'Twilight' fans dig into Forks, Wash.
FORKS, Wash. — There’s more to the northwest corner of the Olympic peninsula than rain, mist, old-growth trees, rugged mountains and waves crashing on the Pacific coast.
Vampires and werewolves, for example. Well, fictional ones anyway.
Vampires and werewolves, for example. Well, fictional ones anyway.
That’s because the gritty town of Forks, population 5,000, is the setting for the Twilight saga, considered the biggest series to fly off bookshelves since Harry Potter.
That’s because the gritty town of Forks, population 5,000, is the setting for the Twilight saga, considered the biggest series to fly off bookshelves since Harry Potter.
An international success, the tomes had the unanticipated effect of drawing thousands of tourists to Forks — a struggling, blue-collar mill town — to see and experience scenes depicted in the books and feature film of the same name.
Five years ago, writer Stephenie Meyer created Bella Swan, a 17-year-old who moves to Forks and is enamored with both classmate Edward Cullen and best friend Jacob Black. Soon Bella learns that Edward is a vampire and Jacob, a werewolf. Readers — mostly teen girls — were hooked, and three more Twilight books followed. An almost cultlike following developed and soon fans began visiting the rainy town to partake in the magic.
Forks was quick to embrace the enthusiastic “Twilighters.” (Ironically, Meyer had never visited Forks when she started writing the series.)
There’s even a store, Dazzled by Twilight, 11 N. Forks Ave., devoted exclusively to selling book and movie memorabilia. The shop also offers tours.
Annette Root, who opened her business last September, said more than 16,000 tourists came through town in July, many of them because of the Twilight saga.
“People will buy anything Twilight-related that they can get their hands on, so business is very good,” Root said.
For the Dazzled by Twilight tours, Root takes participants to the local high school, hospital, characters’ homes, where they worked, the beach at La Push and many of the other locations referenced in the books.
She said tour participants have come from all continents and even include occasional boyfriends and husbands who have their own appreciation for the books and movie.
Root said running the store and leading tours is an ideal job for someone who has read each of the books at least 15 times and is now “half-vampire and half-werewolf” herself.
“I just can’t stop,” she mused. “I have to go back and visit my friends.”
For details on the Dazzled tours, which last from two to three hours and cost $39, go to dazzledbytwilight.rezgo.com/tour or call (360) 374-8687.
For more information on Forks, contact the Forks Chamber of Commerce at (800) 443-6757 or visit forkswa.com.