Twilight bites into Forks

Forks, Wash., just isn’t what it used to be.

I have fond memories of the once-sleepy little town. When I was a child, my family would camp out on the Pacific Coast and then make a leisurely  stop in Forks to eat and shower. Restaurants like Sully’s Drive-In and the Smokehouse have been around forever. And like most places on the Olympic Peninsula, the town is beautiful: beaches, rainforest, and mountains are only hours away.

So I guess I can’t blame Stephanie Meyer for choosing Forks as the setting of her immensely popular Twilight books. But I can express resounding surprise at the sudden transformation of the town into a thriving tourist destination. I doubt it will ever again be like I remember it. 

In case you're one of the lucky few who still don't know what Twilight is, it's the four-part saga of a teenage girl's crush on a good-guy vampire. Forks, population of about 3,000, has seen a tremendous increase in visitors since the book series debuted in 2005. The total number of visitors in June 2009 was 8,312, according to the Forks Chamber of Commerce. That’s more than the total number of visitors in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006 combined.

As of June 2009, the total number of visitors who had officially signed the register at the Forks Visitors Center was 25,809, almost one and a half times the number in 2008 and nearly three times the number in 2007.

The fact that visitors from all over the world are now flocking to Forks would simply be amusing, if the town weren’t playing into the hype so heavily. In honor of the books' star-crossed lovers, Bella Swan and Edward Cullen, the town has Bella Burgers at Sully's, Bellasagna with EdBread and Swan Salad at Pacific Pizza, and numerous other tacky offerings. You can even stay at Twilight-inspired rooms at the local motels.

Most annoyingly, a search of news in Forks turns up an entire “Twilight” section in the Forks Forum, the local newspaper. Chris Cook, editor of the paper and author of Twilight Territory--A fan's guide to Forks and LaPush, says the paper tries to keep Twilight news reports within the context of the community: 

Examples of news coverage would be what unique Twilight items local stores have come up with... funny stories about local people and Twilight, like the man who set up a vampire blood bank donation box to keep the vampires supplied with blood so they wouldn't kill the elk and ruin the hunting out here. I carefully balance the lure of going overboard on Twilight coverage as the local community is more concerned about non-Twilight local news.

Whatever I may think, though, it appears Twilight has saved Forks. Like many Northwest timber towns, Forks was hurting from the recession and the slump in the housing market, and the hordes of starry-eyed fans have brought a welcome infusion of tourist dollars.

 And now more people will get the chance to appreciate the small town, despite its Twilight-mania, and be exposed to the beauties of the Pacific Northwest. I guess I have Stephanie Meyer to thank for that.

Forks Forum editor Chris Cook's desk covered in Twilight memorabilia. Photo by Chris Cook.