Sept. 13th 2009
Vancouver :
Jennifer and I wake up today knowing that we are going to meet at least 1 of the twilight actors. Can you say squeal. Not only that we are heading to the Sheraton today as well. All in all we are feeling better about almost dieing the day before. Jenn and I pack and leave first thing in the morning. We don't want to be late for the signing to meet Jackson and his band. We are not sure how long the line will be so we decide to look for the location then find some food then head back to the location. Traffic was still bad but with just a couple of wrong turns we are able to find the place we need to be. At this point we are feeling as if our luck is changing. As our stomachs begin to growl we set out in search of food. Afraid of getting lost again we decide to just stop at a Safeway to grab food. We both got a sandwich some chips and a drink. We had breakfast/lunch in the car. As soon as we finished our meal we left to go back to the signing.
We find parking at a local park and walk about 2 blocks up to the building. For the life of me I can't remember what the name of the building is now grrr. This will teach me to wait this long to tell a story. Anyway I hope my pal Jenn remembers. Jennifer and I are on cloud nine making our way up to find the line. We are happy to see that the line is not so long as we are some of the first people to arrive. (SCORE) Before long two girls join us in line. Little did we know at the time but these two girls would become great friends of ours and we would share a few adventures in Vancouver together. Sophia and Julia are amazing and we pass the hours talking with them while waiting. We waited in line for about 2 hours before we hear the words we have been waiting for (It's Time).
I am bouncing up and down I can barely control myself at this point. Some other girls behind me are grabbing onto me they are so excited. It was really great to be with other people who were just as crazy as Jenn and I. We are told that we will be going in groups of 4 to 6. This was great because we knew we would get to share this experience with our new friends Sophia and Julia. By this time we have talked with these girls so much that we have traded phone numbers so that we can keep in touch. Ok back to what you really want to know about Jackson Rathbone !! We make our way up to him and he is looking all handsome and I swear my heart almost skipped a beat. I want to take pictures but my hand is shaking so bad. Jennifer leans into me and tells me she is not able to take pictures cause she is just speechless. I pull myself together get a couple of pics and manage to get out a few words to Jackson. He is so polite and sweet. I will post some of our pictures here for you. Anyway he is great and in my opinion meeting him made our trip well worth it.
Much more to come soon .....
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
Travel log still day 2 to Forks and Canada and back.
Vancouver :
Sept. 12th 2009
On our way to Vancouver BC we had one tiny little problem. See we still had to make our concert by 7 pm so while we watched Forks fade into the distance a new excitement began to build. We might get to meet a vampire. Did I mention I get sidetracked when it comes to vampires. OK snap out of it. Our tiny little problem was that we got lost. With a GPS mind you. Jenn and I had mapped out our entire trip and were planning to avoid a ferry to get us to where we wanted to be. We ended up in Port Angles. As we got closer and closer to the water we began to panic. You guessed it our GPS ignored our pleas to not ride on a ferry. Thankfully we stopped at drug store and were given directions to the shortest ferry ride. We made our way to a lovely port town and boarded the Kingston Ferry. The ferry ride ended up being lovely and Jenn and I enjoyed it. Feeling pretty smug we began to talk about all the things we would see and do in Vancouver. We ended up making good time despite the fact we got lost and had to take a ferry. Vampire Jasper here we come.
I will never forget the words that Jenn said next " I was a little afraid to drive in Portland. But for some reason Vancouver doesn't scare me at all " These words would come back to haunt her later. By the way my best friend the amazing Jennifer is an awesome driver. She drove the entire trip. I don't blame her for being afraid to drive in a big city. I was afraid to drive on the highway but don't tell her I said so. I was thankful that she ended up driving. I made sure to keep her laughing so she would not get tired. We finally made it to the border. Jennifer and I could not stop grinning. I looked out my window in time to see the Canadian border cop and I almost lost it I was so excited. We were so close now.
