Growing up in Indiana, I’ve been down with nature most of my life. I grew up in a very small town of 200, and that was seven miles away. I was raised in the woods and I expected nature on the West Coast to be much the same.

It’s not.

In the city limits of Newport, I’ve seen elk, bear, eagles, seals, sea lions, and whales. Sure, Indiana has eagles. It was rumored to have bear but no elk, and certainly no whales, seals, and sea lions.

But here, I’ve seen many different things. And, within a day’s drive, I can see some of the largest trees in the world. The Redwood National Forest. Trees that have been growing for thousands of years – yes, thousands! The oldest, an estimated 4,000 years. (Just stop and think about that for a second!)

Driving through the massive groves, it is easy to feel I’ve stepped back into prehistoric times. It like a land unlike any I’ve ever experienced. Trees so big that I can drive a car through them – literally. I have.

Redwood’s, sea lion caves, resident whales, octopus releases, snowy-plover nests, Stellar Jay’s, and bear crossings. In the year I’ve lived here, these have become new and familiar words to me. All those years of watching Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom as a kid and wondering where it took place; I’ve found it.