By Erika Ehmsen, Sunset copy chief
Oregon is ready for its close-up. And boy will it be scrutinized now that the first installment of the Twilight series is out. (The film opened at 12:01 a.m. on November 21, 2008; the DVD is scheduled to be released on March 21, 2009. Preorder a copy here.)
Vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) and Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart), the mortal whose blood "sings" to him, high atop a tree in the Northwest. Photo by Deana Newcomb/Summit Entertainment
Readers of Stephenie Meyer's romantic vampire thrillers know the four-book series is set in Forks and La Push, Washington. Mossy tall trees, dramatic sea stacks, oft-cloudy skies—thousands of fans have made pilgrimages to Washington's Olympic Peninsula to be where Bella Swan and Edward Cullen lock eyes and lips.
So, does Oregon cut it as a stand-in? Scroll down and take a peek.
Bella and Edward in "Washington." Oregon tax breaks wooed Twilight producers here and nabbed the state “more than $20 million,” according to the StatesmanJournal.com. Photo by Summit Entertainment
Thanks to the incredible reporting and photography assistance of Twilight mega-fan Lyndsey Wymore, an Oregonian who lives a vampire-quick dash from beautiful Silver Falls (see below), we've pulled together this guide to where Twilight was filmed and what to do while you—or your teenage daughters—are lurking about Portland and the stunning Oregon coast.
Portland
First thing's first: Fly into Portland and rent a car. The riverside city will be your base for exploring. If the Cullen coven were vacationing in Portland, they wouldn't care about staying for cheap, but our list of cash-savers will help mere mortals who need to sleep and eat on a budget. If you left a little room in your suitcase, consider hitting some of the city' super-cute boutiques: Couldn't you just see stylish Alice shopping in the Pearl or decking out a party after a spending spree in the Fiber Arts District? (For more shopping, dining, hotel, and nightlife recommendations, click over to Sunset's joint project with 10Best for editors' picks.)
Speaking of the Cullens, their fabulously modern blond-wood-and-glass-walls home is in the hills of northwest Portland, but these photos from TwilightMoms.com are likely the closest you'll get to the private residence. On the outskirts of Portland is Oxbow Park (above). Says Lyndsey: "Pretty much if B&E are in a forest with large fir trees, it was shot in Oxbow Park. The scene where you see the deer running through the forest and then it gets taken down by Edward, that was also shot here. They brought in fog machines to make the forest look even creepier—very cool."
In Portland proper, you can drive by two set locations: Vibra Hospital, which acts as Forks Community Hospital; and Madison High School, which loaned out its cafeteria, hallways, and classrooms as one of two high schools to portray Forks H.S. (The exterior and parking lot of Kalama H.S., 50+ miles north in Washington, show up in some pivotal scenes, like Edward's first rescue of Bella. And, strangely, its wrestling room was transformed into an Arizona hospital room for a certain unlucky character.)
Moody and majestic Ecola State Park. Photo by Mario Vaden
The Oregon coast
Ready to dip your toes in the Pacific? Hop on U.S. 26 west and drive 1 1/2 hours to the coast. This is where horseshoe-shaped Indian Head beach—in Ecola State Park, near Cannon Beach and Seaside—stands in for La Push's First Beach, the spot where Bella learns the local legends of vampires and Quileute shape-shifters from pal Jacob.
With its similar driftwood and sea-stacked shores, Ecola's Indian Head is convincing. See for yourself: Oregon photographer (and arborist) Mario Vaden has some gorgeous Ecola vistas on his website. And TwilightExtremists.com has a whole slideshow of Indian Head shots.
Driftwood on a beach in Seaside, Oregon. Photo by Mario Vaden
"Forks" and "Port Angeles"
From here, either spend the night by the ocean—so you can do a day trip to "Forks" and "Port Angeles" on your way back to Portland—or simply head back to Portland and then backtrack a bit to hit these scene-setters another day: Largely portraying Forks is the town of Vernonia (off State 47, which spurs off from U.S. 26; it's about 1 hour from Portland or 1 1/4 hours from the coast). The biggest attraction in town? Perhaps the local branch of the Wauna Federal Credit Union, which Lyndsey notes stood in for the Forks Police Station.