As we entered Canada Jenn and I noticed something right away. It would seem Canadians don't use miles everything was in kilometers and meters. Yikes I guess I should have paid more attention in math class. Not only did we not know how fast we were going but we also didn't know how long until our exits lol. Looking back it is pretty funny. But at the time you could see the panic written all over our faces. So my fellow Americans keep this in mind if you plan a trip to Canada. I bet this information is not a closely guarded secret. Next trip Jennifer and I make we will be sure to check out things like miles and meters.
The traffic in downtown Vancouver was the worst I had ever seen. It was bumper to bumper. We didn't know how fast or how far we were going on top of everything else. In that one moment I wanted to go home. So what call me a wuss. I admit it I was a total wuss. We were finally getting close to our hotel according to our GPS. Jennifer and I notice something as we are making our way towards our room and relaxation or so we thought. We were surrounded by drugs, hookers and homeless people on newspapers. Police all over. It began to sink in that we were in a very bad part of town. What do we do ? After everything we had been through all we could think about was the 100 Monkey concert and Jackson Rathbone aka Jasper. We debated for a while as to if we should leave our room and even try to make it to the concert. We knew from prior planning that the Rickshaw theater was only a mere 2.2 miles away surely we could make it. We left feeling out of sorts and wondering if we had made the right choice to come to Vancouver. As we circled the Rickshaw looking for parking we notice a line that looks to be about a mile long. I know Jenn and I were thinking the same thing in that one moment. Is it worth it ? We finally decided it was not and went back to our room. We just missed our concert and very possibly our one chance to meet a Twilight star. We were both very upset. We went down to the lobby of our hotel because we were both so hungry. We thought perhaps the hotel workers could help us find a place to eat that would not get us killed. OK maybe that was a bit dramatic. This however would be a turning point in our vacation.
The hotel workers were so nice and understanding. Turns out E. Hastings is the street we were on and the workers themselves did not even like being in that part of town. They told us that connected to them was a restaurant I think it was called the box or something like that. Anyway they assured us it was great food and that they were still open. Jenn and I walked next door sat down and had the best meal we had eaten all day. We got to play with our Canadian money which made me feel special haha. We returned to our room with full bellies and were determined to make the very best of this vacation somehow. Tomorrow was a new day. We would be staying in the Wall Center Sheraton for 2 days where the Twilight stars were said to be staying. I didn't think we would run into anyone but just the fact that we would be staying in the same location was so exciting for us.
We entered our room feeling much better. We sat down relaxed for a minute checked our e-mails. I heard Jenn say Kristal and I knew from her tone it was something good. She proceeds to tell me she just got an e-mail telling her that the 100 monkeys were doing a signing tomorrow from 10 am to 2 pm.
Next blog day 3 meeting Jackson and the Sheraton .........
Sept. 12th 2009
On our way to Vancouver BC we had one tiny little problem. See we still had to make our concert by 7 pm so while we watched Forks fade into the distance a new excitement began to build. We might get to meet a vampire. Did I mention I get sidetracked when it comes to vampires. OK snap out of it. Our tiny little problem was that we got lost. With a GPS mind you. Jenn and I had mapped out our entire trip and were planning to avoid a ferry to get us to where we wanted to be. We ended up in Port Angles. As we got closer and closer to the water we began to panic. You guessed it our GPS ignored our pleas to not ride on a ferry. Thankfully we stopped at drug store and were given directions to the shortest ferry ride. We made our way to a lovely port town and boarded the Kingston Ferry. The ferry ride ended up being lovely and Jenn and I enjoyed it. Feeling pretty smug we began to talk about all the things we would see and do in Vancouver. We ended up making good time despite the fact we got lost and had to take a ferry. Vampire Jasper here we come.
I will never forget the words that Jenn said next " I was a little afraid to drive in Portland. But for some reason Vancouver doesn't scare me at all " These words would come back to haunt her later. By the way my best friend the amazing Jennifer is an awesome driver. She drove the entire trip. I don't blame her for being afraid to drive in a big city. I was afraid to drive on the highway but don't tell her I said so. I was thankful that she ended up driving. I made sure to keep her laughing so she would not get tired. We finally made it to the border. Jennifer and I could not stop grinning. I looked out my window in time to see the Canadian border cop and I almost lost it I was so excited. We were so close now.
