Duck, North Carolina is the third leg in our four part Eastern North Carolina! Though, the kids enjoyed all of our road trip destinations, Duck was their favorite.  The reason? COUSINS! Yes, we meet up with my brother, sister, and their respective families each summer for a week or so of beach fun.

In conjunction with our family’s annual trip to North Carolina’s Outer Banks each summer, this year we decided to create more of a road trip. Rather than just visit my family’s beach cottage in Duck, North Carolina, we added stops in Kinston, NC, Ocracoke, NC, and Raleigh, NC.

In a series here on the blog, and on our YouTube channel, I will share the highlights of our experience!  You can expect information on lodging, dining, and family friendly experiences in each location.

We made our way to Duck, North Carolina from Ocracoke Island, with a quick stop at Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.  Bergen and Georgia really enjoyed seeing the Ocracoke Lighthouse, but (Georgia especially!) were disappointed that they couldn’t go inside or climb to the top.

Knowing Cape Hatteras Lighthouse was an easy stop on our way to Duck, we braved the 257 step climb up a narrow (+hot) staircase.  The National Park Services stagger ticket times ensuring that the climb, and the top viewing area are not terribly crowded.

After arriving Duck, we fell into a routine of bike rides, beach time, sunsets at the sound, and ghost crab walks at night.  Miniature golf, local restaurants, and a cancelled sailboat cruise (due to a thunderstorm) were also part of the mix!

Join us on our adventure in Duck, NC by playing the video below!

Duck, NC Favorites:

• Duck’s Cottage Coffee & Books
• Tullio’s Bakery
• Red Sky Cafe
• Coastal Cantina
• The Blue Point
• Dockside N Duck Seafood Market
• Norbanks Sailing and Watersports Rentals
• Walk the town boardwalk (.78 miles) stopping for the views, shops, restaurants, ice cream, and playground

Our next stop on our Eastern North Carolina road trip is Raleigh! When we travel to the Outer Banks, we fly in and out of Raleigh, but have never taken the time to actually explore the city.  For this trip, we set aside about 24 hours to explore North Carolina’s capital.

Did your family take a road trip this summer? Let’s chat in the comments!

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