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Forks is becoming a Mecca for 'Twilight' fans

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by LEE COWAN / NBC 'Today'

Posted on November 10, 2009 at 5:01 PM

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If you have a teenager.. You've heard of 'twilight.' The books are best sellers.

And the latest movie, 'New Moon' is one of the year's most anticipated films.

It's such a phenomenon, in fact.. That the tiny town where 'twilight' is set has now become a Mecca for fans.

There's no easy way to get there. It's on the way to nothing -- perfect for handsome vampires -- looking for a little privacy.

 It's a fictional "world" -- but it's actually a very real place.

Forks, Washington, population 3,200, is the epicenter of "Twi-mania."

"I was looking at the map and saw Forks and was like NO Way...turn around. We have to go here...This is Twilight!" said George Aerosmith, a 'Twilight' fan.

This year alone, some 64,000 'Twihards' have overrun this logging town - six times the town's average.

Twilight's author, Stephenie Meyer, never dreamed people would flock here. In fact she chose Forks as the setting for her series - precisely because it was out of the way.

But what did she like the most about this part of the Pacific Northwest? It's vampire friendly weather. It rains 10-12 feet every year here in Forks, making it not only the wettest place in the lower 48 states, but also, the darkest."

"One guy called and said I was going to come camping there but I heard you have a vampire problem," said Marcia Bingham/Forks Chamber of Commerce.

Which is why some fans chose to travel in the safety of the Twilight Tour Bus. It takes you to all Twilight's key haunts.

"We've got grandmas more excited than the grandchildren on board. It's been amazing," says Travis Belles, a guide for Twilight Tours

'Twilight's heroine is Bella - who has a crush on Edward - who leads an odd, sort of, un-dead lifestyle. And everywhere the characters go - fans want to follow.

"I think every girl wants that perfect love story I guess,"  says Karley House a "Twilight" Fan.

So do older fans, like Annette Root. She was so devoted, she actually moved to Forks - to open Dazzled by Twilight - selling every manner of Twi-fi memorabilia.

Did you ever think this was a little crazy, she's asked.

"I think that a lot." Annette says, "But I'm happy. I'm happy crazy, so that's ok."

The fascination has spread to nearby Port Angeles - to the Italian restaurant where Bella and Edward had their fictional first date.
So what's the fan's most popular dish? What Bella ordered, of course.

"Mushroom ravioli."

"We're over 5,000 orders of mushroom ravioli this year, says Neil Conklin the owner of Belle Italia. "That's a lot of mushrooms."

Just as it does in nature, Forks residents know Twilight will eventually fade - but for now - this town's tourism, seems to have risen from the dead.

 

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vickdichselbst said on November 10, 2009 at 8:04 PM

"One guy called and said I was going to come camping there but I heard you have a vampire problem," said Marcia Bingham/Forks Chamber of Commerce. I wish this was a joke, but some people actually believe this stuff is real, just like "The Blair Witch Project".....how pathetic.

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davidadams said on November 11, 2009 at 8:37 AM

I feel for the people of Forks that live there to get away from whack-jobs like the ones gravitating to their town due to a silly book.

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darlingnikki54 said on November 11, 2009 at 1:42 PM

god. i want to move there. haven't been there yet. but would move there without a heartbeat if got offered the chance.

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riverman said on November 22, 2009 at 8:53 PM

this whole twilight/forke thing is a joke. i took my girlfriend there back during the first wave of the the hype. she was so disappointed. as were many many others. its nothing more than a dismal logging town full of a bunch of opportunists, looking to cash in on someone elses work! we went to the forks high school. a run down, single story building that didnt even look near the romantic european castle portrayed in the film. the bridge leading into town is a huge standard forest green steel bridge with about two feet on each side. the one in the movie is a nicely done little countyr bridge with pedestrians walking about... and the truck that bella drives... jeeze, this really made me puke. there was one there in forks. it was parked in front of the loggers museum and it wasnt even the same truck as the one in the movie!!! it was just a crappy old red truck that some local parked in front of his business (that wasnt even in the movie) and hto draw the crowds of bubblegum chewing girls!

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