As we entered Canada Jenn and I noticed something right away. It would seem Canadians don't use miles everything was in kilometers and meters. Yikes I guess I should have paid more attention in math class. Not only did we not know how fast we were going but we also didn't know how long until our exits lol. Looking back it is pretty funny. But at the time you could see the panic written all over our faces. So my fellow Americans keep this in mind if you plan a trip to Canada. I bet this information is not a closely guarded secret. Next trip Jennifer and I make we will be sure to check out things like miles and meters.
The traffic in downtown Vancouver was the worst I had ever seen. It was bumper to bumper. We didn't know how fast or how far we were going on top of everything else. In that one moment I wanted to go home. So what call me a wuss. I admit it I was a total wuss. We were finally getting close to our hotel according to our GPS. Jennifer and I notice something as we are making our way towards our room and relaxation or so we thought. We were surrounded by drugs, hookers and homeless people on newspapers. Police all over. It began to sink in that we were in a very bad part of town. What do we do ? After everything we had been through all we could think about was the 100 Monkey concert and Jackson Rathbone aka Jasper. We debated for a while as to if we should leave our room and even try to make it to the concert. We knew from prior planning that the Rickshaw theater was only a mere 2.2 miles away surely we could make it. We left feeling out of sorts and wondering if we had made the right choice to come to Vancouver. As we circled the Rickshaw looking for parking we notice a line that looks to be about a mile long. I know Jenn and I were thinking the same thing in that one moment. Is it worth it ? We finally decided it was not and went back to our room. We just missed our concert and very possibly our one chance to meet a Twilight star. We were both very upset. We went down to the lobby of our hotel because we were both so hungry. We thought perhaps the hotel workers could help us find a place to eat that would not get us killed. OK maybe that was a bit dramatic. This however would be a turning point in our vacation.
The hotel workers were so nice and understanding. Turns out E. Hastings is the street we were on and the workers themselves did not even like being in that part of town. They told us that connected to them was a restaurant I think it was called the box or something like that. Anyway they assured us it was great food and that they were still open. Jenn and I walked next door sat down and had the best meal we had eaten all day. We got to play with our Canadian money which made me feel special haha. We returned to our room with full bellies and were determined to make the very best of this vacation somehow. Tomorrow was a new day. We would be staying in the Wall Center Sheraton for 2 days where the Twilight stars were said to be staying. I didn't think we would run into anyone but just the fact that we would be staying in the same location was so exciting for us.
We entered our room feeling much better. We sat down relaxed for a minute checked our e-mails. I heard Jenn say Kristal and I knew from her tone it was something good. She proceeds to tell me she just got an e-mail telling her that the 100 monkeys were doing a signing tomorrow from 10 am to 2 pm.
Next blog day 3 meeting Jackson and the Sheraton .........
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
~Travel log day two to Forks and Canada and back~
Stephenie Meyer Day Forks Wa. Sept. 12th 2009 :
I have discovered something about myself while on this vacation. It would seem that if I am excited and traveling I don't require much sleep. This would be the reason I woke up at 5:30 am today. I felt bad waking up so early not wanting to wake up Jennifer. I however chanced a look her way when I seen one of her eyes pop open. We both smiled knowing that today we would be in Forks where our sparkly vampire books took place.
After we got ready for the day we set out towards the main building in the lodge we were staying at. See my first travel blog for a link and info about the lodge we stayed at our first night. Back to the story. We made our way towards the main building knowing that we would be able to find some breakfast. We ate breakfast quickly so that we would have ample time in Forks. The plan was to see some of Forks. After that hit the park where they had a big Twilight event set up in honor of SM day. Then we were going hit the road towards true love or I mean Vancouver BC. Because we had yet another long drive a head combined with not knowing how long it would take to cross the border we had to tour Forks quickly.
