We have a lovely house 100 yds off the beach in Duck.
Are you going soon? It gets hot there early, so if you need to walk the dogs, do it very early or at dusk. We like to take our dog out during early nightfall. He loves chasing the crabs...he'll grab them and toss them into the air.
We like to stop by Dirty Dick's and pick up steamed crab and then we go to the beach and eat them. It's pretty spicy, great with beer. We have a tradition to do this the first night we're there. Be warned that the restaurants usually have a long wait. We've learned to go to a seafood store and cook at the house. Waiting can be a real pain.
Are you on the Sound side or the Sea side? You might be interested in doing a bit of kayaking. The Sound side has some really great intracoastal kayaking trails.
If you like lighthouses, there's the Currituck Beach Lighthouse in Corolla (pronounced Cuh-RAH-lah) just north of Duck.
If you've got a car, you might want to plan a trip down to Hatteras Lighthouse. You'll pass by Bodie Lighthouse on the way down. If your knees are good (and you're not afraid of heights), I recommend climbing the lighthouses. You'll drive by some really beautiful beaches. If you can tolerate a bit more driving, take the ferry from Hatteras Lighthouse down to Ocracoke Island. Now, you're getting into some really gorgeous beaches.
As for your "spirits" needs, there are drive-through ABC stores.
If you're into a bit of history, cross the big bridge to Manteo to see Elizabethan Gardens. There's the show "The Lost Colony".
Hope this helps.
Duck is yuppified.
Duck is not the end of the world, but you can *see* it from there. :-)
Wonderful place. You won't want to leave.