Twilight Forever: Discovering Forks and La Push

https://forkswa.com/

Thanks for sponsoring us, lorissaskitchen.com

Hear all about PORT ANGELES, WA (Episode 224)  HERE.

Ever wanted to walk in the footsteps of Bella Swan? Join us, Alexa and Rory—married musical nomads known as The ROAMies—as we finally check Forks, Washington off our travel bucket list! This small, rainy town captivated our imagination ever since it became the backdrop for the Twilight saga.

What we discovered might surprise you. Despite being the heart of Twilight country, almost none of the movies were actually filmed in Forks! But that hasn't stopped this charming logging town of 5,000 from embracing its literary fame. We explore the visitor center's dedicated Twilight museum, complete with movie memorabilia and the actual truck from the film sitting right outside. Armed with a free Twilight-themed map, we hit all the hotspots—from the Swan House (now an Airbnb) to Dr. Cullen's parking space at the hospital.

Beyond vampire lore, the Olympic Peninsula reveals itself as an outdoor paradise. We venture to La Push Beach on the Quileute Reservation where massive driftwood decorates the shoreline and the moody atmosphere instantly reminds us why Stephenie Meyer chose this setting. The region boasts over 100 miles of beaches, 200 miles of wild rivers, mysterious rainforests, and alpine meadows—all within easy reach of Forks. Whether you're a Twilight fan or nature lover, this corner of Washington delivers  adventure and wonder.

Ready to experience the real Olympic Peninsula? Subscribe to our podcast for more travel tales, including our upcoming episodes about Sequim and more hidden gems in this remarkable region. And don't forget to pack smart snacks like our sponsor Lorissa's Kitchen jerky and meat sticks—perfect fuel for exploring the rainiest town in the continental US!

Please subscribe, rate and share our podcast, and follow us on social media @TheRoamies or visit our website at www.theroamies.com.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi, I'm Alexa and I'm Rory, and together we are the
Romies.
We are married.

Speaker 2 (00:07):
To each other.

Speaker 1 (00:08):
Right, we are a touring musical duo.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
And our music has taken us to all kinds of places
all around the world and keepsus always on the go.

Speaker 1 (00:16):
So we hope you enjoy our stories and adventures while
running around working to keepall your plates spinning.

Speaker 2 (00:22):
And we hope, to facilitate your busy lifestyle
and feed your inner travel bug.
Hi everyone, we are excited tohave Larissa's Kitchen
sponsoring all month long whilewe explore the Olympic Peninsula
with you.
Larissa's Kitchen, or LK, makesreal clean meat snacks zero

(00:45):
sugar, certified top nine,allergen-free and perfect for
on-the-go adventures.
So whether you're hiking,traveling or just running
between meetings, their portablemeat sticks and jerky make it
easy to snack smarter, becausewhen you eat better, you feel
better.

Speaker 1 (01:04):
Mm-hmm.
Set jetting, as our friendPamela Holt calls it.
That's the same question Iasked her.
Do you mean jet setting?
No set jetting?
Yes, as Pamela Holt calls it.
We finally got to visit Forks,washington.
It was great to finally explorethe Olympic Peninsula and now
share about more of ourexperiences with you here.

Speaker 2 (01:25):
So ever since the Twilight movies came out, I have
wanted to go to Forks.
It just seemed like such arandom place and somehow that
made it more appealing to mebecause the name's funny.
I'd never heard of it beforethe movies and I just wanted to
discover this remote little town.
I was just super intrigued whenthey came out.

Speaker 1 (01:42):
So for the next few episodes, we're diving into our
adventures on the OlympicPeninsula, of which there were
many, and Forks is one of thekey stops.
We're kicking it all off with afull episode dedicated to
everything Twilight you candiscover there.
Now, regardless of how you feelabout the books, the movies,
whether you love them or hatethem I'm sure you love them
you're still going to want tolisten because of all the cool

(02:05):
stuff we found in the area.
Forks is just a super fun stop.

Speaker 2 (02:09):
And apparently I'm not the only one who wanted to
see this place in real life.
So when you visit the ForksVisitor Center, there's
literally an entire museum builtaround Twilight memorabilia and
it does have specific hours, sobe sure you check that out
before you go.

Speaker 1 (02:24):
Outside the visitor center there are these two
trucks.
Yeah, one is the actual truckfrom the movie Twilight and the
other is the one described inthe books.
How cool is that?
Super fun little detail.
While we were there, we alsopicked up a Twilight themed map
of Forks, which they offer forfree, of course.
And just a quick tip If you dograb that Twilight map at the

(02:45):
Visitor Center, it makes it wayeasier to hit all the fun
Twilight spots without missinganything.
Any fan, anything is what I'msaying.
They also sell merch.
If you want to grab a souvenirto remember your trip, nothing
like a hot Twilight mug.
Wait.