Forks is a beautiful little town. They embrace the whole Twilight Saga. They have many shops that sell twilight related merch. In addition to the shops this little town offers tours of the Forks high school, police station, hospital ect. Forks is well worth the visit. Jennifer and I had only one regret and that was that we could not have stayed longer. We missed out on some of the many activities they had planned for SM day. Never fear we are talking about going again next year. We barely made it out of Forks when we talked about going again. Is that lame ?? No wait I don't want to know. We have several pictures of Forks and I will post a few here to share with everyone. I bought myself an awesome t-shirt that said Forks Bites , a coffee mug, some post cards and some jewelry. I have to say I came across one t-shirt that would have made be spit out my drink had I been drinking anything at the time. It said and I quote here " I got licked in La push ". The Forks high school cheerleaders were out along with some Edward look a likes. Psst guess what we got pictures. Bottom line if you ever get a chance to visit Forks I highly recommend it.
I was going to end my blog with the whole I highly recommend it bit when I remembered something that I had to share. I wanted to look my best while on vacation. I mean hello what if I run into Rob I want him to look at me and think she is going to be the mother of my Cullen babies who is Bella again ?? Anyway sorry I slipped back into fantasy world for a moment. But still you know what I'm saying. I spent a lot of time looking my best. This morning I went for the sleek straight hair beauty look. I do have to say I looked pretty good and I was feeling good. That was until disaster struck. We were visiting the beach taking pictures. At this point I'm still feeling pretty good. Jennifer and I get in the car because we really had to be on our way. In addition to all the reasons I listed above for leaving Forks quickly the biggest reason I forget to list. We had to be in Vancouver BC by 7 pm ! Why you ask OK I will tell you we had concert tickets to see 100 monkeys you know Jackson Rathbone's band OMFG we were going to get to see Jasper ! OK back to the car we are on our way when I look up and see myself in the mirror. MY HAIR my beautiful straight hair was no longer straight but resembled a very fuzzy bird nest. It would seem I didn't take into account the dampness of the air being down next to the beach. My hair was awful !! Jennifer laughed at me and we got the before and after shot on video. It was rather funny. Moral of the story don't fix your hair and then go to the beach early in the morning.
New Blog Vancouver trust me you won't want to miss reading about that......
I have discovered something about myself while on this vacation. It would seem that if I am excited and traveling I don't require much sleep. This would be the reason I woke up at 5:30 am today. I felt bad waking up so early not wanting to wake up Jennifer. I however chanced a look her way when I seen one of her eyes pop open. We both smiled knowing that today we would be in Forks where our sparkly vampire books took place.
After we got ready for the day we set out towards the main building in the lodge we were staying at. See my first travel blog for a link and info about the lodge we stayed at our first night. Back to the story. We made our way towards the main building knowing that we would be able to find some breakfast. We ate breakfast quickly so that we would have ample time in Forks. The plan was to see some of Forks. After that hit the park where they had a big Twilight event set up in honor of SM day. Then we were going hit the road towards true love or I mean Vancouver BC. Because we had yet another long drive a head combined with not knowing how long it would take to cross the border we had to tour Forks quickly.
Forks is a beautiful little town. They embrace the whole Twilight Saga. They have many shops that sell twilight related merch. In addition to the shops this little town offers tours of the Forks high school, police station, hospital ect. Forks is well worth the visit. Jennifer and I had only one regret and that was that we could not have stayed longer. We missed out on some of the many activities they had planned for SM day. Never fear we are talking about going again next year. We barely made it out of Forks when we talked about going again. Is that lame ?? No wait I don't want to know. We have several pictures of Forks and I will post a few here to share with everyone. I bought myself an awesome t-shirt that said Forks Bites , a coffee mug, some post cards and some jewelry. I have to say I came across one t-shirt that would have made be spit out my drink had I been drinking anything at the time. It said and I quote here " I got licked in La push ". The Forks high school cheerleaders were out along with some Edward look a likes. Psst guess what we got pictures. Bottom line if you ever get a chance to visit Forks I highly recommend it.
