Robert Grisham -

30 Hours in Chicago

Published by on September 21, 2022

Our first trip to Chicago was a little over six years ago. Since that time we’ve been back almost once per year. I took the boys by myself five years ago. It’s still hard to believe that I pulled that one off. The next three Decembers Mandy and I took quick trips, coming to realize that if you can get over the cold, it was a great time to travel due to affordable hotel rates and the Christkindlmarket. And then this summer the four of us spent a couple of days there before going to Switzerland.

Several months ago Mandy heard that the musical version of The Notebook was premiering in Chicago this fall. She is a big fan of the book, movie, and of Ingrid Michaelson, who wrote the music and lyrics. So we booked tickets, flights and a hotel for one night.

Before getting into the specifics of this trip, let me tell you some reasons we have made such a habit of going to Chicago. First, it’s a quick nonstop flight from Memphis. Second, the food is great. Third, Southwest’s flight schedule enables us to get there in the morning and leave the next night, meaning we get most of two days there yet only stay one night.

This past Friday morning we got the boys off to school, finished packing, and drove to the airport. We opted for the $6/day economy parking over paying for two Uber pickups. My roundtrip flight set me back 16,000 Southwest points. Mandy’s flight was free since we have the Companion Pass this year and next.

We landed in Chicago around 1pm and then took the Orange Line train downtown. You can get a public transportation day pass for $5. This includes the train from the airport, plus trains and buses downtown. We walked a couple of blocks to Shake Shack (always a winner), then walked a couple more blocks to the Hyatt Centric. One night there cost us 15,000 Hyatt points, which I transferred from Chase. Note: if you’d like to know more of my travel hacking strategy, check out this page.

After resting for a bit we walked four blocks to have dinner at Quartino, our favorite restaurant in Chicago. As is my custom, I ate a bit too much, but it was ok, because we needed to walk a few blocks in order to catch a bus to Navy Pier, which is where the Chicago Shakespeare Theater is located. The Notebook was fantastic. The venue, music and performances were top notch, and I’m sure it is going to do great on Broadway.

On Saturday morning we chilled out at the hotel for a few hours. At 11:00 we checked out, left our luggage at the hotel, and walked a few blocks to RL Restaurant, another of our favorite restaurants. It’s all about the ambiance in this place. You’ll have to see it for yourself, but check out the link for a few photos.

From there we had a few hours to shop on Magnificent Mile, but since neither of us were that into shopping at the moment, we hung out at the Starbucks Reserve Roastery, where we enjoyed good coffee, a pastry, and some time to catch up on reading.

Our final hours in Chicago were spent on an Architectural walking tour that I booked through Airbnb Experiences. Mandy and I highly recommend this. We learned so much about Chicago, explored places we would have never discovered on our own, and saw some amazing architecture and art. Our favorite stops would have to be the Chicago Cultural Center and the Chicago Athletic Association, which is now a Hilton hotel. Check out this video about the Chicago Cultural Center.

Mandy walked a couple of blocks to the train station, and I walked back to the hotel to get our luggage, then took a bus to the train station. From there we took the train back to the airport, took the short flight to Memphis, and were back home by 11pm. We were pretty tired, but it was a great trip!

Summer 2022 – Zurich

Published by on June 24, 2022

Our Switzerland adventure has come to a close. We arrived back in Chicago at 6pm CST, which felt to us like 1am. We watched part of the NBA Draft, and I think we were all asleep a little after 8pm, which means that I’ve been up since before 4am! I’m currently in the lobby of the Hyatt Place where we’re staying, and me and a few other guys are eagerly awaiting the coffee to finish brewing!

Being up means that I can write my last blog post. We only had one full day in Zurich, but I think we really made the most of it.

After breakfast we visited the FIFA Museum. It’s such a well done museum. We all really enjoyed our time there.

After that we ate lunch and then went to the Lindt Home of Chocolate. Oh my.

We purchased our tickets online, and we had a set time to enter. Once we entered we went through different exhibits on how chocolate is made, and specifically the Swiss connection to chocolate. After that you come to a room where you get to sample liquid and solid chocolates. A second room has various Lindt chocolates you can sample.

