Rental Overview
Duck, North Carolina, United States
3 Bedrooms 2 Bathrooms |
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Property Information
When I went looking for a place to use some of my timeshare points during the week after Easter, one of the places showing availability was the Outer Banks of North Carolina. I'd never been there before, but the prospect of spending a week late in April on the beach greatly appealed to me.
The resort I chose was Barrier Island Station - Duck. There are two other Barrier Island Stations in the area, both in Kitty Hawk.
The town of Duck was recently featured on the Travel Channel as being one of the top 10 beaches in the U.S. I hadn't seen that when I booked this place, so I was delightfully surprised when I caught that show a week prior to our departure. I liked the town quite a bit, and preferred it over the towns south of here. It had more charm to it than the others and isn't dominated by strip-malls.
Barrier Island Station - Duck is situated on the northern side of town on a strip of land between the Atlantic Ocean and Currituck Sound. There is a small market in the town of Duck itself, but for a full load of food shopping, visitors are better off stopping at the Food Lion or Seaman's Foods on the way through Nags Head. The road in and out of Duck is one lane in either direction. There are signs in Nags Head warning of long delays during the summer season.
Check in is after 4 p.m. We arrived after that time, but from what I understand from other people, this is strictly enforced; you can't get your unit any earlier than this. If you're going to be later than 6 p.m., you'll need to call ahead and make sure your paperwork is given to security, although longer hours may be in effect during the summer season.
The units are all in a variety of rustic-looking buildings three stories tall. There are no elevators. We were fortunate to have a first floor room. Although the views on the third floor are probably awesome, I would not like to have to drag my luggage up all of those steps.
We had booked a one-bedroom unit. We were actually one-half of a lockout. As we entered the main door there was a laundry room with a full-sized washer and dryer to be shared by the two units in the lockout. Two doors off of this entranceway led to each lockout.
Our unit was beautiful, and much larger than I'd expected it to be. We had no space issues with one adult and three kids in the unit; I'd have had no problem if another adult had been along either. The furniture was all in terrific shape. Everything was immaculately clean, although there were some signs of wear and tear in the unit itself. These were places where I could tell repairs had been made within the unit itself, rather than what I would think would happen as a result of abuse by previous tenants.
The living room had a entrance off of the lockout/laundry area, plus another door that led to a porch. We used the porch door as our entrance/exit for most of the week.
In the living room was a queen-sized convertible sofa, a love seat, a wicker entertainment center with a television and video cassette player, a coffee table, and several end tables. If there's a complaint to be had here it's that I felt the lighting in the living room could have possibly been better. There is a dining area off of this with a glass table and six chairs. Although no wall divided the dining area from the living room, it did feel almost like a separate area.
There was a counter with four stools between the dining area and the kitchen. This made it easy to prepare food and have my kids sit there rather than having to go around to the table all the time. There was a phone up there as well as quite a few guide books and paperwork on the resort itself.
We had a full kitchen with a full-sized refrigerator, stove and oven, and dishwasher. The kitchen was also off a hallway which led down to the bedroom. Opposite the kitchen is the first bathroom with just a toilet and sink.
It was four steps down to the bedroom, which I was delighted with. There was a king-sized bed with two night-tables right as I walked in. On the far wall was a dresser with six drawers. To my left was a large jacuzzi tub, definitely big enough for two. Too bad my husband had to work and stayed home!
Down here was also the main bathroom. There was a sink with plenty of counterspace outside of the bathroom, and inside the bathroom was the shower and toilet. The whole unit had plenty of closet space as well, and in the kitchen was plenty of storage for a week's worth of food.
There were some noise issues. I couldn't hear people talking or laughing from other units, but I could hear them moving around or dragging chairs across the floor. I think my bedroom was below the kitchen and dining area of the unit above us. One night when I woke up in the middle of the night, I could faintly hear someone snoring. I don't know if this came from above or next door, but it was only audible in the dead silence of the night.
Our unit was next to the indoor pool and game room. This was nice as we had a mere quick dash to the pool. There were crafts once a day for the kids going on all week. The indoor pool was quite warm while we were there except for one day when it seemed a bit cool. There is no lifeguard, and the kids there did seem to get a bit out of control at times. A jacuzzi is in the corner of the pool area as well. There are movie rentals available here. For $15, I could purchase a card allowing me unlimited rentals for the entire week, or I could pay as I went. Since we had brought videos from home, I didn't use this option.
The outdoor pool area is gorgeous. Just looking at it made me want to visit again during the summer season and make use of it as well as better use of the beach. The week we were there was much cooler than normal, and we only had one day that was nice enough to spend time at the beach. We had to drive to that end of the complex and park, then there was a short walk over the dunes on a wooden boardwalk to the beach.
