- The boardwalk here at Duck is such a fun place to walk, but this town has a lot more to show than just a boardwalk.

So we asked producer Clay Johnson to take us on a tour.

(waves crashing) (seagulls cawing) - Here, days start with sunrise over the ocean and they end with sunset over the sound.

The town of Duck is tucked in between.

- Duck's a naturally beautiful place.

As one of our friends put it, it's a little slice of paradise.

- I like to go to the beach.

That seems like a given, but it is so beautiful year round, just walking and enjoying the water.

- We took our first vacation here.

We got engaged here.

We got married here.

And this was all while we lived in Pittsburgh.

Every trip, Kim would say, "We should really move here.

Wouldn't it be great if we could live here?"

Once we both became remote workers during COVID, it became, you know, not just a dream, but an actual possibility.

- The Foremans bought a house here and moved with their daughter, Scarlett.

Now they both work from their new home in Duck.

- It's not precisely true that you get to live on vacation, but a lot of your free time is a lot like vacation.

- I love the community aspect of it.

I think it's a small community, but it's a tight-knit community.

Everybody is so friendly.

I like going into town and walking around and doing a lot of, like, local shopping in town 'cause they have such unique stores.

- We know most of the shop owners at this point.

We're friends with several of them, so it's just really cool being in town and walking around and shopping and seeing friendly faces.

- Almost the entire village is independent, locally-owned businesses.

- Including Duck's Cottage Coffee and Books.

It's in one of Duck's oldest buildings.

It was built in 1921 as a waterfront hunting lodge where the duck being hunted were tied to the town's name.

- You have a good day.

- The building was moved inland toward the town center and in 2002 became this coffee shop.

- Anything you can imagine with coffee.

- With pastries to go with it.

There's merch like hats and mugs, tees and totes.

And there are books, too, of course.

- We carry several thousand titles, a lot by North Carolina authors, New York Times bestsellers, local authors, kids' books.

- It's also just a gathering place for both locals and visitors.

- We just like to think that we're the happiest place in Duck.

- Anderson says the town's pedestrian and bike-friendly nature is good for business.

- If you stay right across the street or within a half mile of Duck, you can literally park your car and never get in your car again.

You could ride your bike, you could walk.

- Being able to park your car and just walk all throughout Duck is something that we're really proud to offer.

- A mile-long boardwalk along the Sound connects many of the town's shops to each other and connects to some restaurants, too.

- Unlike any other place on the Outer Banks, Duck is uniquely cottage-like walking community and lots of great food and a lot of cutting-edge, fine coastal cuisine.

- Wes Stepp is both chef and owner of two restaurants in Duck.

At both, he's all about locally sourced food.

- We're blessed to be on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

You can't get any greater seafood in the entire world.

Not only that, but you got great agriculture all around the Outer Banks.

And my mantra is, the first bite's taken with your eyes, and then when you taste it, it sparks that feeling of, "I'm home."

- His Red Sky Casual Dining and Cocktails puts a twist on healthy eating.

- So it's more Southern contemporary, but in a new, different, and unique style.

- His signature dish there is the Redneck Risotto.

- So the Redneck starts with the stone-ground grits.

The risotto is how I prepare it.

North Carolina green-tail shrimp served with a Cajun cream, real light, and a fresh pico at the end.

- Step's NC Coast Bar and Grill is on the waterfront with outdoor and indoor seating.

It also serves locally sourced fare, but with an international flair.

Its signature dish is a shareable called the Chef's Board.

- So it's got everything from local oysters topped with pimento cheese, crab cakes, pork shanks, fresh fish of the day, a little lobster on top of that, ribeye, local tuna, scallops.

- Stepp says with every dish, customers get a dash of Southern hospitality.

- It's not just an experience of great food.

We want them to really enjoy themselves and know that they're not only welcomed, but we're really happy they're here.

- All right, you got a dozen donuts, kiddos.

Anything else?

- The original Duck Donuts opened here in 2006.

Now there are 150 across the US and another 50 international stores.

- Here, we don't make the first donut until you actually come in and tell us what donuts you wanna make.

You start with the cake donut.

You pick a coating of your choice, a topping of your choice, and then a drizzle of your choice.

- You get to watch your donuts being made and then they're served up warm.

- The donuts are delicious, but it's also a cool experience for our kids to get to watch the donuts being made.

Duck's become one of our favorite family vacation destinations, and the trip's not complete without multiple trips to Duck Donuts.

- I like the dough, it's really good and it's fresh off the baker, so it's like really, really good.

- I love all of them, but I mostly like the cookie crumble.

- People love the sound.

(waves crashing) (seagulls cawing) People love the scene and the feeling.

- It's like nowhere else in the Outer Banks.

- I think it is one of the most beautiful places on the East Coast, if not in the whole country.

I mean, this was an amazing decision to move here.

Absolutely, no regrets.

- To learn more about Duck, visit ducknc.gov.