NY, Aruba, NY, Nascar

We've been on the road a lot this summer - and had a delightful time! Our latest trip covered more than two weeks and we probably logged over 5,000 miles.

We started out in Queens visiting Nicole and Darrell. Nicole treated us to a lovely dinner on the waterfront and a visit to a great park along the East River. Unfortunately we left our camera at home, so we weren't able to take any pictures. After a hearty breakfast prepared by Darrell the next morning, we headed to Long Island to hang out, watch Michaela, do a little painting and just have a nice time. Again, no camera, but we did borrow one from Lexi, who posted some pictures on her blog. As usual, we were thoroughly entertained by the Long Island crew and had a great visit.

Next stop - Aruba. Jeff drove us to LaGuardia in the wee hours of the morning to catch our flight. Carly and Tiffany arranged for us to fly first class with them - not a bad way to travel! We finally got a new camera after driving a hard bargain at a little store in Orangestad a few days after our arrival, so here's a few snippets about our trip.

It it rains in Aruba, it's only for 5 to 10 minutes. Here's a double rainbow we spotted from our balcony after a rare and brief rain shower.

A favorite place to hang out - under the palapa on the beach.

Our hotel sponsored an "Iron Chef" contest - and with our competitive natures, we had to enter. We ended up with two teams - Carly, Jen, Anne and Jim versus Tiffany and Barb.

Tiffany and Barb working furiously on their entry - the must use ingredient - cheese.

Jen showcases her team's entry - An island twist on a caprese salad.

Tom ignores the cooking chaos around him.

Here's a photo op as we await the elevator with our fabulous entries.

Anne and Carly hold their breath - awaiting the judges decision.

Team Carly, Anne, Jim and Jen take first place, beating Team Tiff and Barb - by 2 points! (Did we mention we were the only entries?)

A theme of the week was - who could catch a fish for dinner? Tiffany and Tom orchestrated the last opportunity - a fishing excursion on Friday afternoon.

Here's our intrepid fisherpeople waiting to sail(with the Captain's girlfriend.)

What? No fish yet and you'll be another hour and a half?

More mojitoes!

Did you spot the boat?

Catch anything? (Ask Carly and Jen about the trigger fish!)

Island Wild Life

Want ketchup with that fry?

Back in New York, the activity was heating up for Michaela's 3rd birthday party.

The birthday girl blows up a balloon to help decorate.

Here she is in her lovely "princess" dress.

Jeff, Lexi and Princess Michaela

Michaela hanging out with Granddad in her new tent

After another fun-filled visit with the Long Island gang, we headed home, only to have Jim turn around a few days later to travel to Watkins Glen for his first ever Nascar race.

The Watkins Glen race has been an annual event with Dennis Kurtz and Jeff for many years - and Jim had a great time. Would you believe he's actually started watching Nascar races on TV?

What a summer!

The 4th, Family, Friends

Jim and Barb just completed 2 road trips over the past 10 days, with just two days off in between. It started on July 3rd, when they headed to Lake James, Indiana, for a family gathering at Dave and Myra's lake house. It was a great opportunity to connect with family and be entertained by the antics of the younger generation. Great food, weather, and fireworks rounded out the stay.

Myra successfully corrals all four of her grandchildren. (Hayley, Harper, Ida Jane, Evan)


Rudy and Jenny Lucas, friends of the Zolls since they were neighbors in Delphos in the 1960's, drove down from Lake Columbia, MI to join in the party. Here they are pictured with Lois and Dave.


Amy, Ben and Jen catch up on family news. Amy, Ben and family were in from D.C. for the week.


Mike is giving his son, Evan, some tips on how to "park" the new boat. Mike gave Jake and Jonah some wild tubing rides, and also provided lake tours for the less adventuresome. Does that boat have speed!


Jonah returns a tube to shore.


Jen and Tom are content to just chill...no tubing for them!


Hayley is content to sit on her great granddad's lap.


Harper (15 months old) and her dad, Ben, share some laughs with Hayley (5 months) and Grandmama.


Barb, Ida Jane and David catch their breath after a rousing game of chase. (Okay, only Barb and Dave have to get a breather - Ida Jane is the original energizer bunny.)


Jim and Barb headed from Lake James to Columbus, enjoying a relaxing drive on some backroads through the Indiana and Ohio countryside. In Columbus they caught up with Jim's family, where Patti and John were hosting a 4th of July cookout. Mike, Marcia and Laura were in from North Carolina, and Margaret, Keith and Kathy drove down from Cleveland.

Here are four of the five Pearce siblings - Kathy, Mike, Margaret and Jim.


After doing some fabulous grilling, John still had the energy to take on the group later that evening in a rousing game of progressive gin rummy. Who won, anyway?


Laura's a cat lover, and poses with one of Patti and John's adorable cats.


Margaret and Keith enjoy the lovely setting on the deck.


There was also a festive birthday cake to commemorate the spring birthdays of Patti (40), Margaret (60), and Barb (55.)


After several days to recoup, Jim and Barb packed up and headed to Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, to meet up with Ray and Birgitta. What a wonderful spot for relaxation, the theater, wine tasting, history, and the arts.

Here's Birgitta and Barb on the mainstreet in what's called, Old Town. Check out the beautiful flower beds and planters - the entire area is a botanical delight.


A stop at Fort George was in order, where we saw a musket firing demonstration, enjoyed a fife and drum performance, and learned about the time period during the War of 1812. It was fun to get the Canadian perspective of the events.


There are over 30 vineyards in the area, and the group enjoyed a delightful tour of the Chateau de Charmes. What better way to top off your tour and tastings than with ice wine and ice cream.


Ray inspects the vines at the only certified organic winery in Ontario - Frogpond Farm and Vineyard.


We found the perfect spot to enjoy a sunset after a great day. Across the lake you can make out the skyline of Toronto.



Here's one more shot of a gorgeous Canadian sunset over Lake Ontario. We did hear, however, that there are even more beautiful sunsets in the Port Elgin area, where John is moving this summer. Looking forward to checking that out and comparing!

Recent Fun!

The annual Zoll family Indians game took place last week. Here are some photo highlights.




Pre-game activities included a picnic and tree climbing.








We visited Melanie and Mo in Florida. Mo greeted us with a culinary delight for dinner. He prepared seafood Bastilla, the "national dish" of Morocco. Take a look as Chef Mo explains.

Melanie and Chef Mo.

Chef Mo serves homemade macaroons made from scratch.

















One day we went for an airboat ride in the Everglades. This video takes you aboard.

Recent fun also included a special dinner for Mother's Day featuring Dave and Lois, Carly and Jen and Tom.