In more Twilight-related tourism news, Washington State Tourism today announced the launch of a special Twilight travel Web page, www.ExperienceWA.com/Twilight, to help fans plan a trip to see the locations that inspired Stephenie Meyer’s best-selling book series and subsequent films. There are special Twilight-related activities as well – on November 21, 2009 in Port Angeles is the “The Gathering Darkness: A Gothic Ball.”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: November 3, 2009
Contact: Ian Jeffries, Edelman for Washington State Tourism
Vampire Fans: Take a Bite Out of Washington State Tourism’s New
Online “Twilight” Travel Guide
Web page offers destination information and downloadable road trip map for the Olympic Peninsula, inspired by blockbuster book and movie series
OLYMPIA, Wash. – Just in time for the premiere of the second “Twilight” movie, “New Moon,” both Team Edward and Team Jacob can agree on one thing: a visit to Washington’s Olympic Peninsula is a Twilight fan’s ultimate dream vacation. Washington State Tourism today announced the launch of a special Twilight travel page on its Web site. Found at www.ExperienceWA.com/Twilight, the page aims to help “Twi-hard” fans plan a trip to see the locations that inspired Stephenie Meyer’s best-selling book series and subsequent films.
“Washington’s beautiful Olympic Peninsula has seen a surge in interest recently from fans of the Twilight series who want to see where Bella and Edward met, eat where they had their first date and hike through the National Parks where they hiked,” said Marsha Massey, Executive Director for Washington State Tourism. “We hope our new Twilight travel page and the rest of ExperienceWA.com will give fans all the resources they need to plan a trip to the region of our state that inspired it all.”
As millions of Twilight fans around the world know, Bella Swan and her vampire paramour, Edward Cullen, live in the town of Forks; met at Forks High School; had their first date in nearby Port Angeles; and explored the nearby Hoh and Quinault rainforests; and that Jacob lives in and patrols the beaches and forests around La Push. Washington State Tourism’s Twilight travel page includes destination information on all these sites, as well as photos and a downloadable road trip map for the Olympic Peninsula.
Some of the highlights included on the Twilight Travel page include:
Forks, where the Cullen family and Bella and her father live
La Push, home to Jacob, his father and the rest of the wolf pack
Port Angeles, where Bella and Edward had their first date over a plate of mushroom ravioli
Links to other Twilight and Washington State travel information
For fans who plan to be on the Olympic Peninsula this fall, they can enjoy dancing and dressing up as their favorite vampire at “The Gathering Darkness: A Gothic Ball” on November 21, 2009 in Port Angeles. Details about the Gothic Ball and other Twilight-related events can be found on ExperienceWA.com’s Events page.
(Marc Adamus) Wave action swirls around these large sea stacks on Washington's Olympic Coast, at Ruby Beach.
Forks Washington is becoming quite THE tour spot! The London Times ran an article on Saturday about traveling to see Twilight sites, including flight info from Heathrow.
(Flight from Heathrow… 449 pounds. Seeing the “Welcome to Forks” sign…priceless!)
The New York Times has a beautiful article today, in it’s Travel Section, detailing tourism in Forks. Lots of our favorite spots are highlighted. This shot is of a storyteller among the driftwood at La Push’s beaches.
“You used to say you were from Forks and people would stare,†said Marcia Bingham, director of the Chamber of Commerce, referring to the “B.T.†(“Before ‘Twilight’ â€) days. “Now when they hear where you’re from, they’re breathless.â€
Stephanie Meyer Days look like they are shaping up to be an amazing experience! Both Forks and Port Angeles are having activities. In Port Angeles they are even doing Twilight weddings and renewal of vows! Here is the rundown of Port Angeles Events:
Port Angeles TwilightFest
Thursday
• Noon to 6 p.m. — Bella Re-birthday Party at Dazzled by Twilight, 135 E. First St.
Friday
• 4 p.m. — Twilight Trivia Tournament at the Red Lion Hotel. Registration begins at 3:30 p.m.
• 9 p.m. — Outdoor screening of the “Twilight” movie. Viewers, who should bring their own chairs, will sit in parking lot near Odyssey Bookshop, 114 W. Front St. Trivia contest finalists to face off just before the movie.
Saturday
• 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. — Could You Save Bella CPR Class at the Naval Elks Lodge, 131 E. First St. Fee is $10.
• 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. — Vendors and games at The Gateway pavilion at Front and Lincoln streets, and photograph opportunities set up throughout downtown, including “The Meadow” scene, a science classroom and Bella Italia, 118 E. First St.
• 11 a.m.– Quileute storyteller K. Anita Wheeler at The Gateway pavilion.
• 2 p.m. — Bella’s Lullaby recital, with Rebecca and Rachel Ramsey on keyboard and cello, at The Gateway.
• 4 p.m. — Shula Azhar Dancers at The Gateway.
• 8:30 p.m. — Bella’s Ball, Naval Elks Lodge, 131 E. First St. Tickets $15 at the door; $12 per person and $20 per couple in advance.
• Weddings and renewal of vows in “Twilight-style” at The Gateway are available all day Saturday to couples with marriage certificates. The cost is $125 for a wedding or $100 for renewal of vows.
That really is the ultimate in marital romance from the ultimate romantic story!
Read the full article on the Port Angeles activities here.
Forks Events Include:
Saturday events
A $10 breakfast at Forks Congregational Church, 171 Campbell St., and a book sale at Forks Public Library will kick off the Saturday activities.
Along with the tours of the high school, scheduled all day, a contest of look-alikes of the characters in the “Twilight” movie based on the book will be at 2:30 p.m. Saturday.
