I'm sure everyone is very familiar with the "Twilight Saga". The "Twilight Saga" is a series of four books written by Stephanie Meyer. All of the books, "Twilight", "New Moon", "Eclipse", and "Breaking Dawn", take place in a small, eerie town by the name of Forks, Washington.
Forks has never been a popular town. In fact, Stephanie Meyer knew nothing of the place until she googled in search of a cold, rainey place for the setting of her "Twilight Saga". However, now that Stephanie Meyer's book "Twilight" was brought to life, the little town of Forks, Washington has been brought to life too.
Many people who have fallen deeply in love with the "Twilight Saga" have earned the nickname "Twilighters". "Twilighters" have made it an effort not to take a summer vacation to Disney World, but instead they have made an effort to vacation in Forks, Washington.
The people of Forks have opened a store called, "Dazzled by Twilight" where they sell Bella and Edward action figures. "Twilight" tours also take place by a black shuttle van that departs four times a day for two to three hours per tour. On the tour, a guide asks "Twilight" trivia questions about Bella's father's house and Rosalie and Jasper's real names.
Everyone that lives in Forks, Washington is benefiting from the "Twilight" outbreak. The Dew Drop Inn as turned one of their rooms into a Bella Suite and charge $149 a night as opposed to the regular rate of $83. People are booking the room on a regular basis. A local citzen of Forks by the name of Charlene Leppell owns a longtime flower and gift shop that was on the brink of closing until she came up with the idea to make fashionable "Bella for Prom Queen" shirts. Now it's safe to say that she is back in business. The local restaurant by the name of "Bella Italia" is the place in "Twilight" where Edward takes Bella to eat after rescuing her from a gang of older men on the verge of attacking her. Bella chooses to eat mushroom ravioli during her dinner. Since forks has become a tourist town, "Bella Italia" has sold 4,500 $17 bowls of mushroom ravioli just since the beginning of the year.
It sounds to me like the city of Forks, Washington owes a big thank you to Stephanie Meyer for choosing Forks as the setting of "Twilight". They also owe a huge thank you to those responsible for bringing "Twilight" to life. Forks, Washington is making money that they never imagined would be possible for their city. Who would have thought that a love story about a clumsy girl and a gorgeous vampire falling head over heels would have made people from all over the world want to visit the raniest place in the continental U.S. instesd of visting Paris, France? The world may never know.
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I am a "Twilighter" and I have thought about going to Forks for a vacation. I think that the tourism to the tiny town is a good thing, especially in these trying times. I think we should start our own "Twilight Tours" because the Twilight Saga takes place in Jacksonville too!!
ReplyDeleteI'm no fan of Twilight but I find it interesting that a small town is getting some attention because of a large fan base. Hey, Forks could become an Orlando type of city one day because Edward is their Mickey Mouse!
ReplyDeleteI've never read or seen any of the "Twilight" series, but I think its great that the hysteria surrounding the series has had a prolific effect on the condition of this small town's economy, if nothing else (besides the pockets of Stephanie Meyer and those involved in the making of the movies). Did they film the movies in the town though? Either the books and movies are really that great or it is just as I said, hysteria. I'd think it would take a lot for people to visit the site of a completely fictional story, which happens to be a small town with a miserable climate, over any other location hardly considered a vacation destination, including the Jersey shore.
ReplyDeleteI have NO idea how a book like "Twlight" has caused such an uproar in the small town of Forks, yet alone the whole 'vampire craze' that seems to be sweeping the entire nation! Good for Forks, though.. having their claim to fame be the inspiration of a book, and a fiction book at that. It's strange to me, just in general, that the basis of the book is about a girl who falls in love with, of all people, a vampire. The Edward Cullen and Bella craze is just ridiculous! People have taken this thinng to a whole new level, much like how the Harry Potter's were so popularized when it first came out. I'm curious to see what's to come next after the whole Twilight series ends.. maybe leprechauns?
ReplyDeleteA rainy town is the perfect setting for a vampire romance story. First grunge music made Washington state a destination for the youth, and now it can claim another generation of teenage fandom because of its dreary weather!
ReplyDeleteI've read all the books and they are just ok. Don't think I'd need to read them again and if I do it won't be soon. I'm glad this town is making a profit of the books even if they aren't the greatest. Twilight isn't bad, just not what I expected which is fine, but...
ReplyDeleteAnyways, someday maybe I'll take a trip to Forks just to see!