You can tell by this last photo that Micah really loves chocolate.

We got to walk off our chocolate calories in Old Town after this.

We ended our day by visiting Fraumünster, a church that was founded in 853. During the Reformation Zwingli often preached in this church. Today the church is famous for its Chagall stained glass. I was afraid that the boys would be sick of museums, but they enjoyed the audio tour.

In closing, I’m really grateful that we could spend this much time in one country. Traveling in a foreign country has its share of challenges, and there were times that we were tired and lacked patience with each other, but I’m grateful for the memories that were made!

Summer 2022 – Montreux

Published by on June 23, 2022

Over the last few days we’ve been listening to quite a bit of Queen. Why is that? Well, it’s because we spent two days in Montreux. In the center of town is a statue of Freddie Mercury. Montreux was his second home, and it was where the band recorded seven of their albums.

Montreux is a charming town on Lake Geneva. Whereas Zurich, Lucerne and the towns in the Lauterbrunnen Valley are German in language and culture, Montreux is French. I’m pretty amazed by the Swiss people, most of whom speak at least two languages. Key words there are “most” and “at least.”

As I write this, Memphis is experiencing much hotter than normal weather. But when I write that it was really hot in Montreux, understand that this is a hot without central AC. We stayed at Hotel Splendid. I had requested a lake view room, and boy did we have that. But we checked in around 4pm, and the blinds had been left up so that we could see the amazing view. This also meant that the sun had beating down on the room for the past few hours. For our close to 40 hours there that room felt more like a sauna than a comfortable hotel room.

That’s all of my complaining. We did have a fun time in Montreux despite the heat. Highlights included eating gelato several times, going to the Queen Studio Experience, swimming in Lake Geneva, and visiting Chateau de Chillon. Here are some photos!

Summer 2022 – Mürren

Published by on June 19, 2022

We had a few hours to kill between checkout in Wengwald and check-in in Mürren, so we took the train to Lauterbrunnen, left our luggage at the train station, and then took a train to Brienz. From there we took a ferry across Lake Brienz to Hotel Geissbach. Geissbach Falls is there.

Four years ago we did the ferry cruise and saw the bottom of the water fall. We didn’t realize that there was a hotel until we saw it on the Amazing Race. This time we took a funicular up the mountain and saw the hotel plus more of the water fall. Both are impressive.

We checked into our apartment in Mürren. After getting settled, I went to get a few groceries from the Coop. We had some sausage and cheese, so I bought some fresh bread, and we had a nice little picnic dinner.

On our first full day in Mürren we did the flower trail. This was a favorite from last time we were there. Unfortunately the hidden playground was closed. That evening we hiked down to Gimmelwald and had pizza at the local hostel. We then took the gondola back up to Mürren.

The next day was a highlight for me. I took the train and then cable car down to Lauterbrunnen, where I rented an electric bike for the morning. My plan was to ride through Lauterbrunnen, then ride up the mountain to Mürren. After riding awhile in the mountains, I would ride to Grutschalp and take the cable car back down to Lauterbrunnen. Unfortunately, once I was ready to start going up the mountain, my directions led to a trail with lots of stairs. I couldn’t figure out where to go, so I improvised.

I biked back through Lauterbrunnen, and then kept going to Interlaken. I met others who were doing the same ride, so we helped each other navigate from time to time. The trail is next to the train track and the river, so the entire ride was beautiful. Interlaken is around 800 feet below Lauterbrunnen, so that made the ride tons of fun. It’s also why I decided to take the train back to Lauterbrunnen.

Once I got back Adam decided he wanted to do the North Face trail by himself. He did it much faster than when we all did it. Then we went out for dinner at the Eiger Guesthouse. They had great pizza and pasta.

Next up is Montreux.

Summer 2022 – Wengwald

Published by on June 17, 2022

We are a little over halfway finished with our Switzerland trip. We spent five nights in Wengwald, in the same chalet where we stayed four years ago. The photo above is from this spot steps from our door that we just can’t get enough of.

On our first full day we met up with Josh, Ginger and Patrick Spickler to hike what is probably my favorite hike. We met up in Wengen, took the cable car to Männlichen, and hiked to Kleine Scheidegg. Here are a few photos.

