Duck, North Carolina
Family
Edition
August 30 – September 6, 2026
Duck, North Carolina
August 30 – September 6, 2026
8:00 AM
Woke up at my place and hit the road around 8. Lane slept in the car for a couple states and I just listened to country. Bagels and protein bars on the way, one stop for gas and a bathroom, and we pulled into Duck around 2:30.
2:30 PM
Check-in wasn't until 4 so we all went to Swells'a Brewing, an outdoor beer garden tucked under the trees in downtown Duck. My whole family was there at that point so it was nice to finally see everyone and say hi.
I was starving, so me and Lane went up a set of stairs into Scarborough Lane Shoppes - a little village of wooden shops all connected by raised boardwalks - to Island Smoothie. I got a chipotle wrap which was a little underwhelming. Went back to Swells'a and had a couple beers while we hung out and really settled in. Played some ping pong and hung out with my nieces.
4:00 PM
The place was ready at 4 so we all got in the cars and headed right over - a very short drive back on the main road, then all the way down Four Seasons Lane. We all got there, unpacked, and found our rooms. It took a while to get everything out of all the cars and into the rooms, fridges, pantries, etc., but once we did it was time to chill on the top third-floor deck for a little. Beachfront, overlooking the gorgeous North Atlantic. The view was so beautiful.
6:00 PM
Being in the car all day, me and Lane wanted to get some exercise in, so we went for a run around 6. Two miles in the summer heat.
6:45 PM
Got back and ate dinner around 6:45 - pizza was on the menu. We celebrated Kenny's birthday that night and ate dinner up on the third-floor top deck. After dinner we sang happy birthday to Kenny and enjoyed the most gorgeous sunset.
We just chilled the rest of the night and all hung out on the deck.
10:30 AM
Woke up and read the Bible for a bit. Went down to the beach around 10:30-11 and came back up around 1 for a quick lunch. There was a really nice pool at the house so me and Lane decided to hang out there for a little bit around 1:30 - then we got in and swam a bunch of laps for a nice workout.
3:00 PM
After that we got back on the beach around 3 and hung out for a while.
5:30 PM
All the siblings chose a night to cook for everyone, and Brendan and Lauren chose Monday. They were making meatballs and spaghetti - they pre-made all the meatballs but still left the beach a little earlier than everyone.
We hung out with the three girls on the beach till a little past 5:30, then went back, got ready and dressed up nice for dinner. We were celebrating my mom that night for her 60th birthday, and the theme was Sixty by the Sea.
Monday Night
Happy birthday, Mom
8:30 PM
Hung out at the table for a while and enjoyed beautiful sunset #2. Then we sang to my mom, had cake, and gave her presents at 8:30. Hung around the house and goofed off a bit before heading to bed.
Morning
I had to work, so the morning was a bit of a downer unfortunately. I just had to submit monthly and weekly reports and then I was done, so I tried doing it as quickly as possible. Lane worked on her contracts right there with me.
11:00 AM
Got done and got to the beach around 11, similar to the day before. We brought some snacks down - pretzels and popcorn - so we didn't need to go back up. The waves weren't too big at all, it was a really calm ocean day. Lane decided to snooze a bit on the beach, and at this point I document it every single time. I'm the worst.
3:30 PM
We caught wind that the Four Seasons community had a community pool, a pickleball court and best of all - a gym. So me and Lane walked over to lift around 3:30. Hit chest, shoulders, bis and tris - pretty much all upper except back. Light day for all muscle groups though since I had skipped Monday.
Late Afternoon
It was Colin and Lara's night to cook for us. Colin was making chicken tacos so he got started there. It was a very early beach day for everyone because it was family photo day on the beach.
Tuesday · 6:30 PM
photos by Lane
Lane brought her camera equipment and we had one big photo shoot on the beach. We got down to the beach around 6:30 to start.
After the Shoot
After the shoot we all went up and chilled for a nice cocktail hour. Colin decided to pour up some margs and hand them out while we waited a little - and boy did we pour them. Had dinner around 8, which was amazing, and hung out the rest of the night.
9:30 AM
Woke up around 8:30. Some of the fam was going to play pickleball, but Colin and Lara and the girls hung around upstairs, so we hung out with them for a bit and ate breakfast. Then around 9:30 we went to go meet everyone on the court.
Me and Lane played two games and let's just say the games weren't too competitive… The gym is at the same place, so we went straight from pickleball into a lift.
11:00 AM
After our lift we left around 11 to go to Food Lion. Today was our turn to cook, and we were making stuffed peppers! Remember - the ones from the day date? Yeah, those ones.
Shopped and walked around Food Lion getting everything we needed, then got back to the house.
