Once a sleepy, sand-in-your-toes seaside town, Birch Bay, Washington, has become the place for waterfrontfront, bayview and beach access properties in all price ranges, be it a condo or a high-end home.

Birch Bay's community centers along its extensive stretch of fully-accessible, completely public salt water beach, where swimmers and sunbathers rub elbows with beachcombers and clam diggers. For hikers and campers, there's Birch Bay State Park, which along with woodlands, also offers more public access beachfront.

Birch Bay is bicycle and dog friendly, and flip flops and shorts are a way of life for a good part of the year in this relaxed setting. Sunsets are spectacular and always free. Annual events include a sand sculpture competition, the Discovery Days parade and arts and crafts festival, a New Year's Eve waterfront Ring of Fire and Hope peace ceremony, and a New Year's Day polar bear dip in the bay.

For great local info, just as you come into town, stop by the Bay Center Market to find the heartbeat of this unique community.