QUIET, VERY, VERY RAINY, the town of Forks, Wash., used to have few visitors.
But now that it’s home to Twilight’s vampires and werewolves, the hordes of fans just keep coming . . .
From last Saturday’s Toronto Globe and Mail:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/travel/the-twilight-zone/article1345618/
From the article:
“Forks, ‘The Lumber Capitol of the World,’ is the kind of place where you might spot a cyclist pedalling down the street with a chainsaw balanced on his handlebars; where the waitress’s pastel-blue eyeshadow matches the booths at the diner, and where gruff hunters, loggers and workers from nearby penitentiaries debate the quality of salmon stocks.
“Inspired by the western Olympic Peninsula’s title as the rainiest place in the continental United States, Meyer chose the towns of Forks, La Push and Port Angeles as settings for her bestselling Twilight books about Bella Swan, a clumsy 17-year-old girl caught in a dangerous love triangle with Edward Cullen, a vampire, and Jacob Black, a werewolf.
“Meyer visited Forks for a book signing in 2006, and dedicated fans from all four corners of North America, Europe and as far away as Australia and Japan have headed for this remote, one-stoplight town.
“As of August, the Forks Chamber of Commerce reported nearly six times more visitors in 2009 than during all of 2008.
“For years, visitors beyond the outdoorsy type were scarce – until Stephenie Meyer rolled into town . . .
“Of course, Twilighters, or Twihards as some call them, are not your average tourists.
“Take, for example, the five women who partnered with local organizations to create a non-profit, tax-deductible charity, Twilighters for Forks, to save the ‘famous’ historic Forks High School, where Bella and Edward first meet.
“Although the $3,500 (U.S.) raised so far probably won’t spare the school from demolition, their efforts are far more impressive than those of other diehard fans.
“The Forks Police Department has apparently noticed a dangerous trend among certain Twihard drivers:
They have been racing into town in hopes of getting a ticket with the local insignia, perhaps crossing their fingers the town’s real-life version of Charlie Swan, Bella Swan’s dad and chief of police, will catch them himself.
“That’s just a sip of the Twilight Kool-Aid, says my guide, Rianilee Belles, one drizzly Wednesday morning.
“‘Some even take their ticket to court to have an excuse to come back to Forks,’ she says.
“But Belles can empathize with the obsession.
“Coaxed by Meyer’s description of Forks’s lush scenery, she moved with her husband, Travis, and their two kids from Las Vegas in May of last year.
“Today, the Belles both work at Dazzled by Twilight – a fan emporium created by another displaced Twilighter from Vancouver, Wash. – where they research and create the Twilight tours Travis narrates for guests up to four times a day . . .
” . . . It’s over the top, but business is booming. By last count, Sully’s Drive-In [in Forks] sold 10,650 Bella Burgers this year – each with a set of vampire fangs, naturally.”
