I’ve never been a fan of the “Twilight” series. In fact, until last year, I was rather unfamiliar with the films and books — the first of which turns 20 this year.
However, a recent trip to Olympic National Park brought me to the town the series is based in: Forks, Washington. Before heading to the real-life Forks, I decided to finally watch the movies and determine if I was Team Edward or Team Jacob.
As it turns out, I’m neither. However, I did enjoy the (somewhat cheesy) films more than I thought I would.
And it’s a good thing I watched them before my visit to Forks, as the town is brimming with props from the movies and gift shops capitalizing on the “Twilight” success.
As I arrived in Forks, I was greeted with the town’s famous welcome sign.
Forks is a fairly small logging town (about 4 square miles) with a few thousand residents.
In the years since “Twilight” was released, it’s welcomed tens of thousands of tourists a year.
It didn’t take me long to find movie props in town.
Although the series is set in Forks, the movies weren’t actually filmed here.
Still, I found Bella Swan’s truck from the movies in town, plus a mock-up of what her character drove in the books.
These props were prominently displayed in front of the Forks Chamber of Commerce, where I also found helpful maps of the area.
I also passed a small museum with props and costumes from the movie.
Nearby, a small museum houses other props and costumes from the “Twilight” movies, including a doll version of Bella and Edward’s daughter, Renesmee.
The museum had a long line out front, so I skipped it. However, I found plenty of merchandise featuring the Renesmee doll in stores throughout town.
Gift shops throughout Forks sold a seemingly endless array of “Twilight” merchandise.
As I wandered around Forks, I found shirts, magnets, bumper stickers, drinkware, and more with references to the “Twilight” series.
A number of the town’s eateries also offered menu items with names nodding to the franchise, such as a “(Porta)Bella Burger.”
In addition to serving as the setting of “Twilight,” Forks is centrally located to many popular sights in Olympic National Park.
Olympic National Park is what initially brought me to the area, and I found Forks was a pretty great home base for exploring it.
The town is between the Olympic Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, about 45 minutes from the national park.
The nearby Hoh Rain Forest transported me right into the books and movies.
The nearby Hoh Rain Forest features trails through towering, moss-covered trees that evoke the setting of the books and movies.
The shade provided by this forested setting makes it easy to see how Edward was able to hide his glittering “skin of a killer.”
I didn’t visit the beaches in La Push, but I enjoyed a similar setting at nearby Rialto Beach.
La Push is a hot hangout spot in the “Twilight” series — and it’s also a real place near Forks.
On my trip, I visited Rialto Beach, located next to La Push, which seemed to offer similar vibes. Huge driftwood logs sat along the rocky shoreline, and soaring sea stacks gave the beach an eerie look.
Rialto Beach was also a great spot to explore the region’s colorful tidepools.
The beach’s craggy rock formations were teeming with life.
Hiking out to see the green, pink, and orange sea stars, sea cucumbers, and anemones during low tide was a highlight of my trip.
I didn’t encounter blood-sucking fiends during my visit to Forks, but I did fall in love with the town.
Although my visit didn’t turn me into a die-hard “Twilight” fan, I did have a delightfully fun and beautiful trip.
The enduring appeal of the “Twilight” series — even years after the first novel was released — felt evident everywhere I went in Forks.
I thought the town felt charming and campy. Plus, the area’s natural Pacific Northwest beauty just can’t be beat.
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