That evening, Mandy and I took the train to Wengen to celebrate our 23rd wedding anniversary over some yummy fondue.

The next day was a rainy day, but we did make it down to Lauterbrunnen, where we took in lots of great waterfalls, including Trümmelbach Falls. That evening we hiked up to our favorite spot and the boys built a fire. We also got to celebrate Adam’s 17th birthday. It feels so weird to even type that.

On Wednesday morning we took the train down to Lauterbrunnen, then rode a cable car up to Grütschalp, followed by a train to Mürren. We took a funicular up to Allmendhubel, where there’s a fun view and awesome views. From there we set out on the North Face trail. It was a tough but rewarding hike. At one stop we purchased some amazing cheese and sausage.

It was unfortunately a little rainy our last full day in Wengwald. I decided to do a solo hike from Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg, but once I got up there I found out that the trail was closed. So I camped out at what is now my favorite coffee shop and caught up on some reading. The boys hung out in their room. No matter where you find yourself, the views are inspiring.

After five nights in Wengwald, it’s time to move on. You can tell by this photo that Micah is sad that we’re leaving Wengwald. It’s ok Micah. We’re heading to Mürren next!

Summer 2022 – Lucerne

Published by on June 11, 2022

As we were planning this trip we were looking for somewhere to go in between the Zurich airport and the Jungfrau region. We had a few options, with Lucerne being one of them. We went with Lucerne, but it was mostly just a precursor for what was to come. I have to say that my expectations were much too low. This is my kind of city. As much as I love where we’re heading today, I don’t think I could live in a carless village for the rest of my life. But a city like Lucerne totally fits me. The population is around 80,000. At the center of the city is a beautiful train station. And from there hybrid buses can take you anywhere you want to go. I may not be up for a carless village, but perhaps a carless city! There’s also a river running through the city, complete with wooden bridges dating back almost 700 years.

It’s 8am, and I’m sitting on the rooftop terrace of our apartment. The photo above is my view. The only sounds I hear are birds chirping and church bells ringing. It’s wonderful.

Here are a few photos from this part of our trip. In a few hours we board a train for Interlaken.

Summer 2022 – Chicago

Published by on June 10, 2022

Today is post #1 on our epic summer adventure. Our trip will take us to Chicago and then on to Switzerland. In Switzerland we’ll spend time in Lucerne, Wengwald, Murren, Montreux, and Zurich. If you want to know more about the planning of this trip, check out this post.

We began our vacation with a quick trip to Chicago. Here are our smiling faces as we were getting ready to leave Memphis International Airport, which, by the way, has undergone a fantastic renovation. Top notch!

While in Chicago we did some of our favorite things. We ate at Quartino.

We went to Navy Pier to ride the 200 ft Centennial Wheel.

And we went to Millenium Park to see the Bean.

On Wednesday night we took the train to O’Hare for an overnight flight to Copenhagen, and then, after a quick layover, a second flight to Zurich. I don’t like overnight flights. As much as I’d like to sleep, I just can’t do it. The boys on the other hand did quite well.

What you see there is a pillow, then Adam’s head, then another pillow, and then Micah’s head. Aren’t they sweet.

We are currently in Lucerne, about to go out for the evening. My next post will feature this awesome city.

Life Planning

Published by on January 24, 2022

Last year I wrote a few posts on the topic of Life Design. This is something that I continue to think about, as well as talk to others about. Coming into the new year, I thought about how it could impact goal setting. I picked up the book Living Forward, by Michael Hyatt and Daniel Harkavy. It was a book that I had owned for quite some time, but I had never read it. While reading it I came across an idea that has really helped me launch into the new year.

The book encourages you to look at the different life accounts that you have, and to think about them the way you would a bank account. With a bank account, it’s easy to see whether or not it’s healthy. Is there ample money there? Are you getting close to being overdrawn? Our lives are much more tricky.