The beach is a nice size without having a long walk to the water. My kids made sandcastles and put their feet in the surf. There can be a dangerous rip current here, so make sure to keep an eye on the kids. During the season there is a lifeguard stationed here, I am told. Many people were flying kites. There is a short walk to the north where there is a U.S. Army Corps. of Engineers Research Pier. Depending on the current security level, tours may be available of this facility.
Across the road from Barrier Island Station - Duck is the water sports recreation rental area where boats or jet-skis can be rented. I didn't price it since I had no intention of doing it, but from what I saw the rentals looked like they were in fairly good condition. There are also quite a few fishing charters available all over the area, as well as four-wheel drive tours on the dunes and dolphin and whale charters.
Our unit was also across from the tennis courts and playground. It was nice to be able to sit on the porch of our unit and watch my kids in the playground, although there wasn't much equipment to play on.
There are a few things I didn't like about the place. One was security. On several nights as late as 10 p.m. there were teenagers running around screaming and yelling. We could hear them in the unit. It kept me awake, although my kids were tired and slept through it with no problem. One day there was a problem with kids being on the roof of the indoor pool and recreation complex. By the time security arrived down there they had disappeared. The security seemed to consist of one guard at a time, the one I met during the day doubled as a peace officer for the Town of Duck itself.
I didn't like that there were very few places to deposit the trash around the resort as well. It was only the last day that I discovered a short-cut to the nearest receptacle. All week I'd been putting the garbage out on our porch and then whenever we'd get in the car I'd drive it to the receptacle. I think the trash could be handled better, even campgrounds I stay at usually have a scheduled pick-up time and Barrier Island Station - Duck would benefit from this same type of service.
The other problem isn't one with Barrier Island Station - Duck itself, but the general area; it is expensive for food. Our first night there I was just going to pick up Burger King and found it closed at 5PM. Not wanting to travel anymore, we decided to have pizza delivered. For one medium pizza and one stromboli, it came to $25. One afternoon we stopped at a burger restaurant down in Roanoke and it cost over $30 for two adult meals and two kids meals. Another family we made friends with also echoed our findings stating that they ate at the restaurant across the road from Barrier Island Station - Duck (featured on the Travel Channel's profile of the town) and ended up with the parents just getting salads so they could afford the meal. There was a menu guide in our unit, and the prices seemed normal for the area, but even for someone used to New York City prices, it did seem a bit excessive. I was glad to have my own kitchen to prepare meals in for the week. The one time we did eat dinner out, on Easter, we ended up at Western Sizzlin simply because it seemed the most reasonable.
Prior to our departure to the resort, I received a mailing which advised me to bring certain items which Barrier Island Station - Duck didn't supply. One of the items was an alarm clock, yet there was an alarm clock in the bedroom. It listed toilet paper, but we had two extra rolls. There were no paper towels, so I was pleased to have brought my own there. There is no liquid dish detergent provided, and only two packets for the dishwasher. Soap was listed on the paper as well, although there were a couple of bars in the unit. I did notice, however, that they seemed to deteriorate rather quickly.
There is quite a lot to do in the area, and I would love to go back there again, this time during the summer season. Although there were a few problems, it could be the case that since it's still considered the off-season they are not fully staffed yet. I'd highly recommend it to anyone in the off-season as there are enough shops and sight-seeing opportunities to make up for not being able to use the beach.
Additional Rate Information
1,900 X 4WKS
Other Unlisted Amenities
