Opinion: 'Twilight' fame taints beauty of Quileute Reservation

Thursday, August 4, 2011  

"La Push, Washington, was almost the most peaceful place I've ever visited. In mid-July, I went for misty, early morning walks on the beach exploring tidal pools full of starfish. I hiked through moss-covered evergreen groves. I watched the waves crash against towering rock formations in what would have been meditative bliss.

Too bad Bella, Edward and Jacob wouldn't take a hint and scram.

La Push, you see, is just a 25-minute drive from Forks. And Forks is the setting of Twilight, a series of movies based on the wildly popular books by Stephenie Meyer, featuring a brooding romance between a vampire and a teenage girl. What used to be a logging town with a few thousand people is now a pilgrimage site for legions of fans, who want a full immersion in the Twilight experience.

Want a bottle of wine? The Forks Thriftway suggests "Vampire" brand, a Californian Pinot Noir. Feel like a cup of coffee? Head on down to Jacob's espresso shack for a Twilight character-themed latte. Think you'll escape the Twilight zone in the town's Chinese restaurant? Nope - life-size cardboard cut-outs of Bella, Edward and Jacob greet you before you even get a chance to sit down.

La Push is no escape either. It's home to the Quileute First Nations tribe - and Jacob, the shirtless teen werewolf. I thought a sign for a "treaty line" was, you know, an actual, historical treaty line - until I found out it's the border between the areas controlled by the vampires and werewolves in the books."

Get the Story:
Claire Brownell: Beautiful town, too bad about the werewolves (The Ottawa Citizen 8/4)