The other day I was standing on my front porch when a big brown/black (I honestly wouldn't know the difference) bear ambled out of the woods and walked right past me, maybe 25 yards away. Happy medium between "direct contact" and "I can step back inside in less than a second if I have to." (He was, fortunately, completely indifferent to me.)
The week before I was sitting on my back deck enjoying the weather, when a sleepy bobcat stepped out from underneath. :O