Todd, Julie, and Matt,
Welcome! Thank you for introducing yourself. Although Rebecca and I shoot primarily with a D3 and D2x, the D3 is VERY similar (at least in the way the controls operate) to the D300. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.
As you mentioned, the D300 takes great snapshots even with everything set to "auto." You will be AMAZED at what it can do once you learn all the different controls, and how to "tweak" your images in post processing. I've been playing with the D3 for 6 months now, and feel like I'm still "learning" the camera. If you ever have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.
Keith