Twilight Fans Swarm to the Real Forks, WA
Tiny Town Gains Fame, Visitors from Popular Vampire Novels
Meyer placed her characters - teen vampire Edward Cullen, teen human Bella Swan and teen werewold Jake - in many spots in and near Forks, a rain-soaked town near Olympic National Park.
Twilighters -- say they want to immerse themselves in the world of Edward, Bella and Jake - even though the characters are from Meyer's imagination.
Twilighters, who come to Forks from all over the world, seem to have trouble realizing that Edward, Bella and Jake are fictional characters. Then again, Twilighters say it's easy to lose yourself while standing in front of the real Forks High School, where Bella and Edward took a biology class together.
"The Twilight world is so magical, so I had to come and see Forks for myself," said Bambi Wright, who was visiting from Utah.
Forks loves Twilight
Mike Gurling, manager of the Forks Visitor Center, said Twilight sparked a 60-percent jump in tourism this year - and the boom shows no sign of easing. There is a special website for Twilight visitors.
Bella's truck - a battered, vintage Chevrolet - is parked outside the visitor center.
At least two conventions for Twilight fans are scheduled for the summer of 2009 in Forks. One, called “Summer School in Forks,” is scheduled for June 25 through 28 and includes a Twilight prom at Forks High School and field trips all over the area.
Readers are still discovering the four novels: Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn, Gurling said.
What's more, the new Twilight movie opened to record crowds on Nov. 21.
Twilight maps, tours and trinkets
Forks visitors stop by the Visitor Center - located at the southern entrance to the town on U.S. Highway 101 - to get a map of spots found in the books. They can even sign up for tours.
Gurling, a former Olympic National Park ranger, talks about characters from the novels as if they really lived down the street.
A signed note from Meyer is on display at the visitor center.
"Thank you for being such gracious hosts for my vampires!" Meyer wrote.
Wright said Forks was all she hoped for - and more.
"I felt like I was walking into the books," she said.
Just about every store, restaurant and motel in Forks sells Twilight trinkets and T-shirts. Authentic sweatshirts and T-shirts from Forks High School are very popular.
Other Twilight sites in Forks
Twilighters show up at the Forks City Hall and Police Station every day.
Bella’s dad is the fictional chief of the Forks Police Department in the books.
Visitors sign a guest book in the city of Forks Water Department, and they can buy a city of Forks pin for $2.50.
Stacks of “Forks Fang Club” and “Vampire Capital, Forks Washington” T-shirts and hoodies roll out the door of Olympic Outfitters -- a real store that is also the fictional workplace of Bella.
Twilighters started showing up in Forks in early 2007, said Brenda Thomas-Gedlund, a manager in the store.
Summer is the busiest time for Twilighters, but weekends - even during the rainy, gloomy fall and winter - are also busy, Thomas-Gedlund said.
Twilighters actually love to see Forks in the rain and fog, as Edward and his vampire family prefer that kind of weather, said visitor Amy Ostrander.
"Just driving to Forks was amazing - the weather and area and town looked and felt just like the books," Ostrander said.
Twilight fans Make Long Drives
Getting to Forks means a long drive from airports in Seattle or Portland, Oregon. Forks is 210 miles by car from Sea-Tac Airport and 253 miles from Portland International Airport. Forks does have lots of hotel and motel rooms, as it is a visitor hub for Olympic National Park.
Wright said the journey into the world of Twilight is worth a plane ride and a long drive.
"I'm coming back at least twice in the next year," she said. "It is totally magical and surreal."
Bella's Truck at the Forks Visitor Center
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