What the sunset of the Twilight series could mean for Forks
Nov 30, 2012, 2:09 PM | Updated: Dec 3, 2012, 9:40 am
Twilight fans like Heidi Tingley have been traveling to Forks, WA for years to see the town where the Edward, Jacob and Bella first met. But, with the series final installment now in theaters, Forks will soon have to find a new way to keep the tourists coming back.
The Twilight movies might not have been filmed there, but the tiny town of Forks, Washington has been thrust into the spotlight as the book and movie series continues its popularity. The big question remains: What will happen to Forks once the Twilight fever is broken?
Fans like Heidi Tingley are drawn to the love story between the immortal vampire, Edward, and his young bride, Bella.
“Just the fantasy of it,” says Heidi. “To be swept away in something other than real life.”
Author Stephenie Meyer visited the town of Forks several times before using it as the location for her Twilight series. Heidi is one of a growing number of women who trek to the town on the far Western Coast to see where the story began.
“I had bought an Edward Barbie Doll, and we wanted to take him with us and take pictures. Wherever we were, he would be in the pictures with us,” Heidi says.
She and a friend even stayed in a Twilight-themed hotel. It had red walls, red and black furniture, and pictures of the movie’s stars hung on the walls. They ran into several other ladies who were also enjoying a girls’ weekend.
“They were Jacob fans,” recalls Heidi, “We’re like ‘Sorry we can’t hang out with you.'”
Heidi visited the Cullen’s home and she drove down to La Push, crossing the “Treaty Line.” In the story, the vampires are not allowed to cross without the threat of being attacked by the werewolves that live on the other side.
“Stephenie Meyer really nailed Forks. She really captured the essence of the area,” says Lissy Andros, Tourism Director with the Forks Chamber of Commerce.
After the first Twilight movie was released, the chamber had nearly 70,000 people sign their guest book. That is ten times more than their average visitor count in earlier years.
The people who live there embraced the idea of being home to vampires and werewolves. They added Twilight-related items to their menus and opened Twilight-themed gift shops.
Now that the final movie “Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2” has been released, the town has faith they will not be forgotten. Andros says they are starting to see repeat visitors who come back, not for the movie, but for everything else the picturesque town has to offer.
“That’s been the beauty of what Twilight has done for us. It’s introduced Forks to a whole group of people,” Andros says.
The town has also created a “Guys List” of things to do that are not Twilight-related. The Forks area is known to have spectacular fishing, beautiful hiking trails, and a unique beauty you can find nowhere else.
Heidi says she has already told her husband she’d like the whole family to head back to Forks some day for a fantasy-free vacation.
