Forget about self-driving cars. What about self-flying airplanes?
20.07.2024 - 13:21 / insider.com
Almost 20 years after the publication of Stephanie Meyer's "Twilight," the small Washington city that serves as a backdrop for the literary sensation is still going through a tourism boom.
However, not all residents of Forks' roughly 3,400-strong population are happy about the attention their hometown is getting, with some locals hitting out at "vampire tourism," The Times of London reported.
When the first "Twilight" book was released in 2005, Forks had just 5,000 visitors, but that figure soared to 66,000 last year, per The Times of London. The number of tourists who checked into the Forks Visitor Information Center reportedly hit 73,000 in 2010.
Leslie Graham, a local resident, told The Times of London that her "kids will never know the quiet little town I grew up in," adding that you "get some odd characters roaming around."
"I saw someone in Sully's Burgers with sharpened teeth. And the local hardware store sells out of flashlights all the time, as people buy them to go hunting vampires in the woods," she said.
She added that she was "not against progress or tourism. But it does make me annoyed that the streets are clogged with cars."
Another resident, Dora Maxfield, said that the presence of out-of-towners in the small community still made her feel uneasy.
"When we see people roaming around there, it's kind of eerie," she said. "I work at the local school — which the Twilight characters 'went to' — and they'd be out there, crying about how much they loved this vampire guy."
"Sometimes they'd try and walk into the school," Maxfield continued. "It's not safe for the kids."
The "Twilight" book series quickly established itself with readers, and as of 2021, it had sold nearly 160 million copies worldwide, according to Publishers Weekly.
Related stories
Meanwhile, the movie adaptations starring Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart were even more popular, grossing almost $3.4 billion worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. (They were actually filmed in Oregon and Canada).
At the height of the "Twilight" hysteria, Forks wasted no time in embracing its new fame, with new "Twilight" tours showing off famous locations from the films.
Some people have even made permanent moves to Forks after being inspired by the series.
Lissy Andros, a fan who moved from Texas to Forks after falling in love with the books, defended the influx of tourists.
"There are absolutely people in town who don't support this, or the tourism," Andros said.
But "there's a misguided view that the town would thrive without it. "We are very fortunate to have this gift. People come to Forks and love it like their own home town," she added.
Meyer chose to set "Twilight" in Forks after searching Google for the place with the highest
Forget about self-driving cars. What about self-flying airplanes?
It's official: Philadelphia is back as a home port for cruise ships.
Planning a fall trip just got easier with up to 25 percent off hotel stays with IHG Hotels & Resorts’ latest sale.
You can listen to our podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify each week. Follow this link if you're listening on Apple News.
Afar partners with CreditCards.com and may receive a commission from card issuers. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. Compensation may impact how an offer is presented. Our coverage is independent and objective and has not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by any of these entities. Opinions expressed here are entirely those of the Afar editorial team.
I didn't know it the first time I stepped foot (or rolled, really) into The Mirage, but the stroller I was sitting in was entering hallowed ground in the hotel world. I was 4 years old, it was 1996 and my parents had just driven my brother, my grandma (Magaw, as we called her) and me from the Texas Panhandle to the Las Vegas Strip to celebrate Christmas in style.
Affiliate links for the products on this page are from partners that compensate us and terms apply to offers listed (see our advertiser disclosure with our list of partners for more details). However, our opinions are our own. See how we rate credit cards to write unbiased product reviews.
Los Angeles has the most sleep-friendly airport in the United States thanks to an overabundance of lounges open day and night.
A British Airways Airbus A380 had to turn around after an "overpowering scent" of laundry detergent filled the plane, making people feel sick and dizzy, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada said.
ECHO Suites Extended Stay by Wyndham opens in Spartanburg, marking a significant expansion with nearly 270 hotels planned across the U.S. and Canada, addressing the rising demand for long-term accommodations among traveling workers and digital nomads.
When Cadie Carroll and two college friends planned a recent weekend reunion in Sedona, Ariz., they booked a vacation rental to have more space than a hotel room and to be able to cook, something they enjoyed doing together at the University of Texas.
When my fiancé said he had a few days off from work at the end of May, we quickly planned a trip to Big Bend National Park.