Each month, Coast Monthly visits with some of the most charming people on the Texas Coast to see a few of their favorite things.

When Seth McKim graduated from high school, he was already 6 feet 5 inches tall, but he hadn’t stopped growing. Today, at age 25, this 6-foot-9 outdoorsy man with auburn hair and ginger beard is living his dream — working where he lives and living where he works.

The part owner and manager of San Leon’s Mandolin Pier, which features short- and long-term rental cottages, McKim never had aspirations of being a basketball star. Growing up, he really wanted to live in the wild and be a mountain man, which likely could be attributed to his many trips to Colorado, where he enjoyed rock climbing, white-water kayaking and hiking, leading him to earn white water rafting guide and swiftwater rescue certifications by age 16.

Still, McKim, who has a commercial real estate license, settled on the Texas Coast when his father, Mark McKim, presented the opportunity at Mandolin Pier. And he finds the coastal outdoors as appealing as the mountains.

“I like being here because I can go out to the pier and fish,” McKim said. “I catch a ton of speckled trout, sand trout, redfish, black drum and an occasional stingray since there’s an oyster reef nearby. I do catch and release.”

He describes his fashion style as casual.

“Unless I have a meeting, my attire usually consists of a Magellan fishing shirt, shorts or jeans, flip-flops or Chacos,” he said. “I like Magellan because they breathe, have SPF protection, and are extra large tall.”

Here are a few of his favorite things:

1. Sailboat painting: When I was 10 years old, my mother took me to New York and bought this painting for me. Notice the twin towers. I am drawn to it because it is a reminder of how quickly things can change.

2. Camouflage cap: I love to hunt. We go to West Texas every year and hunt for white-tailed deer and hogs.

3. Headphones: I enjoy playing video games with these. They are one of the Razer Kraken models.

4. Coffee cup: My girlfriend, Liz, made this for me at The Maverick Potter when we were in Salida, Colo.

5. Rock-climbing gear: This is my chalk bag for rock climbing, along with strength-training grips for my fingers. I do a lot of rock climbing in Colorado and at Space City Rock Climbing in League City.

6. Kayak: I like to kayak in Galveston Bay when the wind is not too choppy. This one is made by Wilderness Systems.

7. Fishing poles: These are Shimano poles — the ones I use when I fish off Mandolin Pier.

8. Wrangler scarf: My grandmother gave this to me when I was 1 years old. She passed away about four years ago, so this reminds me of her.

9. Mandolin Pier: This is my favorite place to be. I am lucky in that I not only work here, I live here.