How to Plan the Perfect Twilight Trip to Forks, Washington

With my wall decorated as a memorial to Stephenie's Meyer's Twilight, it was no surprise to my high school students that I was going on a trip to Forks, Washington, over our Fall Recess. Despite the boy I was dating thinking that my Twilight obsession was "totally adorable," others thought I was downright weird. Lucky for me, I had a sister and two friends who were just as interested in taking a trip to Forks. Here you will find how to have a fabulous tourist adventure in Forks like we did.

1. Fly to Seattle and rent a car. As the closest large airport to Forks, Seattle is the perfect destination when flying. You can also lengthen your trip to include some great sightseeing in Seattle after visiting Forks. Try to schedule an early flight because the drive to Forks is a little more than four hours and includes a twenty-five minute trip across the Puget Sound on the Edmonds/Kingston ferry. We used the time on the ferry to eat lunch so we could get to Forks faster.

2. Visit the Chamber of Commerce in Forks first. Make sure you arrive early because the Chamber of Commerce closes at 4 pm. Get your camera ready; in the parking lot you'll find a replica of Bella's old, red pickup truck. Inside, the employees, without breaking character of living in Edward and Bella's Forks, will give you a map of different sites to visit: the Cullen residence, where the owners update a white board daily listing where the family is (when we were there, it listed that they were visiting Esme Island!); the Forks Community Hospital, including a parking spot designated as belonging to Dr. Cullen; the Forks Police Station with Charlie's uniform kept in a display case; Bella and Charlie's home; Forks High School, where a sign posted in front of the school is exactly the same as the one that appears in the movie; and Forks Outfitters, which even though is named differently, is the basis for Newton's Outfitters. Despite the drizzle of rain that Washington is famous for, we had so much fun taking pictures at each place.

3. Eat dinner at Pacific Pizza. For a nominal price, you can order the Twilight special: Bellalasagna, Edbread, and Swan Salad. Other restaurants have similar themed entrees on their menus. In fact, most townspeople were very friendly and enthusiastic about having Twilighters visit the town and improving their economy. At the town's entrance, a motel listed "Edward did not sleep here" on its marquee!

4. Stock up on souvenirs. Many stores along Forks Avenue offer t-shirts, mugs, bumper stickers, posters, and other items sporting clever slogans relating to the

Twilight books. Our favorite slogans included "Paris, Madrid, Tokyo, Forks" and "I was in Forks at Twilight." You can also find souvenirs at the Forks Chamber of Commerce.

5. Take a short drive to La Push. About thirty minutes outside of Forks, you will find the Quileute reservation and its famous beaches. With its enormous trees and foliage, La Push was absolutely beautiful. The wind and rain was incredibly distracting; however, we were able to take some amazing pictures. Probably the most hilarious part of our trip was the dark-haired dog who crossed the road in front of us - we swear it was Jacob in wolf form!

6. Don't forget to visit Port Angeles. On the way back to Seattle, a little over an hour from Forks, is the town of Port Angeles. You can visit the other sites that appear in Twilight, including the bookstore, the dress shop, and Bella Italia, where Edward and Bella have their first date. Bella Italia is only open for dinner, so plan accordingly. While at Bella Italia, be sure to order the Mushroom Ravioli, which is incredibly divine!

Added all up together, the trip was an exciting adventure. If you follow the above tips, you too can have a fabulous, fan-filled escapade to Forks, Washington.