1:00 PM
Chilled, made a quick tuna sandwich and got our stuff to head to the beach around 1. Stayed on the beach - Lane took another snooze (she's so cute) and we had a really good day in the water. The waves were huge and the current was really strong. We also played some Mölkky, then went back to the house at 3:30 to get prepared for making dinner for everyone.
3:30 PM
I got some bitters, simple syrup and some oranges to make old fashioneds that night, so I poured one up as we started to cook. For the most part it was chill - the meat sat on the stove for a while and we hung out while we got the sides ready.
Then there were the sweet potato fries. We put them in a side oven that was thinner, and instead of spreading them on a pan we just threw them in a dish - so they were laid on top of each other, which turned out horribly. Took them out and they were just soggy. So bad. We should have stacked them in with the peppers.
Took the peppers out, the salad was ready, and we served the first dish of sweet potatoes while the second one stayed in. Everyone filled their plates around 6:45. Took the second dish out midway through and it wasn't much better - BUT whatever, something we learned that day.
After Dinner
After dinner it was a nice pool night. Played cornhole for a while out back next to the pool, and Brendan fell in on accident - which was a top 3 moment of the week. Then Dad did a belly flop. The great OBX flop. Another top moment.
9:00 AM
The saddest day :( Woke up around 9 and made some eggs for me and Lane, then went to the gym, then got to the beach around 12. Stayed on the beach until about 3 before heading back to the house. I say it's a sad day because Lane was packing her stuff to leave.
3:45 PM
All the guys were heading to Growlers To Go to get a flight. Lane was leaving soon so unfortunately I couldn't go with them - I wanted to say bye and help her out the door. She left around 3:45 and I hopped in the car with her so she could drop me off at Growlers.
We got there and I said bye to my bestfriend Lane.
L & A
Extras
The story might end there. This is an L & A travel log after all, and L left - so it was just A and his family. But you can't not finish this vacation log out, so here's some extra content.
4:00 PM
Got to Growlers and got a flight - a couple IPAs, a shandy and a lager. Decent. Just hung out there with my dad, Colin, Brendan and Kenny.
4:30 PM
Got back to the house about 4:30 and chilled around the house and the pool. For some reason flies came out of nowhere and attacked everyone in sight - even the pool was bad - but we hung out there nonetheless.
7:00 PM
Went in the house around 6:30 to chill. Meghan and Kenny were up to bat to make dinner - they grilled burgers and hot dogs and we ate at 7.
After Dinner
After dinner the girls left and the guys hung around the table to play some Skip-Bo. Ended up leaving the game and going out for cigars and Woodford. Went inside, showered, and stayed up until Lane got home safely around 11:30, then went to bed.
8:15 AM
Got up around 8:15 and the flies were still gnawing on everyone in sight, so we hung around the house and pool for the entire morning.
Ended up going to the beach around 11:45 with the plan to just go straight into the water and then straight back to the house - but we got out there and they weren't as bad. Calm ocean day. Stayed on the beach for a little over an hour before heading back at 1:15 to eat lunch. Played some cornhole out back, then ran to the gym at 3 and got back around 4.
4:30 PM
This was do-whatever night. Unfortunate that Lane had left, but Meg, Kenny, Colin and Lara were kind enough to let me join them with the three girls as well. We left around 4:30ish to go to Jack Brown's.
They had some really good food - mostly everyone got a burger (which was like a smash burger) with fries and a drink. Dinner was quick - got in and got out - and the girls were great.
6:30 PM
Got back around 6:30 and got some more beer to head out and stand around on the beach. It was such a great evening out there and Anna was just running around. Went back in and had a chill night playing Wits & Wagers.
8:00 AM
Woke up about 8ish - read, did a lot of work on my laptop, and hung out. Went to the beach at 11 and the flies weren't bad - nearly gone. Went back to the house around 12:30 to watch some college football and get some food.
1:45 PM
Went back to the beach around 1:45 and didn't get back to the house until maybe 7:30. This afternoon beach day was so good. And when I say didn't get back to the house, I mean for a while - I'd run back real quick to get a drink and go to the bathroom ALL the time. I mean, the house was 50 yards away, how could you not.
I poured a rum and coke in the latish afternoon - poured it strong - and enjoyed that for hours. Last night, so everyone was getting the last bit out of it as we could, and boy did we.
4:30 PM
Around 4:30 we were blessed with a double rainbow.
Blessed to see a double promise that God won't flood the earth!
Night
Got back to the house - beers and college football (and a terrible Michigan game ending), then in bed.
outtakes - had to add these somewhere
Sunday · September 6
Woke up, packed, hit the road, home by 4:30.
that's it - that's the trip
Pizza on the top deck, Sixty by the Sea, photo day, 24 stuffed peppers, Brendan falling in the pool, the great OBX flop and a double rainbow to close it out.
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