Duck on Sat. Playground and traffic q
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Anonymous
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We are headed to Duck for the first time this coming Saturday. Plan to leave around 5am from MOCO and get there early, let kids play at playground in Duck park and eat lunch near Duck boardwalk then head to house for check in. I hear traffic is terrible on Duck Rd. Is it a bad idea to hang out in boardwalk area and then drive north to Sanderling area mid afternoon? Will we have defeated the whole purpose of getting out early and sit in traffic on Duck Rd? Trying to figure out best plan for travel with young kid and baby.
Thx. |
Anonymous
| We left at 4:45 from NW DC last week of July and Route 12 was a nightmare. It started just over the bridge (before you even make a left to head N on 12). We ended up following side streets all the way up. I think it just suuuuuuuucks. Beach was awesome though. Good luck. Plus it was super hot, and playing at the Corolla playground was miserable in the direct sun. |
Anonymous
| Do you think it will be better this coming week since moco and some va schools are back in session next week? |
Anonymous
| Traffic should be lighter next week. NC schools are back in session now, in addition to the other areas up here that are starting to head back. We went last week and it was much less than the year before when we went one week earlier in August. I do recommend following the side roads. Waze was awesome for this. Saved us 45 minutes or so of driving. |
Anonymous
I don't think any VA schools start back before Labor Day due to VA law. I might be wrong about that. But I do think traffic will be lighter since much of MD will have started. |
Anonymous
| When you say "side roads", what/where are you referring to? on the island or mainland? |
Anonymous
| Do folks think our plan to hang around the town of Duck (playground, lunch, boardwalk) if we arrive on early side until house in Sanderling is ready makes sense? Or will traffic from Duck headed North be awful in mid afternoon? |
Anonymous
I am 13:08 from yesterday. By side roads, I mean we turned left off of Rte 158 before the turn at Rte 12. There's a long story why we did that, involving an urgent bathroom break at McD's and a subsequent lunch break for Mexican on Rte 12 S of 15 but anyway, it's not hard to figure it our if you look at a map. We joined Rte 12 around 11th st, I think. Traffic North of Duck was fine, even on that terrible traffic day. You'll be fine. |
Anonymous
| Thank you! |
Anonymous
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I think you're not going all that far. If you were heading all of the way up to Corolla it'd be much worse.
You could head up past Sanderling to one of the shopping areas up there and then be heading south on your way to check-in. Do you need to check-in right there near Sanderling or somewhere else? |
Anonymous
| Need to check in right in town by Duck boardwalk. |
Anonymous
If this is the case, your plan is fine. I think we went last time, the traffic started to thin out a bit once you got through the Duck Village area. It at least wasn't as bad as the pre-bridge/after-bridge traffic. Agree with Waze and using side roads. |
Anonymous
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Be careful cutting through Southern Shores side roads. Southern Shores police have been known to turn you around and send you back to 158 unless you can prove you live in or are renting in southern shores.
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Anonymous
Not true. Loudoun, Prince William and many of th western snowier counties start back before labor day. Anyone with 40 snow days total in 5 years can start early. |
Anonymous
| it takes about 30 45 minutes to get through the twisty turn in duck and that isn't that bad. folks need to crank it down a few notches and relax roll down the windows and feel the ocean air and enjoy it. |