The Mitch Hansen Band, which played at the Twilight Symposium in June, will return for two free concerts sponsored by Dazzled by Twilight at 6 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Saturday at the Vagabond Restaurant, 81 N. Forks Ave.
Twilight Music Girls will perform in a concert sponsored by Leppell’s Flowers at 10 p.m. Saturday at the Round House, 110 Business Park Road. Admission is $20.
At sunset, the Quileute tribe will hold a bonfire – simulating the bonfire party that Bella attended in the book on First Beach in LaPush.
Sunday events
On Sunday, vendors will sell Twilight-related items at Tillicum Park. Spradlee & Josh Swerin will play at 11 a.m. At 1p.m., Leppell’s Flowers will sponsor a scavenger hunt, with detailed clues to send fans throughout town.
At 1:15 p.m. Bella’s birthday cake will be cut and served at Tillicum Park, which will be the site of the annual group photo at 2 p.m.
The first Stephenie Meyer Day was in 2006, before Twilight had become a sensation — with fans all over the world — before the sequels were released and before movie contracts became serious.
In fact, at the time, MTV had optioned the movie, but that deal fell through and Summit picked it up shortly thereafter to produce the “Twilight” movie in 2008. The movie, “New Moon,” based on Meyer’s book of the same name, is to be released in November.
For more information about the Forks celebration, phone 360-374-2531.
A new documentary film that examines the town and people of Forks, Washington
will be released on October 15th. Here is the press release they sent us:
“Twilight in Forks†Film Documenting the Town Behind the Twilight Books Coming to DVD October 15th
Film takes a look at the real people and places of the remote Washington state town behind the Twilight Series of books by Stephenie Meyer
FORKS, Wash. – Aug. 26, 2009 – In anticipation of the second Twilight film, New Moon, fans will soon be able to see and learn all about the real people and places of Forks, the remote Washington state town behind Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight Series of books. Twilight in Forks (http://www.twilightinforks.com), available to pre-order today via Amazon.com, will be available online and in retail stores on October 15th.
Filmed in HD by three-time Emmy Award-winning Director Jason Brown, Twilight in Forks – The Saga of the Real Town, documents the story of the rainiest city in the U.S. – Forks – and the untold tales of its hidden history, culture and mysticism. Since the Twilight movies were not filmed in Forks, this is the chance for fans to see where Stephenie Meyer based her epic teen romance novels.
Are there truly vampires and werewolves in and around Forks? Hear from the real people living their lives in the town Twilight fans know and love. Fans will meet the Chief of Police and hear as he recounts the meal he cooked for Stephenie Meyer, the Forks Outfitters’ employee who gets mistaken for Bella, the vampire transplant who plays the real-life role of Alice, hear self-described Jacob’s grandfather tell the legend of how the Quileutes descended from wolves, and many more of the people and places, including the Cullen House, Swan House and police station, that make Forks the perfect setting for the Twilight Series.
The Twilight in Forks DVD is a must-have for Twilight fans young and old. For more information, visit Twilight in Forks on the Web at: http://www.twilightinforks.com.
About the Producers
Jason Brown is executive vice president of Heckelsville Media, and the director of the movie “Twilight in Forks – The Saga of the Real Town.†Jason’s 25 years of experience in film, television and music production place him in the top tier of creative talent in the industry. With three Emmy Awards, as well as multiple Clios, Tellies and Soundies, Jason’s work has been seen by millions of fans on TV, in theaters and in corporate settings around the world. His credits include features such as Lover’s Lane and Double Impact, recent television shows like A&E’s “Sell this House†and Discovery’s “Super Surgeries,†as well as additional projects for ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, Showtime, and the NFL Super Bowl. Jason’s work has been also previewed to audiences at the Sundance Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival, New York International Film Festival, and the Seattle International Film Festival. His corporate productions for companies like Nintendo, Microsoft, Coke, Nike and National Geographic rounds out a full spectrum of career achievement.
York Baur is president of Heckelsville Media, and the producer of the movie “Twilight in Forks – The Saga of the Real Town.†With 25 years of experience in content development, product marketing and business development, York brings extensive knowledge to the company’s projects. His personal connection to the Twilight phenomenon comes from the summer cabin his family built near Forks, Washington in the 1960s, which he still owns. As an avid outdoors lover, York grew up hiking in the ancient forests of Olympic National Park, and has a deep respect for both the forest and the hearty people who make their living in it. Previously, York spent the last 15 years in executive positions at Northwest online media companies, including InfoSpace, Akamai and Microsoft. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California (USC).
MTV has an article & interview with the films Producer, York Baur and Director, Jason
Brown. Baur and Brown will be unveiling exclusive sneak peeks of the film on MTV.com
every Tuesday until the films release:
The DVD gives you a chance to meet the “real” people of Forks. Now this is
something Kim and I know about first hand.
You may recall, Kim and I made that pilgrimage to Forks several months back. You
may also recall we ended up in the Forks emergency room. I think this fact gives me
the right to speak about a side of the people of Forks that most visitors do not see and
a documentary may not capture. You see, Kim and I were in a serious accident as we
were leaving town. As we scrambled up the snow covered bank, dazed and worried,
the compassion and love of the Forks-area natives kicked in, in full gear. Within
minutes, we were pulled from the cold to warm cars with heaters running, calls were
made in our behalf and the ambulance was on its way. The EMTs- Kevin and the
others, brightened our spirits and laughed about meeting Dr. Cullen as they drove us
to the hospital. These wonderful people stayed with us the entire time we were in the
emergency room, found us a hotel and drove us to get our things out of the now
demolished car. They went above and beyond what is expected of humans helping
strangers and we love them for it. This is the side of Forks we were privileged to see.
I only hope it comes through in the documentary.
The DVD will be available to the public on October 15. Pre-Order it by clicking here:
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