Speaker 2 (03:04):
Yes, Hot means stolen , so you probably don't want to
say that trip nothing like a hotTwilight mug.

Speaker 1 (03:08):
Wait, yes, hot means stolen, so you probably don't
want to say that.
Well, I was thinking hot likethe girls in the movie, but then
it didn't quite.
I was thinking hot Twilight mugwith.
That's why I said hot.
But anyway, yeah, maybe getyour Twilight mug from there, or
a t-shirt bag full of t-shirts.

Speaker 2 (03:21):
Now, rory and I have never read the books, but I love
the movies and really connectedwith them, and I heard the
books are even better.
But I got into the wholeTwilight thing only through the
movies and I got in kind of late.
It's a series I actually enjoywatching every now and then, but
I'm not like a super mega fan.
So I didn't do a whole lot ofresearch beforehand and I

(03:41):
figured we could just head up toForks and see where everything
was filmed.
Well, it turns out pretty muchnothing was actually filmed in
Forks.
Most of the filming took placein Oregon and Canada, because
Washington doesn't offer goodtax breaks for filmmakers.
But the books were set in thisarea and, honestly, even if I'd
known that before the trip, Istill would have wanted to visit

(04:03):
Forks.
It's just part of the wholeTwilight experience.
I'd love to visit the actualfilming locations in Oregon and
Canada someday too, and thereare filming shot lists that you
can get online for this trip.
They also have them at theVisitor Center in Forks.
But I really wanted to just goto the real Forks, and so I'm so
glad we did.

Speaker 1 (04:21):
Yeah, we also visited Port Angeles and La Push.
Those places are prominentlyfeatured and stick out in the
books and well, in the moviesanyway, and the books also, and
we've already talked about PortAngeles in a previous episode.
Link is in the show notes, socheck out that episode to get
the full enchilada.
At the Forks Visitor Centerthey have this awesome

(04:43):
self-guided driving tour thattakes you to all the local
Twilight stops and of course youknow we had to do that.
So not only can you check outthe museum and the trucks, but
you can also see the ForksPolice Department.
Her dad was the sheriff there,marimba in the movies, bella's
dad.
Bella's dad Forks High School,which of course was featured
prominently, like with the carthat almost killed Bella, but he

(05:05):
stopped it.
The Cullen House what?
Dr Cullen's parking space atthe hospital?
The Swan House, now an Airbnb.
Photos welcome, just don'tdisturb the neighbors.
So the original swan sign forthe movie that's on display at
the museum Forks Outfitterswhere Bella worked in the books.

Speaker 2 (05:28):
And the entrance sign to Forks.
You also see as you drive intothe town Now, on this driving
tour, that the visitor center atForks provides.
They also take you to La Pushyeah, which they should when
Bella first heard about thestories about the wolves.

Speaker 1 (05:43):
Remember the scene on the beach.

Speaker 2 (05:44):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (05:45):
Telling her the stories.

Speaker 2 (05:46):
We'll be talking about La Push later in this
episode and the next episode inthis episode and the next
episode.

Speaker 1 (05:54):
The Forks Visitor Center has a super helpful
handout with suggested day tripsaround the west side of the
Olympic Peninsula.
Here's what the pamphletrecommends Day one Ho,
Rainforest and Kalaloch Beaches.

Speaker 2 (06:06):
Kalaloch maybe.

Speaker 1 (06:07):
Yeah, kalaloch, maybe .
Yeah, beaches the cool thing isthey're actually rainforests
there.
That's just really cool.
Yay, forks and La Pushush wouldbe day two about today.
Yeah, that's day two.
Day three explore the northwestcoast.
Day four hike the ozettewilderness.
And day five, lake crescentvery cool, waterfalls very cool

(06:28):
and hot springs very cool weactually didn't get to visit the
hot springs.

Speaker 2 (06:33):
We wanted to, but the way there was closed during our
visit, and so we were not ableto experience the hot springs.

Speaker 1 (06:43):
The seasonal thing.

Speaker 2 (06:45):
But I think we talked about this in our episode with
Port Angeles, I think.
But do try to check them outwhen you go.
All right, so again for PortAngeles, see our show, but do
try to check them out when yougo all right.

Speaker 1 (06:53):
Yes, so again for Port Angeles.
See our show notes for thatepisode.

Speaker 2 (06:56):
Yes, Now Forks itself is known as the rainiest town
in the contiguous US.
The rainiest town.
Their official website isforkswacom and it's super
helpful for planning your trip.

Speaker 1 (07:09):
We didn't end up making time for the museum on
this trip, just how our scheduleworked out.
But if you're planning ahead,there's an annual Forever
Twilight, of course, foreverTwilight and Forks Festival,
usually in mid-September, so in2025, it'll be held September 11
through 14.
Definitely worth checking outif you're a Twilight fan.

