FORKS — Twilight fans making pilgrimages to Forks have led to jaw-dropping numbers at the Forks Visitor Center, said Marcia Bingham, chamber executive director.
More than 16,000 people passed through the visitor center in July alone, doubling June’s number and in one month nearly reaching the entire year’s total from 2008 — 18,485 people.
“What a gift this has been,” Bingham said.
In the “old days,” as Bingham dubs them, the Visitor Center primarily focused on teaching people about logging and coordinating tours of the local natural resources.
But these days are all about vampires, werewolves and the phenomenon that is Forks.
“We are only doing one logging tour a week — we used to do three,” Bingham said.
“This certainly is nothing like the old days.”
In addition to the sheer numbers, the guests come with some “interesting” questions.
Among them Bingham lists:
•Is it safe to go camping with the vampire problems in the area?
•Where is Port Townsend, and is it anywhere near Forks?
•And Bingham’s favorite: When do the deer turn into elk?
