings, multimedia presentations, ephemera, and artifacts tell the story of Jean-Michel from an intimate perspective, intertwining his artistic endeavors with his personal life, influences, and the times in which he lived.

"Jean-Michel Basquiat’s contributions to the history of art and his explorations of multifaceted cultural phenomena––including music, the Black experience, pop culture, Black American sports figures, literature, and other sources––will be showcased through immersive environments providing unique insight into the late artist’s creative life and his singular voice that propelled a social and cultural narrative that continues to this day.