With prices for gasoline higher than my SAT scores, my wife and I were contemplating scrapping the family vacation entirely this year.

However, after some urging from the kids, we decided that a little trip to the beach was still a necessity, so we packed them into the van tighter than two coats of paint and headed south.

And while I know it's often an overused phrase, the trip really has been about the journey and not the actual destination.

Our trip is as close to doing nothing as you can get while still doing "something." Many of our days have been spent lounging by a pool, retrieving diving sticks and munching peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (without the crusts, of course). The kids couldn't be happier, and we've actually saved a bundle of cash by not dining out.

Once in a while we muster some gumption and drive to a local place that has some fireworks or an ice cream cone, but that's really not what the trip is about.

It's about the Ola family spending time together, far removed from our normal daily lives and placing us with no one else to depend upon for anything, including entertainment.

The kids have adjusted accordingly, taking turns playing games, swapping jokes and even (Gasp!) playing together in the pool when my wife and I tire of throwing them through the air like a cannonball or diving eight feet down, only to emerge with water up our noses.

Walks on the beach have become a summertime classroom, teaching the kids about sea life, tides and the physics of riding a body board. Please don't tell them they are learning, though. It's kind of our secret.

Something else they are learning is that television is nowhere near as interesting as taking a walk, flying a kite or listening to some music.

We typically click the television on while we're preparing dinner or lunch so that they can unwind for 20 minutes.

Holding hands as a family has become not only acceptable, but expected, as we move through little towns vying to become the next Key West. In fact, the kids get a little upset when we split up into pairs, leaving each child without the other for awhile.

My son even bought a present for his sister's best friend – on his own accord!

Frankly, all of this "family bonding" stuff is getting a tad bit scary, and I'm waiting for a Chevy Chase moment from "National Lampoon's Family Vacation" to happen. But even if it does, I can tell you that the support of my family will remain intact.

And sitting here halfway through our vacation (the one I really didn't want to take because the price of gas is going up faster than our savings account is going down) I can't help but wonder why I was hesitant in the first place.

Sometimes, you really can't put a price on alone-time together with the folks you spend everyday with but never really get to know.

"Dad, I have a great idea," said my son, whose last great idea involved duct tape, a 50- foot rope and the cats (that's a story for another column).

"What's the idea, Alex?" I asked during our walk that has become a morning ritual.

"Let's go somewhere for Christmastime, Dad." His hand squeezes mine slightly, and it's not because he's slipping or falling.

"Alex, that is a great idea. Let's ask the girls where they want to go and we'll decide as a family."

I feel as if my Christmas present has arrived four-and-a-half months early, and I know years from now my kids will feel the same way. Happy summer everyone.