Forks, a small town with a population of 3,175 in Washington state, has become one of the fastest growing tourist spots in the U.S. due to the popularity of "The Twilight Saga" books.
/ Korea Times Photos by Cathy Rose A. Garcia |
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter
 If you haven't read the "Twilight" books or watched the movies, then it might be safe to say you've never heard of Forks, Wash.
"The Twilight Saga," a series of books by Stephenie Meyer, is about a teenage girl Bella Swan who falls for a vampire Edward Cullen. Their love unfolds in Forks, a murky, overcast town surrounded by lush forests that Meyer thought would be a perfect place for vampires to thrive.
The phenomenal success of the books and two blockbuster films ``Twilight'' and ``New Moon'' has helped spur tourism in Forks, a town with a population of 3,175.
Never mind if Forks is at least a three-and-a-half-hour drive from Seattle, or that the two films were not even shot here (they were filmed in Portland and Vancouver respectively) or there are no actual vampires or werewolves in the area.
It hasn't seemed to stop thousands of Twilighters, as fans like to call themselves, from making a pilgrimage to Forks.
Forks, described as the former logging capital of the world, only attracted as few as 50 tourists annually in the late 1990s. Thanks to Twilight, the number of tourists spiked dramatically. In 2008, 18,000 tourists visited the town, and in the first eight months of 2009, there were more than 60,000.
What exactly is the allure of this town with its ``gloomy, omnipresent shade'' that keeps tourists coming in droves? This reporter headed to Forks over the summer to find out.
`Twilight' Zone
Going to Forks involves a three-and-a-half hour drive plus ferry ride from Seattle. It may be time-consuming, but it is also a chance to appreciate the scenic views of the Olympic Peninsula.
Along the way, there's Port Gamble with its quaint traditional American-style houses and Port Angeles, a ``beautiful little tourist trap'' where Edward rescues Bella from a bunch of riff-raff. Port Angeles is also the gateway to the Olympic National Park, home to the Hoh Rain Forest.
It is a charming drive, with endless forests, sometimes covered in fog, and the spectacular glacier fed Lake Crescent.
Upon arriving in Forks, the weather was cloudy but not a drop of rain in sight, contrary to its reputation as the rainiest place in the continental U.S. (annually, it gets an average of 10 to 12 feet of rain).
The wooden ``Welcome to Forks'' sign greets visitors, exactly the same as the one seen in the film. No wonder it is the most photographed spot in town, according to locals.
Tourists who prefer to explore on their own should pick up a self-guided tour map with key book locations from the Forks Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center. Inside, there's various memorabilia from the books and film, including a note from Meyer. Incidentally, Forks celebrates Stephenie Meyer Day on Sept. 13, Bella's birthday.
Outside the center, there's a replica of Bella's beat-up red truck, another good photo op. The Timber Museum, devoted to Forks' logging history, is right next door but is often overlooked by the Twilighters.
Going through the streets, it's obvious how much Twilight is defining Forks. The main street has five or six shops selling Twilight-related merchandise such as books, shirts, jewelry, sunglasses, coffee mugs, posters and dolls. There's even Forks High School Spartans gym uniforms, Native American dream catchers and even ``vampire killing'' wooden stakes.
 Even restaurants have jumped on the bandwagon: Smokehouse Restaurant boasts of Bella Berry Pie; Pacific Pizza offers the pasta dish Bellasange; while Three Rivers Resort has a special Twilight menu.
A `Dazzling' Tour
For fans who want the ultimate Twilight experience, the Dazzled by Twilight store offers daily tours of key book locations in Forks and nearby La Push. For only $39, tourists are treated to an entertaining, photo op-filled three-hour tour on a black shuttle bus.
Rianilee Belles, the vivacious tour guide, keeps Twilighters pumped up with excitement by telling stories about Forks and giving pop quizzes about the books.
While Forks Police Station might be an unusual place to start any tour elsewhere, this spot holds special significance for Twilighters, since Bella's father Charlie Swan is supposed to be the town's chief of police. This is probably the only police station in the world with a mini-shrine devoted to Twilight in the lobby.
Belles says there are some die-hard fans who would deliberately try to get a speeding ticket from the Forks Police, just to get proof they were in Forks.
Even crazier is how some students who would try to transfer to Forks High School, to get bragging rights that they went to the same school as Bella and Edward. The school, a cluster of low buildings, looks like any other ordinary high school, but Twilight has turned it into a landmark.
Not everyone is happy with Twilight's popularity however, and there was an incident earlier this year when some pranksters tried to burn down the school sign. The arson attempt was thwarted, and the sign, save for a few burn marks at the back, remains intact.
The tour also makes special stops at some local residents' houses, which were simply designated as Bella's or Jacob's house, due to similarities to Meyer's descriptions in the books. Bella's modest home has a sign that proclaims ``Home of the Swans,'' while Jacob's red-painted house has motorcycles parked outside.
The Cullen House, described in the books as ``timeless, graceful and probably a hundred years old,'' is actually the Miller Tree Inn Bed & Breakfast. The quaint house, surrounded by a small garden, is small in contrast to the film's ultra-modern version.
There's a mix of fiction and reality that fans seem to be perfectly comfortable with. Belles, the tour guide, would often talk about the book's fictional characters as if they were real.
Even at the Cullen house, there's a note written by Edward's mother Esme. It reads: ``The Cullens are off to the Amazon to learn more about wildlife in a tropical rainforest. We expect to be away for an extended period.'' There's also an empty parking space reserved for Edward's father Dr. Carlisle Cullen at the Forks Community Hospital.
Werewolves in La Push
With the song ``Werewolves of London'' playing in the background, the tour bus heads out to La Push, a Quileute Native American reservation along the Pacific Ocean. Located 15 miles from Forks, La Push is where Bella's friend Jacob and his tribe of werewolf descendants live.
There's a ``Treaty Line'' sign that is supposed to keep vampires, the werewolves' enemies, out of La Push. However, it's only part of Meyer's lore, since there's no actual werewolf connection to the Quileute tribe.
First Beach, where Jacob first tells Bella about vampires and werewolves, is a magnificent sight. Strewn with driftwood, the beach is constantly pounded by strong waves, making it a favorite for surfers. Misty fog surrounds the rocky cliffs, where Bella would go cliff-diving in New Moon, adding more mystery to La Push's wild beauty.
Taking a trip to Forks and La Push is a rare chance for Twilight fans to lose themselves in a world where they believe, at least for a few hours, that vampires and werewolves do exist.
cathy@koreatimes.co.kr |
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