About 1 hour from Vernonia (or 45 minutes north of Portland via U.S. 30) is St. Helens, whose circa-1844 Olde Town mostly* plays the role of Port Angeles (that's St. Helens below). The alley scene was shot here, and a vacant law office was transformed into the restaurant where Bella and Edward have their first dinner together (true, only Bella eats). Instead of the Bella Italia of the book (which really does exist on Washington's Olympic Peninsula), Lyndsey notes that it's called the Bloated Toad in the film (hmm, romantic?). *Bella's "Forks" house is also in St. Helens, and it's a charmer—but a private residence, so be respectful if you track it down. (Gardeners, plan ahead and make a stop in Scappoose on your way back to Portland: Joy Creek Nursery is only open by appointment in fall and winter, and it has a stunning selection of fall- and winter-blooming clematis.)
High-tech forests and the Carver Cafe
At this point, you're probably longing to see more of the woods that figure so prominently in the film—and perhaps you'd like to find a place to lie back in a meadow and daydream about a certain handsome immortal. Ok, maybe you won't actually lie down on the chilly ground in November. But if you're up for a hike and want to see where the Twilight meadow shots were filmed—at least initially, as the movie's big meadow scene was later reshot, purportedly at a California golf course—head about 30 minutes south of Portland to the town of Carver. Carver Park (that's it below) is striking, with mossy boulders like the ones Edward leads Bella to. Those actual boulders? Behind the View Point Inn (site of the prom scenes—scroll down for details), with the Columbia River as a backdrop.
While you're down here, swing by the Carver Cafe, near the Clackamas River, for breakfast or lunch. The cafe's owners allowed it to be transformed into the favorite hangout of Bella's dad, Police Chief Charlie Swan. And they've mostly kept it that way, leaving up framed photos of the real town of Forks. (Oh, and if you're wondering where they shot the film's "Arizona" scenes, Lyndsey tells me that a warehouse in nearby Clackamas stood in for the hotel and ballet studio.)
Purists might want to skip the first half of this next suggestion,
as it involves a scene that was added to move the story along ... and
to get Bella and Edward out of his car and her bedroom, ahem. But if
you want to see where Forks H.S. students take a field trip to a
greenhouse (pictured below), check out the Clackamas Community College campus in Oregon City—it's about 20 minutes south of Carver and on the way to the tall trees of Silver Falls State Park
(which are 1 1/4 hours south of Oregon City). These mossy green
treetops were rigged for much of the movie's special-effects
wirework—shots like Edward jumping out a window with Bella on his back.
When you're ready to call it a day, head back to Portland.
Columbia River Gorge
To fill your last day with lasting visions of Northwest magnificence, head north to the Columbia River Gorge, the border between Oregon and Washington. Particularly impressive is Multnomah Falls, about 30 minutes from Portland. A "hey, Bella, look what I can do" add-on scene was shot here; in it, Edward shows off his mad vampire skills. Lyndsey was on-set that day: "In this scene, B&E are getting to know each other and he decides to show off a bit of his strength. So they are standing in front of the waterfall having a deep conversation and then he takes off and, within seconds, is a third of the way up the falls on the footbridge that goes across the falls. Pretty stinking cool." Update: I just saw the movie. This scene didn't make the final cut. You'll catch just a glimpse of it in the ending credits, under the Radiohead tune "15 Step." Maybe the bridge scene will end up on the DVD!
Directly across from the falls, on the Washington side of the Gorge, Lyndsey was lucky enough to get to play on the "vampire baseball field" (that's it above). The land is protected space and not open to the public, so I won't reveal its whereabouts. But there is a previously private stretch of land with breathtaking Gorge views that's opening to the public: Cape Horn Vista, where Edward takes Bella up to the treetops for a river view, is above State 14 near Wahougal, WA.
We'll leave you where Twilight closes: the View Point Inn, on the Oregon side of the Gorge, which gets decked out with a Monte Carlo scene for prom night (that's Lyndsey, on the set). The inn's website has some exclusive shots from filming. And beyond its romantic dinners and gorge-ous views, the inn is offering a special "Twilight Slumber Party" package on weekends.
Not convinced?
If you don't think that Oregon could possibly make a good stunt double and instead want to visit the real-deal Forks and Port Angeles, check out our recent article and follow-up.
Fan Lyndsey Wymore, seen here with Edward, erm, actor Robert Pattinson, plans to post a Twilight Highlight Tour on her blog soon after the movie is released. Some locations are up already. If not otherwise credited, all above photos are courtesy of Lyndsey Wymore. Thanks so much, Lyndsey!