The book suggests nine life accounts, with three sets of three. There is the Circle of Being, which contains the accounts Spiritual, Intellectual, and Physical. There is the Circle of Relating, which contains the accounts Marital, Parental, and Social. And there is the Circle of Doing, which contains the accounts Vocational, Avocational, and Financial. The authors encourage you to select that accounts that fit your life. These fit me, so I went with them.

I started by going through each account and assessing my current reality. Which accounts were healthy? Which were depleted? I gave each of the nine accounts a number score from 1 (overdrawn) to 10 (healthy). This then showed me where I needed to put in some work, which leads to goal setting. What were tangible action steps that I could take that would cause these scores to rise?

I can’t tell you how helpful this exercise was for me. When thinking about goals, I went back to the 12 Week Year. Instead of thinking about annual goals, I think about the next twelve weeks. That’s my year. I set goals for each of the nine accounts. As of today I’m about a quarter of the way through my first year, and I’m really happy with where I’m at.

Favorite Books for 2021

Published by on December 20, 2021

There was a time this spring when I was on pace to read a book a week, something I’ve never done before. While I didn’t quite hit 52 books read this year, I got pretty close, and I definitely beat my goal of 40. Here are some of my favorite reads for the year.

First up are some memoirs…

A Promised Land – Barack Obama
This is one that I listened to, which was great because it was President Obama reading it. It’s a very long book, clocking in at over 750 pages, and this is just part 1. It was a very enjoyable read.

I’m Still Here – Austin Channing Brown
This is not an easy book to read. In fact, after getting through about half of it, I put it down for awhile. But I’m glad that I picked it back up. It was less about new information making its way into my brain and more about truths penetrating my heart.

Where the Light Fell – Phillip Yancey
I just finished this one a couple of weeks ago. I don’t think I had ever read a book by Yancey. This one was beautiful. He is around the same age as my parents, and like them he grew up in the south. So there is a lot about religion and racism. And it’s another powerful book on how our parents shape us, both good and bad.

Still Christian – David Gushee
David Gushee began his tenure at Union University my senior year. I really wish that I had gotten to take a class from him. I read his book on ethics while in seminary, and began following more closely his work after that. I felt a real familiarity reading his story, though I have not been in the spotlight like he has, and I’ve therefore not gone through the pain that he has.

Greenlights – Matthew McConaughey
This might just be the most entertaining book of the year. And it’s another one I’d highly recommend you listening to, as the author is the one reading it. I listened to it while driving through Colorado, Montana and Wyoming this summer. It, like Yancey’s book, has the message of parenting at its core.

Speaking of books on parenting, this one was excellent…

The Intentional Father – Jon Tyson
I’ve been using Tyson’s materials on parenting since Adam was in 6th grade and we began our weekly breakfasts together. I’ve read a lot of good parenting books through the years, but I’d say this one is probably my favorite.

Now for some books on finance, productivity, and really just living life well.

Lifeonaire – Steve Cook
This fictional story gets the reader to ask the question, “What is the good life, and how do I achieve it?” There are some cheesy parts in it, but it was one of those right place right time books for me. I’ve actually made an offer to Adam that if he will read the book over Christmas break and write a reflection paper, I’ll pay him $50. I think the message in it is that important for him.

Off the Clock – Laura Vanderkam
For several years now managing time has been just as import as managing money to me. Vanderkam is one of the best writers on this topic.

Work Less, Live More – Bob Clyatt
My interest in semi-retirement came after I left vocational ministry. I had been pastoring a church and doing real estate for several years, which meant I was working well over 40 hours per week. After I left vocational ministry, I had 15-20 hours that I did not necessarily fill up with more real estate. It allowed for me a better pace, which led to better health. However, I would often find myself asking the question, “Am I doing enough?” This book and others has helped me navigate these kinds of questions and helped me to imagine a new kind of life.

This year one of the topics I found myself diving into was Evangelicalism. It no doubt started with the divisive election. I wrote some about this here. I plan to write more on this topic in the coming year, but for now, here are a couple of books I read this year that were shaping influences.

After Evangelicalism – David Gushee
Here’s another book by Gushee. Whereas Still Christian tells more of his personal story, this book shares the why and how by laying out many of his theological convictions and shifts. I’ve recommended this one to several people.

