"Come north to Alaska," said his friend. "The air is clean, the fishing's fabulous...just look what I caught one day!"

One photo. One look. And Tim was hooked.

This isn't a story about the one that got away, but rather a story of the one that came across a continent to do what he loved to do...fish alongside his lifelong best friend.

When Tim Rittal got the photo of his friend, Frank, holding a king salmon in each hand, tails dragging on the ground they weighed so much, he knew he needed to head north. So he quit his job, packed his bags, strapped his custom-made canoe to the roof of his Suburu and headed 4,995 miles northwest from Bangor, Maine to Anchorage, Alaska. Alaska hasn't disappointed Tim in the 28 years he's been here. In fact The Last Frontier has given him a lifestyle he relishes...fishing in the emerald green waters of the Kenai River, shushing down the slopes of Mt. Alyeska, and flying over the Chugach Mountains blanketed in alpenglow. He's made his life here and is proud of the community he calls home.

"When I arrived in Anchorage, the oil pipeline had just been completed. The place was booming with people, industry and money. I knew I was in a vibrant city when I walked into an office unemployed and walked out with a job on the North Slope. I was a pipe inspector. Never had inspected a pipe before. But they needed me and I went. I haven't looked back since."

Anchorage was a bustling, growing town in the late 70's. Since then it has settled down into a world class city, often called the "Crossroads of the World" because of its relatively close proximity to Europe, Asia, Russia, and Canada. It's faster to go to Hawaii than it is to Denver, Colorado!

After working in the Prudhoe Bay "oil patch" for a few years, Tim knew he wanted to do more with his life than stand in the freezing cold checking pipe. "It was a great job for a young man starting out...the money was good but the lifestyle wasn't working for me. Six months away from home every year was beginning to take its toll." With a degree from UM-Orono in business and an aptitude for working with people, real estate was a natural.

It's the attention to details and the extra mile he takes that Tim's clients continue to praise long after the deal is closed. His patient, caring manner flows to his clients as Tim really focuses on their best interest. He brought his licensed assistant (and wife) Ann into the business full-time. She's been able to give him the time to be with his clients while she handles the myriad of paperwork and phone calls that accompany each transaction.

But don't think it's all work and no play. Because of their teamwork, Tim and Ann are able to spend time doing what they love. For the moment, that means Tim's out in the garage building his dream plane, a GlaStar. It's a full-sized 2 place aircraft designed specifically for getting around a place like Alaska. Ann's becoming quite the quilter. And they are both working on becoming better people providing an extraordinary service while leading a life Alaska offers.

Some say a picture is worth a thousand words. For Tim, that photo was worth a whole new way of life.