Ceiling Fan(s), Dishwasher, Dryer, Exercise Room/Gym Onsite, Iron, Ironing Board, Microwave, Playground Onsite, Pool (Shared), Satellite TV, Tennis Onsite, Tile Floors, WasherAir Conditioning, Exercise Room/Gym Onsite, Fishing Nearby, Food Processor, Golf Clubs, Horseback Riding Nearby, Hot Tub, Iron, Ironing Board, Lake View, Playground Onsite, Restaurant Nearby, Sailing, Stove, Swimming, Telephone, Tennis NearbyFishing Nearby, Golf Nearby, Hot Tub, Iron, Ironing Board, Lake View, Playground Onsite, Restaurant Onsite, Shopping, State/National Park Nearby, SwimmingCable TV, Exercise Room/Gym Onsite, Food Processor, Game Room Onsite, Golf Onsite, Housekeeper, Ocean View, Restaurant Nearby, Spa, Stove, Tennis Nearby, ToasterAir Conditioning, Casino Nearby, Covered Parking/Garage, DVD Player, Fax Machine, Food Processor, Full Refrigerator, Hair Dryer, Hot Tub, Internet Access, Iron, Ironing Board, Microwave, Pool (Shared), Stove, Telephone, VCRAir Conditioning, Boating, Casino Onsite, Exercise Room/Gym Onsite, Fireplace, Fishing Nearby, Food Processor, Golf Onsite, Horseback Riding Nearby, Hot Tub, Iron, Ironing Board, Lake Front, Microwave, Playground Onsite, Restaurant Onsite, Sauna, Shopping, Ski Slopes Nearby, Stove, Swimming, Telephone, Tennis OnsiteCable TV, Coffee Maker, Cook, Dishwasher, Dryer, Fishing Nearby, Full Refrigerator, Golf Onsite, Ice Maker, Iron, Ironing Board, Linens Provided, Microwave, Stereo, Stove, Telephone, WasherAir Conditioning, Balcony, Cable TV, Ceiling Fan(s), Dishwasher, Iron, Ironing Board, Patio, Playground Onsite, Pool (Shared), Satellite TV, Spa, Tennis NearBalcony, Blender, Cable TV, CD Player, Coffee Maker, Dishwasher, Dryer, DVD Player, Exercise Room/Gym Onsite, Fishing Nearby, Full Refrigerator, Game Room Onsite, Golf Onsite, Hair Dryer, Hiking Nearby, Hot Tub, Ice Maker, Internet Access, Iron, Ironing Board, Lake Front, Microwave, Playground Onsite, Porch/Lanai, Restaurant Nearby, Restaurant Onsite, Sauna, Shopping, Stereo, Stove, WasherFishing Nearby, Lake Front, Playground Onsite, Pool (Shared), Tennis NearbyAir Conditioning, Cable TV, Coffee Maker, Exercise Room/Gym Onsite, Golf Onsite, Hair Dryer, Internet Access, Iron, Ironing Board, Playground Onsite, Reserved Parking, Telephone, Tennis NearbyBasketball Court Onsite, Pool (Private), Pool (Shared), Tennis OnsiteAir Conditioning, Cable TV, Fax Machine, Full Refrigerator, Housekeeper, Iron, Ironing Board, Microwave, Reserved Parking, Satellite TV, ShoppingAir Conditioning, Alarm Clock, Balcony, Basketball Court Onsite, Cable TV, Coffee Maker, Dishwasher, Dryer, Exercise Room/Gym Onsite, Fishing Nearby, Food Processor, Full Refrigerator, Golf Nearby, Horseback Riding Nearby, Hot Tub, Ice Maker, Iron, Ironing Board, Lake Front, Microwave, Playground Onsite, Restaurant Nearby, Spa, Stove, Swimming, VCR, WasherAir Conditioning, Beach Front, Boating, Dishwasher, Exercise Room/Gym Onsite, Fireplace, Fishing Nearby, Food Processor, Game Room Onsite, Golf Onsite, Hot Tub, Iron, Ironing Board, Lake Front, Microwave, Playground Onsite, Restaurant Onsite, Sauna, Shopping, Stove, Swimming, Telephone, Tennis OnsiteAir Conditioning, Balcony, Cable TV, Ceiling Fan(s), Dishwasher, Iron, Ironing Board, Patio, Playground Onsite, Pool (Shared), Satellite TV, Spa, Tennis OnsiteAir Conditioning, DVD Player, Fireplace, VCRAlarm Clock, Coffee Maker, Hair Dryer, Iron, Ironing Board, Mountain View, Ocean ViewBasketball Court Onsite, Exercise Room/Gym Onsite, Fishing Nearby, Game Room Onsite, Internet Access, Iron, Ironing Board, Jetski Rentals Nearby, Lake Front, Spa, Tennis NearbyAir Conditioning, Beach Front, Boating, Dishwasher, Dryer, Exercise Room/Gym Onsite, Fireplace, Fishing Nearby, Food Processor, Game Room Onsite, Golf Onsite, Hair Dryer, Hot Tub, Iron, Ironing Board, Lake Front, Microwave, Playground Onsite, Restaurant Onsite, Sauna, Shopping, Stove, Swimming, Telephone, Tennis Onsite, WasherAir Conditioning, Boating, Dishwasher, Dryer, Exercise Room/Gym Onsite, Fishing Nearby, Food Processor, Game Room Onsite, Golf Nearby, Horseback Riding Nearby, Hot Tub, Iron, Ironing Board, Lake Front, Microwave, Playground Onsite, Restaurant Nearby, SCUBA Diving Nearby, Shopping, Stove, Swimming, Telephone, Tennis Onsite, WasherAir Conditioning, Beach Front, Boating, Dishwasher, Dryer, Exercise Room/Gym Onsite, Fishing Nearby, Food Processor, Golf Onsite, Hair Dryer, Horseback Riding Nearby, Hot Tub, Iron, Ironing Board, Microwave, Playground Onsite, Restaurant Nearby, Sauna, SCUBA Diving Nearby, Shopping, Stove, Swimmi |
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