Duck Week, An Introduction

I mentioned that tubing the Shenandoah was partly a redemption for flaking out on my married friends in order to go to Carolina's Outer Banks for Duck Week.  You may be asking yourself, "What is Duck Week?"  Well, here's your primer. 

Every Memorial Day weekend and the following week, Mormon singles from Boston to Miami (and a shout-out to my CA peeps!) congregate in Duck, NC.  For those that haven't been, it's not a complicated thing to understand.  Imagine Spring Break in Daytona Beach, FL.  Now move that atmosphere to a more remote location, make nearly everyone young working professionals, and make them Mormon.  Sounds pretty dreadful, right?  Sounds more like after-hours speed-dating at an accountants convention at Disney World.  Add Extra Quirkiness + Heightened Expectations - Booze - Age-Appropriate Behavior + Potential Visit to Sugar Shack = Duck Week Snog-a-palooza.  At least that's the reputation that it has acquired over the years.  It has the potential for fun, adventure, and relaxation without the rotting smell of desparation that accompanies any event branded as a "singles" getaway.   

So many people roll their eyes and whisper about the meat-market feel of the week.  I've long suspected that the ones complaining about the meat-market sensation are those whose beef is left in the cooler.  In my experience, I haven't found it to be anything near so slutty.  In reality, only a small portion are looking for the weekend hookup, and an even smaller percentage of those actually get what they're looking for.  So I don't understand what the complaining is about.  I say live and let live.  If someone came to lay on the beach and relax, let them lay on the beach and relax.  If someone came to kayak and chase wild horses on the sand dunes, good for them.  Why should it make any difference to me if someone showed up to Duck looking for some road beef?  Bully for them if they get it.  That's the real beauty of the Duck experience:  you can find whatever you want there.  Especially if tankinies are your thing.  I find them mildly ridiculous, but there are other options available for all beach-going tastes.  It is entirely up to you what shape your vacation takes.  With that in mind, I made the decision to attend this year, and I'm oh so glad I did.