The A&L Link to Whitefish
A true tale of discovery under Big Mountain
Like a lot of good stories, this one began with a lucky roll of the dice. They were tossed by Rob Link, legendary at rolling bones, other games of chance, breaking hearts – and winning. One brutally cold January night in Duluth, Rob faced off against a barrel-chested Minnesota mountain-man named Tom. While you can usually trust Tom to cover his bets, as his losses mounted you wondered how he’d be able to pay up.
The game was “Pair and a Point,” and with Big Tom and Rob in the room, it was a hell of a pair, all right. Just that Tom went up against the wrong guy.
The dice hit the table not long after whiskey was poured and cigars were lit. They rolled for hours as the smoke billowed and the talk got louder, the words sharper. In the end: no snake eyes, no boxcars, no nothing. Those damnable ivories just came up empty for Tom. As it turned out, so did his pockets.
Now Rob isn’t a man to make idle threats; rather, he’s a man who carries them out. And when things got totally quiet, the question hung in the air like a cloud of blue cigar smoke: “How you gonna pay?”
“How’d you like to own a house in Whitefish?” Tom responded, looking Rob dead in the eye.
Well, let’s cut to the chase – Rob took the house, Tom took his leave, and it was two years before our lucky homeowner took the Amtrak out to Whitefish to see what he’d gotten himself into. The ride was pleasant, scenic and direct. And, after stepping off the rail car smack-dab in the middle of downtown Whitefish, Rob finally realized he’d won something special in that game of Pair and a Point.
The house was a block out of downtown. But since downtown Whitefish is only three blocks long, Rob walked there in two shakes of a lamb’s tail, with time left over for a cold beverage in a friendly tavern on the way. And maybe that’s why he liked it so much – a fella could mosey on over to a number of fine establishments in this high-country town without hardly breaking a sweat.
That’s when it hit him. Why not build some condos in downtown Whitefish? Why not let others share in this beauty, this convenience, this lifestyle? Everything is right here in this gem of a town… The mountain, the dining, the shopping, the nightlife… All within walking distance.
The savory aroma of grilled steak right out the door, a bus route bound for Big Mountain thirty steps away. A bit of everything for guys and gals alike: good eatin’, good fun, and just plain good people. And some of the most high-fallutin’ shopping you’re apt to find west of Chicago.
Yep. This was to Rob’s liking. Something about the crisp mountain air, the glacial lakes, the laid-back lifestyle. The place had an atmosphere a hell of a lot closer to heaven than to Duluth, Minnesota.
Not long after Rob first set foot in downtown Whitefish, he bought another house next door. And since then he’s built four sprawling Montana condos crafted from stone and steel and wide-plank native timber – all of ‘em a short walk from all the fun downtown. While he doesn’t want his wild little Whitefish to fill up with city-folk, he figures there’s room enough for a few of you.
You may want to consider buying one of these places on your own, or getting one with friends. It might be just the ticket for a business venture if you’re lucky enough to come into a homestake like the one old Rob came into. Just make sure that when you bump into him in downtown Whitefish, you keep the dice in your pocket.
Rob Link is a principal at A&L Properties, Duluth, Minnesota