Vacations for exceptional families require flexibility, persistence, a sense of humor, and a view of the world as the glass being half full. In this article, the author shares her family's summer vacation experience. If "getting there is half the fun," the author's family has had more than their share of fun times. She has learned the other half of the equation is flexibility, persistence, and a sense of humor. As a family of five with kids ages 13, 11, and 9, their summer vacation is all about relaxation. They journey, with two other families, to the quietest beach spot they can find in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. With six adults and eight kids, it's rarely quiet but always peaceful.