Blogs from Forks, Washington, United States, North America

Yesterday we drove to Forks, Washington. Forks is the setting of the Twilight novels. For those who have no idea what I’m talking about, the Twilight novels are kind of like Harry Potter for teenage girls and women (just for girls, not women - Craig). It’s a love story between a teenage girl and a vampire. The books have been made into movies, and it was the sets of such movies that I visited in Vancouver. I also tried to spot some Twilight stars in Baton Rouge (to no avail), Louisiana, for those who remember. Now none of the movies were filmed here, but the author of the novels (Stephenie Meyer) visited this town and used the various shops and locations in her books. So you can really imagine that you’re in the middle of the ... read more

Well, my flight from Raleigh arrived on time in Seattle on Saturday the 22nd. It was a long eight hour flight but fun as well. Getting to see the earth from the air is amazing, it is so big. I love flying because seeing how big the earth is reminds me how HUGE God is. I was able to see Mount Ranier in the distance. It was the only mountain visable above the clouds on my flight from Spokane to Seattle. My brother Jesse picked me up at the airport and we went to a mall in Seattle and had drinks and appetizers at a Thai restaurant called Racha with his friends Becca and Royden from the Coast Guard. Jesse then drove me around Seattle and showed me several places including an Episcopal cathedral with ... read more

So ... this is how we came to experience a little known town in the Olympic Peninsula named Forks. You will notice our cameras went missing and the events of the night of the 25th have largely been documented in drawings (as more actual renditions may be too difficult to bear). The events that transpired are largely Jenny Karankawa's fault and the Lonely Planet guide that her roommate gave to her. You see, the Olympic Peninsula is DESOLATE. There are no towns. Except two. Forks and Port Angeles - stop if you know where this is going because we really didn't see it heading there. Lonely Planet recommended an excellent, excellent campsite called Mora, only a stone throw away from the Pacific. Sadly, as sometimes happens with last minute travel arrangements, Mora was full for that ... read more

7/7/2008 This whole trip Clay was waiting to go deep sea fishing. To the point where it was very annoying. Well my dad set up a charter to take us out on Sunday. The problem was that you are not able to fish salmon on Sunday or Monday. We were ok with that Clay just wanted to get out there. When we got there our skipper said it would be a rough day. We still went out and you could tell that Clay was sooo excited. Well my mom knew that she would get sea sick before we went out so she curled up into a ball on the couch. Clay soon followed suit and so they were both curled on the couch. Including the sickness the waves were scattering the fish so we didn't catch ... read more

7/4/2008 I finally got to do what I have been waiting for. I read a book, Twilight, a while ago which is based in Forks. So that is where we went to day! First we went to Rialto Beach which is very pretty. Then we went to La Push, an indian reservation, to see a boat that we are taking deep sea fishing. Then we went to Forks. When we got there the fourth of July parade was finishing up so we didn't see that. After a bunch of pictures and lunch we headed on to the Hoh Rainforest. It gets 40 to 260 inches of rainfall a year! It was very pretty. That night we watched fireworks from our campsite over the lake. Katie... read more

url='/Videos/2899.html' onclick='dialog("/Videos/2899.html?popped=1","tbvideo",600,600);return false;' Wild Beaches of Olympic Peninsula Over more than a dozen years I have made photo safaris to the west coast of the Olympic Peninsula, to photograph the Wild Beaches of this remote region. From other posts in this blog, you have read about (and have seen photos of) some of my fishing trips on the glacier fed rivers on the west side of the Olympics, flowing into the Pacific Ocean. In the fall when the rains return after summer time, the fresh flow of water triggers the senses of salmon to begin a rush up these rivers and tributaries to begin to spawn. The Wild Beaches are where the land connects with the ocean, gates where the salmon enter the rivers. Still images of some of the beaches have been posted in this ... read more

. This morning was another “errands” morning… Food, Fax and Post Office! Carl’s passport is now winging its way to Washington, DC for his visa stamp. Carl had mixed feelings about seeing it go as he had guarded it with his life ever since the “episode” in Madrid! Our host at the hotel was again very solicitous - after informing us that we were the last people to breakfast at 8am - and plied us with lots of sugary stuff. Yum yum, said Carl as he demolished most of it!! Statistics Starting Destination: Port Angeles, Washington Ending Destination: Forks, Washington Ending Destination GPS: N: 47° 56.848’ W: 124° 23.149’ Elev: 309’ Miles Driven: 137.1 Distance Walked: approx. 2 miles (3.2 km) Tunnels Driven Through: 2 Most Interesting Boat Name: Bananas The not so Hurricane Ridg... read more

After a two year absence from the wild rivers on the west slopes of the Olympic Peninsula, I felt the urge of the salmon this fall of the year 2000. In response to the quickening, a fishing trip was planned and arranged for early October. Drift boat guides out of Forks, Washington were located and engaged using the Internet, and lodging at the lovely Forks Motel was secured. The foursome, two of my neighbors, my brother Mike from Portland, and I departed Olympia Thursday afternoon about 2:30 p.m. for the three and one half hour picturesque drive to Forks in my full time, all time, all wheel drive, Subaru Forester. The drive to Forks was punctuated with excited banter. Neighbor Pete and I had partnered for a salmon fishing trip before, only to get washed out ... read more