From Your Corner of Washington: Twilight Town

If you are a fan of Twilight, the gripping series about a teenage girl and a vampire who fall in love, and are looking for a fun weekend getaway, visit the small Washington town of Forks to see destinations from Stephanie Meyer's popular books.

According to Forks Chamber of Commerce, fans have been swarming the area from as far away as Ireland to tour these locations featured in the book. Just last month they had 4,861 visitors, which were reportedly mostly Twilight fans. Last April, prior to the release of the blockbuster movie based on Meyer's first novel, there were only 680 visitors. Kara Pedrini of Shelton recently made the trip up to Forks to check out the inspiration for the books, and said she had a great time. “Being a huge Twilight fan, I thought it was neat that every store I went to had Twilight characters and posters in their windows and restaurants had menu items named after the characters," she said. “The town as a whole has devoted their support to the Twilight saga.” You can tour these hot spots with local tour companies for around $40, or you can go yourself for free. A few of these spots include homes of the main characters, the Forks Community Hospital, Forks High School and the Vampire House! Forks is located on the beautiful Olympic Peninsula in northwest Washington, and is 140 miles from Seattle. On your way through, you can stop at First Beach in La Push, or go shopping in Port Angeles.