Half the fun of a vacation is being pleasantly surprised by unexpected experiences. As we drove into the small hamlet of Forks, Washington, you could tell the local merchants had adopted the teenage vampire saga Twilight as their claim to fame. Even the Bed and Breakfast we stayed at was on a mission to incorporate the Dr. Carlisle Cullen coven of vampires into their theme.
Forks adopts Twilight as their claim to fame
Welcome Twilight fans to the treaty line, Forks, Washington.
It’s not unusual for towns to become the unofficial cheerleaders for authors that bring the cities a modest amount of celebrity, but more importantly, visitors. Salinas has Steinbeck. Oakland has Jack London. And now, Forks has Stephenie Meyer, author of Twilight saga of books and movies. While Meyer never lived or wrote in the area, she did refer to Forks in a Twilight book as the place where the Cullen family of vampires lives. As one local said, “Twilight put Forks on the map.”
This Bed and Breakfast is something to see
We travelled to Forks to visit the Olympic National Park and the Hoh Rainforest. We didn’t know the Miller Tree Inn Bed and Breakfast were we spent the night would be a massive homage to Twilight. But it was actually kind of fun looking at everything the owners had created to extend the fantasy of Twilight, without the vampires and werewolves. There is actually one room decorated as if it might be Dr. Carlisle Cullen’s office. It is all in good fun and I must say slightly more interesting than the Hoh Rainforest. (See photos below)
It’s a giant PR conspiracy
Painted window at ice cream shop from book dedication to owner. Forks, Washington
Aside from the inn keeper, on our limited stay in Forks we were only able to talk with the owner an ice cream and candy store. She had stenciled the inscription Meyer’s had written in a dedication to a Twilight book she gave the proprietor. I don’t remember the full inscription, but it had to do vampires enjoying sweet treats at her store. The town is having fun with the Twilight/vampire theme for as long as it lasts.
Lake Crescent and railroad tunnels
One of the tunnels of the abandoned Spruce Railroad around Lake Crescent.
Another pleasant find was the clear blue waters of Lake Crescent. It is a spectacular place to visit. We hiked the Spruce Railroad trail and were able to locate and explore one of the several tunnels cut through the mountain above Lake Crescent. Both openings are slowly getting choked off with falling rock, but the interior is virtually free of rock debris. Bring a strong flashlight so you can see your way over the 12” x 12” timbers that are strewn across the tunnel floor. The tunnel we explored was no more than maybe 150 yards in length andd the roof was at a good 40 foot high.
Hurricane Ridge offers excellent hikes
Another great hike was Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic National Park. It has a nice visitor center and the deer act as if they are in a petting zoo. There are several hikes at the ridge and all the views are great, on a clear day. After a couple days on the Washington state peninsula we headed over to Seattle. The congestion and traffic made me yearn for the park again. But we stumbled across some interesting places at the Experience Music Project museum and were able to take in a Shakespeare play, Henry IV, at University of Washington. (See photos below)
Forks Twilight pictures
Here are some of the different Twilight themed signs and references we encountered in our short stay at Forks. Click a thumbnail to enlarge
Lake Crescent, tide pools, light houses and more
Yes, I like to take pictures. All of these pictures were snapped with my iPhone and then edited and posted to my Instagram account. They are from different places we visited on our trip to Seattle and the Olympic National Park.