(07:30):
One thing we could have donedifferently was staying even
closer to Forks for a night ortwo.
As much as we loved, our squimspelled sequim our squim Airbnb.
It's a little bit of a drive ifyou want to catch a sunrise,
which means me getting up evenearlier.

Speaker 2 (07:46):
He's not a fan.

Speaker 1 (07:48):
Or just soak up the moody Forks atmosphere very
moody at different times of theday, so if you're a serious
Twilight fan or even just anature lover like us, it's worth
booking a night in Forks itselfto get the full vibe.

Speaker 2 (08:00):
Now for our trip.
We stayed in this cute and cozylittle Airbnb in Squim that we
loved, so we're going to betalking about Squim in an
upcoming episode, so make sureyou've subscribed to our podcast
so you don't miss that one.
And we did different day tripsfrom there, so the Twilight tour
in Forks was really really onlytakes about an hour, like once

(08:23):
you're actually in Forks.

Speaker 1 (08:24):
And it's just a fun little set jetting adventure.
Yes, forks is a rural town ofabout 5,000 people, so people
like me get it Little townsright.
Grew up in a small one redlight town, and that red light
blinked.
It has restaurants, shops andlodging.
Beyond Twilight, it's alsologging and forestry town.
Again, for you outdoorsy typeslike us, you can visit the Forks
Timber Museum, the Forks LoggerMemorial, which we did

(08:48):
featuring a 12-foot tall carvedwood logger.
Get it 12 feet tall, carvedwood logger.
Get it 12 feet tall, carvedwood logger.
It's a wood person when we saya wood logger, not a logger as
in like a drink, right Logger,yes, yes.
Plus garden paths and foresttrails that connect to a
University of Washingtonresearch facility.
There's even a three-hour tour,a three-hour tour of a working

(09:14):
mill and forestry sites, guidedby volunteers.

Speaker 2 (09:17):
We didn't do that, but of course I'm sure it's
wonderful.
I'm sure Now there's also water.

Speaker 1 (09:21):
Lots of water.

Speaker 2 (09:23):
Rialto Beach is just north of the Quaalute River and
on the south side of the riveris the Quaalute Indian Village
of La Push and First Beach,which is where we went.

Speaker 1 (09:33):
Indian village of La Push and First Beach, which is
where we went.
First Beach is a mile-longcrescent known for surf-sized
waves and incredible whalewatching.
Well, we didn't see any whalesand, no, we didn't do any
surfing.
It was cold, but we had a greathike along the crescent.
There are fishing charters,food and lodging nearby.
La Push also has a second beachwhich is a favorite among
photographers.
You get there with a foresttrail.

(09:55):
Bring your Larissa's KitchenJerky for fuel.
On that one it was chilly andrainy, so, hey, we needed some
fuel to stay warm.
And yep, there's a third beachtoo.
That one's a mile and a halfhike through the forest.
One cool thing about the LaPush beach if you like driftwood
it is covered in cool driftwood.
It piles up in the corners andstuff.

(10:17):
Really cool.

Speaker 2 (10:19):
You can also hike the wilderness coast, the
rainforest or the alpine meadowsaround Forks, and then nearby
you have the Ho Rainforest, theSoul, duck Valley, lake,
crescent which we've talkedabout previously Cadillac Beach
and more.

Speaker 1 (10:33):
The Pacific Ocean beaches are less than 20 miles
away and the area offers youready.

Speaker 2 (10:38):
The area of Forks?
Yeah, I'm ready.

Speaker 1 (10:39):
The area of Forks offers over 100 miles of beaches
, that's a lot.
200 miles of wild rivers,that's a lot.
Wild and crazy rivers,magnificent mountains,
mysterious rainforests, pristinealpine meadows, the historic
charm of a small pioneer town, ablend of tribal and pioneer
cultures.

(11:00):
Indeed, you have to actually goon the reservation to go to the
La Push Beach.
Yes, very cool All of that.
Yeah, and forks.

Speaker 2 (11:09):
So start planning your visit and make sure you
have your Larissa's Kitchenjerky Definitely Meat sticks
tucked in your day packs to keepyou fueled for all of the
adventures that you will havethere.

Speaker 1 (11:19):
Yeah, larissa's Kitchen Elk Hay.
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(11:42):
Well, lk makes my favorite meatsticks.
I got to say I wasn't a fan ofmeat sticks till I met them, so
thank you, larissa's Kitchen,for giving me meat sticks I like
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Speaker 2 (11:53):
Yeah, and for sponsoring this episode,
Larissa's Kitchen, for giving memeat sticks I like, yeah, and
for sponsoring this episode,Larissa's Kitchen, and we will
see all of you on the next one.
We hope we've inspired you thisepisode, so join us next time.
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Speaker 1 (12:11):
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Speaker 2 (12:23):
At wwwtheromiescom, that's right.
That's T-H-E-R-O-A-M-I-E-S dotcom.
We'll be there until next time.
Yeah, thanks for listening.
Bye.