Lorsch for Christmas
January 16, 2026
The plan was crazy—spend Christmas and New Years together with friends in Germany. Do you know where Lorsch is?
The Lorsch Abbey is a UNESCO world heritage site. The local bar, on the other hand, is a smoking bar.
Germans celebrate Christmas Eve with a gathering of friends and family. Our adventure featured lots of meat and a Christmas tree or three
Hanging out with the extended family and walking between villages was a joy.
There was plenty of meat. Did we already mention that?
There was an abbreviated, yet memorable, side trip to Heidelberg.
And then there was the gig with Sidekick in Einhausen. Would you like some metal with that? Incidentally, though the violins were outnumbered, we did practice.
After a side trip to Berlin, we returned for Silvester.
Incredible fun.
Five showerheads for our visit to Lorsch. We will return.
Lets Get Married: Hotel Monaco Pittsburgh
August 26, 2025
The Monaco in Pittsburgh has always held a special place in NPS circuits. We stayed at the property way back when it first opened. And then we stayed at the property on an important first date. Throughout every stay, the Kimpton flame kept burning bright and true, even through the IHG corporate nonsense. Rob Mallinger is an excellent GM.
So, of course, the Monaco was top of mind when we decided to get married at the Warhol in Pittsburgh on 5.25.25. What better place to put on a world class party and put up our guests (none of whom were from Pittsburgh)?! Rob and his staff did a spectacular job making our complex plans burst into life with great attention to detail.
We especially thank Allan Hughes (room czar) and Sydney Kurywchak (catering) and their respective staffs for their diligent effort to make our guests feel as if no effort at all was involved. You made our day(s) amazing. Thank you.
We put all of our guests up in the hotel on the night of our wedding, assigning each guest a particular room on the eighth or ninth floors. Having everyone all together was a special touch. So in some sense NPS has “stayed” in each and every room on the upper floors of the Monaco. Allan did an amazing job coaxing the computer system into doing what we envisioned.
Of course we started in 835 before moving up to the Emperor Suite for our wedding day. (Allan pulled some strings and got us moved Saturday so that we didn’t have to switch rooms on our wedding day itself…which was a big relief for the bride.)
We’ve shared plenty of pictures of 835 in other entries, and we were too busy to properly document the Emperor Suite, so these will have to suffice.
We held two separate events at the Monaco, a rooftop champagne toast (replete with a piper), and a wild reception in the big rooms downstairs, expertly transformed by Alexis Allen into different realities. Just wow.
Here’s how the rooftop looked for cocktail hour. Also see this posting.
Everyone moved downstairs for the reception, which started in Sheffield Ballroom and then proceeded by stages into the Sheffield foyer to the Sophia Ballroom. Each space was differently decorated, with the foyer reserved for dancing to DJ Williams’s amazing music and the Sophia set up as a late night speakeasy. Also see this posting.
Moving guests around throughout the wedding day made for a delightful experience. We all started out at the Warhol, and then proceeded through the Monaco spaces until midnight.
It was an incredible lifetime event for all involved.
Six showerheads (out of five max) for the Hotel Monaco. We’ll always remember this hotel with great fondness. Thanks you guys!
Lake Eden Retreat: Vantage Point for American Idiocy
November 20, 2024
Our clan convened in Black Mountain in a GOTV effort just before election day. We came from Virginia, DC, and LA. Sadly, in spite of our work, the country has chosen bigotry and blustering ignorance over progress. Lets hope democracy survives four more years of selfish “leadership.”
Lake Eden Retreat is a beautiful though desperately suburban place. If you’re looking for the countryside, this is not really it. We stayed in the studio. It’s a peculiar structure with the bedroom up some spiral stairs, the massively distributed bathroom downstairs, and a sink in the corner of the living room.
And yes, the shower is plastic. Horrors.
But we were here to work. And work we did under the leadership of walt.
While in the Asheville area (still recovering from the massive floods), we had some great meals.
Itto ramen is a top notch place for lunch.
Sunny point cafe is excellent with fun service and down home cooking.
The mixology at Chemist Spirits is top notch.
Also worth a visit is Firestorm books.
And if you are in Black mountain, Pure and Proper is very good indeed. They can even accommodate an entire state’s worth of McGraws…kinda.
Two showerheads for Lake Eden Retreat. Maybe we’ll try a different building next iteration. Anyway, here’s how we all feel about the election results.
Terre Haute, Indiana
October 31, 2024
Welp, its not a hotel, but if you can, stay at Sid’s house. Terre Haute was a really fun place to visit.
It all started with a talk at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, which you can watch here.
The campus is full of art.
And it features the largest collection of hot sauce in the entire Midwest.
There is world class mixology to be found between the beers in Terre Haute. Try Bar Bosco if you can.
And dinner at J Ford’s Black Angus is not to be missed. The wine list has some secret hidden gems. We split the porterhouse.
But really the best thing in Terre Haute is Sid’s Waffle House.
In and out through Indy. A picture courtesy of Kurt.
Time’s Up for the Kennedy School Portland
May 14, 2024
Nostalgia for the days of yore has been supplanted by becoming older and very spoiled. The Kennedy School has overstayed its reputation.