Jesus and John Wayne – Kristin Kobes Du Mez
When a friend recommended this one to me, I asked if he enjoyed it. After pausing for a moment, his response was, “it was really good, but I’m not sure enjoyment was what I felt.” After reading it, I totally understand. It gives a thorough history of how we got to where we currently are with evangelicalism. It shares the good, the bad and the ugly. And the ugly is really difficult to get through.

I already have a good list of books that I plan to read in the coming year, and I look forward to reading them!

2021 Grisham Update

Published by on December 10, 2021

As I reflect back on the year 2021, I’m struck with how much change our family has experienced. Change isn’t necessarily a good thing or a bad thing. But it’s a thing. Of the four of us, I’m pretty sure I was the one with the most boring year, but as I get older, I find that I’m perfectly ok with that! Here’s a month by month snapshot of the Grisham’s 2021.

In January we celebrated fifteen years in Memphis! Mandy and Micah returned to in-person school after a semester of virtual. Adam continued to be virtual for the spring semester.

In February Mandy and I celebrated our 25th Valentine’s Day together. Adam bought his first vehicle (from my dad). And we experienced a lot of snow and cold temps. The snow meant lots of fun. The cold meant frozen pipes at our house and at several of my rentals.

In March Mandy and I got fully vaccinated. The four of us, plus our dog Bella, spent a week hiking in Robbinsville, NC. Adam took on a personal service project and raised $1000 for St. Jude. And in the first of many big changes, Mandy found out that her contract at her school was not being renewed. It was a huge blow. One week later she had two great job offers.

In April Mandy’s Granny passed away. We were able to spend a few days celebrating a life well lived with her family in Missouri.

In May Mandy accepted the job as executive pastor at our church, Christ City Church. She and Micah finished up their time at New Hope Christian Academy. And Adam’s soccer team at East High won the West TN championship and got to go to the state tournament in Murfreesboro.

In June Mandy started her new job. Adam turned 16 and got his driver’s license. Micah turned 13. They both got fully vaccinated. And Mandy and I celebrated our 22nd wedding anniversary by spending a week in Playa del Carmen. While there a tree fell on one of our rentals, so part of a couple of days was spent dealing with that. Now that Adam could drive and had a truck that could haul his lawnmower, he was able to add clients to his thriving lawn care business.

In July our family spent two weeks exploring Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons, and Boulder, CO. I wrapped up my first but definitely not last new construction project, and I also purchased my 20th rental property. Adam bought his first electric guitar and plays everyday. He, Micah and I take turns on the piano daily as well.

August marked the first time in her career that Mandy wasn’t going back to school. The boys were hoping that would apply to them as well, but alas, they were back at it. Adam started his junior year at East High, finally in-person, and Micah began 7th grade at a new school, St. George’s Independent School. Transition is hard, especially at that age, but Micah has done great.

It seems that we end up doing one big project at our house each year, and that was true this year. In September we landscaped our backyard. We love the results! My sister Taylor and I also took a road trip to Mountain View to hang with Dad, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Mandy and I are serving on the Memphis Young Life committee and are excited to see a new club started at Adam’s high school this fall. Mandy is also serving as the school’s PTO President. She led the initiative to raise $11k for the school in their annual support drive.

In October Adam and Mandy visited colleges across Tennessee. A week later Mandy and I took a trip to her favorite place in the world, Bar Harbor, Maine for fun hiking in beautiful foliage. Mandy found out that she had skin cancer on her forehead. It was removed and everything is ok.

November will forever be marked by Mandy’s SCAD heart attack. It’s been three weeks since this happened, but it feels like a much longer period of time. We met with her cardiologist this week. He decreased her medications, and her energy is beginning to increase. She begins cardiac rehab this week and looks forward to a full recovery. Micah joined the swim team at St. George’s earlier in the fall, and he began swim meets in November. He took first place in the 50 meter butterfly during his first meet!

It’s the beginning of December, and as we make our way towards the end of the year, we’re looking forward to a bit of a slower pace. With everything that’s gone on, we’re taking each day as a gift, grateful for God’s provision and protection throughout the year. We wish you and your family a very merry Christmas and a happy new year!

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