Let's face it: Washingtonians have varying notions of beach life. If anyone in this region owns a bikini, it's because she owns an indoor pool or just got back from somewhere else. Our beach bunnies are actual rabbits, our beach blankets thermal sleeping bags. Cabanas and hot dog stands give way to canoes and salmon jerky. In other words, Spring Break central this is not.

On warm summer days, though, when clouds part and temperatures climb into the blistering 70s, seaside towns like Port Orchard take on a beauty that relaxes the mind and invigorates the soul. What's more, sunny days being few, Port Orchard packs an inviting barrage of community activities into its summer calendar.

On the way north up Kitsap Peninsula, don't overlook the exit to Manchester State Park near Wautauga Beach northeast of Port Orchard. There you'll find dozens of campsites, a coastal defense port (now retired), and close to two miles of hiking trails. The shoreline here is nature at its most welcoming, with bald eagles circling overhead and moon jellies billowing below. Resist the urge to handle the larger, brick-hued lion's mane jellies, though, as they sting with surprising intensity.

Fewer than 12,000 people call Port Orchard home, which gives it a weathered, leisurely charm unavailable to the more populous naval city of Bremerton across the scenic strait. There's plenty of free, two-hour parking near Marina Park on Bay Street, the site of most tourist traffic. There you'll find a cluster of popular restaurants, including Amy's on the Bay, Bay Street Bistro, and Thai Charlie's. For our recent visit, however, we ventured out to a crowded strip mall on Port Orchard's south side. There we found a bustling American diner, That One Place (1386 SE Lund Ave. #6). When our double ranch burger and chocolate shake arrived, it was obvious that, despite skipping breakfast, we over-ordered. The plate held enough food to satisfy the Three Tenors. Better yet, the meal was simply delicious. Chalk it up to one more advantage of small-town life.

Suitably fortified, it's time to party - assuming one can resist the temptation of a beach chair and carbohydrate nap. No, we're off to the boardwalk pavilion, where Memorial Day Saturday brings a 28-year-old annual tradition: a seagull-calling contest and chicken wing cookoff.  It's part of the so-called Fathoms o' Fun Festival by the Sea, which also includes a series of fun runs collectively dubbed the Seagull Splat. Yes, that means what you think it does, so expect messy (but artificial) "splat stations" along the 5K route. That night brings buccaneer cosplay and a live band for the Pirates' Ball, where a suggested $5 donation goes toward fireworks on the Fourth of July.

Weekend visitors should check out the Western Washington Center for the Arts, a community theater at 521 Bay Street. Sondheim's A Little Night Music runs until May 29, followed by a comedy, Caught in the Net, throughout August. The marina hosts free concerts each Thursday evening at 6:30, including Stones tribute band Let It Bleed on June 28 and Elvis impersonator Danny Vernon Aug. 29. Mid-August brings "A Pirate's Affair," inviting landlubbers to board the tall ships Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain before dinner and dancing. There's a classic car show, "The Cruz," hosted by the Saints Car Club. That's also when Bremerton hosts the Kitsap Wine Festival, a benefit for Harrison Medical Center Foundation. Summer culminates in the sixth annual Taste of Port Orchard, a restaurateurs' showcase with live music and a beer garden on Sept. 4. Take that, third-degree sunburn!