Go for the movies in the best theater ever. But don’t go for the showers, the cocktails, the beds, the overcrowded soaking pool, or the beer. And especially don’t go on PTA appreciation night. I mean, NPS is glad that Portland neighborhood schools are thriving and all. But so many elementary school students being coddled by so many slightly-older Portland parents in one space. AUUUUGH!
Anyway, we were in 112.
We had a cocktail and a snack at the main restaurant just before the invasion.
The movie was as terrible as the venue was fantastic.
Three showerheads and an overdue expiration date for the Kennedy School. Such memories.
Tyinkrysset Beckons, or Maybe it’s Randonee
May 2, 2024
After time in Stockholm and Oslo, the cabin was a welcome respite. We scooped Anne at the central station, and started our journey on the bluff above Oslo at the “Rose Castle.” The side trip was extra special because after 22 years I finally met Gøran’s mom. We all missed Romey.
Then it was a long drive through beautiful country to the cabin. There was still plenty of snow.
.
We used the cabin as a base of operations for two trips up even higher into the mountains. The first was to Tyinstølsnøse (1386 m) on Saturday. Just amazing.
UP
DOWN
In between we ate delicious fish, drank negronis in tiny mugs, slept not quite enough, and cooked over the fire outside.
Sunday morning the weather was perfect, so we had to don our skis and do it again. This time we skied straight up behind the cabin through the woods. The snow was so perfect that alpine back down through the woods was easy enough.
This is how I really felt.
The time was way too short, but my body was ready to rest. After our Sunday ski, we loaded up the car and headed to Bergen for another talk, some Norwegian “tacos” and a fancy dinner out.
The tacos (and the boys, who are quickly becoming young men).
The talk…
The present.
The cocktails at No Stress.
The dinner at Chérie.
A short but fantastic visit to Tyinkrysset.
Topanga Getaway (LA)
February 14, 2024
It used to be an AirBnb, but now it’s not. The location is undisclosed (other than “somewhere in Topanga”). The shower is not plastic. There is no “LA Rent” but there may be “Murder for hire.”
One of the nice parts of this place is the way it brings the outside in. It is (like many Topanga houses), built into the hill. The trees and rocks sometimes protrude.
Inside is spartan and clean.
The bathroom has no plastic at all.
An Italian style shower with plenty of pressure. Goes all over the place as designed.
One of these things is not like the other. Walt’s bungalow is just down the hill. Extra convenient.
First there was wine. For me anyway.
There was a Rivers family dinner.
Then there was more. Much more.
We went for a hike.
We saw an excellent show (Jorma at McCabes).
We rode bikes on the beach…Venice that is.
We watched the Super Bowl. The red guys won because of Taylor Swift. Nora was afraid to bet “any amount of money.” Popcorn and cheetos have invaded the left coast.
Walt says, no disclosing the location!
Five showerheads and an espresso machine for the mystery getaway.
LA Wine: R2 Tries Tacos and Cars
February 14, 2024
This iteration we tried something completely different…Jay scheduled an earthquake! And none of his cars were damaged, though all of the wine disappeared.
We’ll begin in the middle. Here is the entire crew consuming wine and tacos. Tacos?! Yes, tacos. Lets just say it was interesting.
The selection was very nice indeed.
Italian it is…that’s kinda like Spanish. Right?
Before that it was Chardonay and motor vehicles.
And after that it was earthquakes and cigars.
The boys discuss whether that counted as an earthquake or not.
Our event made the papers.
Thanks to Jay for hosting and Donnie for cajoling. Lets do it again!
From Tyinkrysset to Bergen: Norway Tunnel Extravaganza
November 1, 2023
We returned to the Hytte in Tyinkrysset, sadly without Anne this time for a quick hit of winter after some business in Oslo. It is always magical to visit the hytte.
We did some day hiking this time, but no major adventures. It was just nice to cook, talk, and drink a negroni or two.
On the first day hike, we went down into the valley (and then back up). We discovered a body in the woods.
But Gøran was not phased.
She was quickly revived.
A second hike the next day was more wintery. What we thought was a light dusting was actually 6 or 7 inches of snow.
I guess that was really an adventure!
After warming back up at the cabin, the boys headed to up the hill.
The hytte can actually be seen in this picture just over the snow bush.
A hike into town yielded a delicious risotto.
And then it was off to Bergen through 51 tunnels (we kept meticulous count).
A ride up to the top at sunset was absolutely magical.
The Rock Band
It all sounded so romantic! A new overnight train service from Brussels to Berlin. One of us had visions of restaurant cars, a full bar, and comfortable compartments. Lets just say he was wrong.
More like a second class couchette with a hard bed and a minuscule menu topping out at hangover-inducing beer that even a college kid would scoff at. Oh well.
Lessons learned: listen to romey (check), bring your own food (check), bring your own booze (check). Just fly…
With a name like the “European Sleeper” how could it go wrong?
This guy had a faster trip with better beer and he had to steer.
Yes, of course we drank the dang beer.
Anyway, we did it so you don’t have to!
And we arrived in Berlin. At the wrong station. Late.
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