La Push, Baby!

"There are stories of the cold ones...my own great-grandfather
knew some of them. He was the one who made the treaty
that kept them off our land." -Jacob, Twilight, 6. Scary Stories

Although I've always been Team Edward, it was really exciting to cross the treaty line on the way to La Push. The Treaty Line is located at the entrance to 3 Rivers Resort, on the road from Forks to La Push. We made a quick stop at 3 Rivers to grab a bite to eat. The service was friendly, the burgers were tasty, and there was even a small section of the restaurant dedicated to Twilight. On one side of the main building, there's also a "Vampire Threat Level" sign, similar to the Fire Threat Level signs you often see near large forests or dry areas. With a scale of low, medium, high or danger, the Vampire Threat Level in La Push was set to danger, of course!

"I'd been to the beaches around La Push many times
during my Forks summers with Charlie, so the
mile-long crescent of First Beach was familiar to me."
- Bella, Twilight, 6. Scary Stories 

A few more miles down the road and we officially reached the Quileute Reservation. There's a small resort and a restaurant on the property, but it's still an active reservation where many of the Quileute people have their modest homes.

First Beach, is incredibly beautiful. There are lots of large branches that have washed ashore and made a home out of the jetty at the end of the beach. The beach was also home to a view of what I believe to be ancient lava deposits that look like gigantic rocks jutting right out of the ocean just off the shore.

Click here for the La Push, Baby! (Twilight Movie Scene)

Twihard Tour in Forks

"The meadow, so spectacular to me at first, paled next to
his magnificence." -Bella, Twilight, 13. Confessions

The drive from Port Angeles to Forks can only be described as breathtaking. From the car, we saw mountains, forests and lakes that are so beautiful, they look unreal. There are also a few small parks along the way that were perfect for stopping and taking in the scenery.

As we approached Forks, we were greeted by the welcome sign, which has a convenient parking spot carved out so we could safely take advantage of the obvious Twihard photo op.

"It was to Forks that I now exiled
myself -- an action that I took
with great horror. "
-Bella, Twilight, 1. First Sight

After traveling down Main Street, we finally reached the Forks Visitors Center, took pictures with Bella's truck (both the book version and the movie version) and got a Forks Twilight Map, which includes directions to all of the Twilight points of interest including, the Swan house, Forks Outfitters (where I bought a Forks Spartans t-shirt), Forks Community Hospital, Forks High School, the Police Station, the Cullen house and La Push. Pictures of everything mentioned here will be posted soon!

Forks is a very small town that is surrounded by an amazing rainforest, with the biggest, moss covered trees I've ever seen. Although the movies representation of the town is quite a bit more glamorous than its reality, the books paint a pretty accurate picture of many real places in Forks and it was really exciting for a Twihard like me to see.

Click here to watch the Opening Sequence (Twilight Movie Scene), when Bella arrives in Forks.

Bella Made a Good Choice

"I looked out the window to see the
lights of La Bella Italia, and Jess
and Angela just leaving, pacing
anxiously away from us."
-Bella, Twilight, 8. Port Angeles

Tonight I had Mushroom Ravioli at Bella Italia (http://www.bellaitaliapa.com/)! It took a lot of effort to contain my excitement when we were sat at the cutest little round booth, right by the window. The restaurant was just how I imagined it when I read Twilight for the first time: small, with modest decor, and delicious food. The Mushroom Ravioli was filled and topped with a generous portion of Olympic Mushrooms and served with a thin cream sauce. My husband, who I'd like to say is a connoisseur of Chicken Parmesan, was pleasantly surprised with Bella Italia's take on the dish, and he particularly enjoyed the side of grilled zucchini.

Luckily, the staff is much friendlier than the server portrayed in the book. Our server described Twilight as a "blessing" to the Port Angeles and we learned that the town was once the gateway to Victoria, BC, and had major ties to the logging industry. However, when the state started to offer ferry service to BC from Seattle, the Port Angeles economy quickly declined.

"Um...I'll have the mushroom ravioli."
-Bella, Twilight, 8. Port Angeles

Nonetheless, Port Angeles is a coastal town that is filled with unique sculptures, and surrounded by beautiful mountains and lush forests. Although there's not a lot to see, it's a great stop for anyone taking a trip along the Olympic Peninsula and a must see for fellow Twihards.

Stay tuned for more pictures taken today at Bella Italia!

Click here for the Bella Italia (Twilight Movie Scene).

No Twilight, Until Tonight

So far, our trip has taken us to Portland, Tacoma and Seattle. We've seen some family, had latte's at the original Starbucks location in Pike Place Market and will be scoping out some big city museums before heading off to Port Angeles tonight, for dinner at Bella Italia!

Twihard Tour 2012 Starts Today

The day has finally arrived and I can hardly contain my excitement! We leave for Portland tonight and officially commence the Twihard Tour 2012! Stay tuned for updates and photos as we make our way through Oregon to Washington's Olympic Peninsula.

Planning the Twihard Tour 2012

I'm making plans and taking names:

http://forkswa.com/files/2012/06/Twilight-Map.pdf
http://www.bellaitaliapa.com/ (I have a reservation!)
http://experiencewa.com
http://traveloregon.com/

Here's my packing list:

If you think I forgot something, please let me know ASAP!

A Teenager Turning 30

"In the Olympic Peninsula of 
northwest Washington State, a small 
town named Forks exists under 
a near-constant cover of clouds." 
-Bella, Twilight, 1. First Sight

Hello, my name is Bree, and I’m going to Forks, WA for my 30th birthday. That's right, I'm not a teenage girl who's obsessed with sparkly vampires; I'm a grown woman, who's obsessed with sparkly vampires! 

Want to come along? 


Follow this blog for updates and pictures as I embark on this amazing Twilight inspired journey from May 11th to May 19th!  
Here's the master plan:

• Fly to Portland
• Take my cousin-in-law's sweet camper van
• Brunch at the View Point Inn (maybe)
• Drive through Seattle to Port Angeles
• Bella's Mushroom Ravioli at Bella Italia
• Drive to Forks
• SEE EVERYTHING
• Drive to La Push, baby!
• SEE EVERYTHING
• Drive Back to Portland

If you know of any special attractions I should see along the way, please add a comment to this post.