Things to do in Duck

We have 3 children under 10 and are thinking about a condo rental in Duck this summer. Since we are not going w/any other families, what types of activities/Big grocery stores/movies/family-friendly restaurants, etc are available not only for food, but in case the weather is less than desirable during our stay. Would anyone recommend any other area over Duck like Nags Head/Kill Devil Hills for families? Would appreciate any feedback before we make a decision. Thanks!

Things to do in Duck

We have been vacationing in Duck for 20 yrs and love it! Have been to a few other areas in the outer banks and my family always goes back to Duck. Duck has a lot more communities and housing developments, which may be good for kids to ride bikes. There are lots of shops and restaurants in Duck (very family friendly). You can always do day trips to Corolla (very neat lighthouses and wild horses) and to Nags Head (where there are movie theaters and mini-golf)and outlets..not a bad drive, only about 20 minutes. The only Grocery store chains you will find in the OBX is Food Lion, with a Walmart as you enter into the area. The only thing about Duck is that the traffic can be heavy during the peak times...look at a detailed map though; you can usually come up with some shortcuts :) Enjoy!

Things to do in Duck

You can take a trip to Manteo (about 20-30 min. away) to see the NC Aquarium, which is small but very nice. The kids will like it. Kitty Hawk has the Wright Brothers museum, Kill Devil Hills has Jockey%26#39;s Ridge which is a giant sand dune you can climb. There is a bowling alley and movie theater in the Kitty Hawk/Kill Devil Hills area.

As far as chain grocery stores there is a Harris Teeter I want to say in the Kill Devil Hills area, and Foodlions scattered all about.

I consider all towns in OBX to be great areas for the entire family, just depends on what you are looking for. Duck is a little more quaint/quiet, whereas Kill Devil Hills/Nags Head is a lot busier, and has more variety on things to do. Such as mini golf, go karts, the movie theater, etc. It all depends on what you are looking for.

I would leave more time for driving in the summer than posted above. From Duck to the aquarium, I would leave a good 45 minutes, and it could easily be an hour drive if there is traffic. The Wright Bros memorial in Kill Devil Hills is nice, and it%26#39;s a good walk up to monument with beautiful ocean and sound views. Jockeys Ridge in Nags Head is also a fun walk, and if you feel adventurous, you can learn to hang glide there! Kill Devil Hills and Nags Head will offer lots of restaurants, shopping, the larger movie theater, go carts, golf, and bowling. For grocery stores, Food Lions are located in Southern Shores, Corolla, KDH, and Nags Head. There is also a Harris Teeter in Corolla and one in KDH. If you have bad weather, one great place to go is at milepost 6 in KDH called Front Porch Cafe. The cafe part in the front is a nice coffee shop with some specialty drinks for the kids. Also located there, and part of the coffee shop, is Glazin%26#39; Gonuts where you paint your own pottery, and The Garden of beadin%26#39; where you can make your own jewelery. It%26#39;s a great place for kids as there is a really wide variety of things to paint, and a wide selection of beads, too. It%26#39;s also nice beacuse the cafe part gives adults a place to get a good cup of coffee, and relax a little. If you go there towards the end of your vacation, they will mail the pottery to you after is has been fired, if needed.

For places to eat, Duck will offer just about everything, but fast food...Red Sky and Coastal Provisions have good sandwiches, and there are lots of places around the Scarborough fare shopping area for a quick bite like pizza, etc. Try Duck Donuts one morning, but be careful, you%26#39;ll be hooked! They make their donuts fresh, and they%26#39;re still warm when you get the box.....very dangerous, but ohhhh so worth it!!

I think you will like the Duck area. It%26#39;s really pretty, and less crowded than the KDH and Nags Head areas.