BB007-Duck Down

We have stayed in 7 'dog-friendly' homes in the OBX over the last 9 years and Duck Down is head and shoulders above the rest when it comes to a truly dog friendly home! Forgetting the dog friendly part for a moment (I will cover the dogs in detail later on), the home itself it just wonderful. The feel of the main level living space with the incredible ocean views from all 3 sides is actually much larger than it even appears in the photos. Same with the kitchen- much larger and spacious that it appears in photo #7 in the main rental listing on the website (I’ll reference other photos on the listing page so you can really see just how awesome this place is!) Kitchen is fully equipped with everything you need from pots, pans, glasses, utensils, and even large steam pots and serving platters. There's also a killer multi-cooker air-fryer / broiler / toaster / oven appliance to the left of the sink in the kitchen (you can’t see it in the kitchen photo) that was AMAZING. We did homemade air-fried Wings that were crazy good and crispy, and we also used it for pizzas, and toast and bagels in the mornings. Another awesome extra! Overall, the home is well maintained and it's one of those places where you can just feel like you are in your own home as soon as you get there! One of the most spectacular features of Duck Down is the absolutely perfect 2-level deck. On the upper/main level there is room to sit at least 12 people comfortably and there are several resin deck chairs and tables with panoramic ocean views from every angle. If you look at photos #15 and #17, that is an area where the upper deck walkway out towards the beach was widened and includes to awesome tables with bench seating built-in and enough space for 16 people. It’s the best area for meals overlooking the ocean and just steps from the kitchen. We spent almost every afternoon of our 21 days enjoying sunset out there with a glass of wine and some appetizers, and at least 5 meals during the stay. It's just a perfect deck. ALL THE BEDROOMS WERE EXTREMELY COMFORTABLE!! The middle living level also has the hot tub which was so nice and we used it almost every day we were there. Washer and dryer and ironing board are right there on that level as well which was perfect for everyone. In addition to the main kitchen refrigerator, there is also another full-sized fridge right when you walk into the home from the carport main door. We kept all of our beverages and snacks for the beach in that downstairs fridge, so we didn’t have to tote them up and down the stairs! That's yet another really nice extra about this home we didn’t even know about till we got there. Television and sound system on the main level worked perfectly and internet was fast and operational the entire time we were there with no issues at all. Now back to the dogs! The thing that separates this home from all the others in regard to pet friendliness is how they have secured the entire area with dog-proof gates. Once you bring the dogs into the home, you can let them run onto the either of the two levels of the deck and every exit, either to the beach, or outside the yard, is secured by a swinging latching gate with spring-closer to keep them secure. If you look at photo #16 for example, you will see exactly what I am talking about. That's the gate at the end of the upper-level deck closest to the beach, and it opens to the lower deck (which is till 1 level above the beach. If you let the dogs down to level 2 (see photo #25), there is yet another gate keeping them from getting out to the beach. From level 2 all they can do is run up and down the deck and have fun, OR they can go down the steps closes to the hot tub and the house and that opens to an area under the house where they can do their business, but it's still fully fenced in. That under-house part of the area is open for the dogs to run out to the most amazing front yard! What’s so special about this for the dogs is that at first glance looks like its surrounded by just a split rail fence, but if you look closely at photo #1, you will see that the inside of the split rail fence it also fully lined by a heavy wire-mesh fence that makes it impossible for dogs, even small ones, to get out of. When we first arrived, we did a very careful inspection of the entire perimeter of the yard area and found that they actually buried the wire mesh down into the ground so there are no holes or gaps where smaller dogs could get out, or where bigger dogs might see and try to dig. The yard is just perfect for the dogs to run and play and there are also some folding chairs right under the carport you can easily move into the yard you want to sit out with the dogs and catch late afternoon sun and not have to worry for a second about the dogs getting out. In the mornings we would just let the dogs out onto the main living area deck and let them go. They would run down to the main level and do their stuff without us having to leash them up, walk them down and out and wait with them. I don't mind doing that once in a while but when you are on vacation it's SO NICE to have peace of mind and let them out on their own without having to worry about them or do the walk with them!! The beach this home is located on is wide, white, and spectacular and the views from every level of the home are what you dream about when you think OCEAN FRONT home. Many of the homes in OBX have views obscured fully or partially by the dunes, but not Duck Down. It's a wide open and unobstructed view from everywhere in Duck Down! The home is SO centrally located to the town of Duck. As you are heading into Duck and are right in the middle of the area where most of the restaurants are it's just a couple blocks north of Aqua and just one street after you pass The Blue Point. From the house it’s just a 5 minute bike ride to anywhere in Duck town center including the market, wine stores, delis, and SO many amazing restaurants! I hope the detail of this review help convey just how special this home is! We have booked at again for 3 weeks next year and cannot wait to be back there again! If you love your dogs, love OBX, and want a PEERFECT VACATION HOME look no further! JS

Jay S from Columbia - Posted: 12/8/2021