I was going to end my blog with the whole I highly recommend it bit when I remembered something that I had to share. I wanted to look my best while on vacation. I mean hello what if I run into Rob I want him to look at me and think she is going to be the mother of my Cullen babies who is Bella again ?? Anyway sorry I slipped back into fantasy world for a moment. But still you know what I'm saying. I spent a lot of time looking my best. This morning I went for the sleek straight hair beauty look. I do have to say I looked pretty good and I was feeling good. That was until disaster struck. We were visiting the beach taking pictures. At this point I'm still feeling pretty good. Jennifer and I get in the car because we really had to be on our way. In addition to all the reasons I listed above for leaving Forks quickly the biggest reason I forget to list. We had to be in Vancouver BC by 7 pm ! Why you ask OK I will tell you we had concert tickets to see 100 monkeys you know Jackson Rathbone's band OMFG we were going to get to see Jasper ! OK back to the car we are on our way when I look up and see myself in the mirror. MY HAIR my beautiful straight hair was no longer straight but resembled a very fuzzy bird nest. It would seem I didn't take into account the dampness of the air being down next to the beach. My hair was awful !! Jennifer laughed at me and we got the before and after shot on video. It was rather funny. Moral of the story don't fix your hair and then go to the beach early in the morning.
New Blog Vancouver trust me you won't want to miss reading about that......
New Moon Soundtrack List !
DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE — MEET ME ON THE EQUINOX
BAND OF SKULLS — FRIENDS
THOM YORKE — HEARING DAMAGE
LYKKE LI — POSSIBILITY
THE KILLERS — A WHITE DEMON LOVE SONG
ANYA MARINA — SATELLITE HEART
MUSE — I BELONG TO YOU (NEW MOON REMIX)
BON IVER & ST. VINCENT — ROSYLN
BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB — DONE ALL WRONG
HURRICANE BELLS — MONSTERS
SEA WOLF — THE VIOLET HOUR
OK GO — SHOOTING THE MOON
GRIZZLY BEAR — SLOW LIFE
EDITORS — NO SOUND BUT THE WIND
ALEXANDRE DESPLAT — NEW MOON (THE MEADOW)
Information provided by : http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/
BAND OF SKULLS — FRIENDS
THOM YORKE — HEARING DAMAGE
LYKKE LI — POSSIBILITY
THE KILLERS — A WHITE DEMON LOVE SONG
ANYA MARINA — SATELLITE HEART
MUSE — I BELONG TO YOU (NEW MOON REMIX)
BON IVER & ST. VINCENT — ROSYLN
BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB — DONE ALL WRONG
HURRICANE BELLS — MONSTERS
SEA WOLF — THE VIOLET HOUR
OK GO — SHOOTING THE MOON
GRIZZLY BEAR — SLOW LIFE
EDITORS — NO SOUND BUT THE WIND
ALEXANDRE DESPLAT — NEW MOON (THE MEADOW)
Information provided by : http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/
Saturday, September 19, 2009
~Twilight Saga Set Locations~
Ok folks I thought I would add any addresses I have personally visited as well as any I have found on the net. I know when Jenn and I were looking for locations they were all over the net. It would have been nice to have them in one location. I will update this as often as new addresses become available. To start us out here are a few. If you know of any addresses you would like to share please let us know. Have fun on your very own twi-adventure !!
THE MARINA : ( As seen in Twilight )
10612 NW Lower River Rd.
Vancouver, WA. 98660
KALAMA HIGH SCHOOL : ( The outside shots of Forks High were done here. )
548 China Garden Rd.
Kalama , WA. 98625
PETITE JOLIE : ( Dress Shop in Twilight )
251 S. 1st St.
St. Helens , Or. 97051
THUNDERBIRD and WHALE : ( The Alley, and the Parking Lot )
260 S 2nd St.
St. Helens , Or. 97501
THE SWAN HOUSE :
184 S 6th St.
St. Helens Or. 97051
THE RESTAURANT :
330 S 1st St.
St. Helens Or. 97051
THE CULLEN HOUSE : ( This location is somewhat hidden because of the trees. It is at the end of the street and an amazing location. Take pics and video just don't go past the driveway is all the owners ask.)
3333 NW Quimby St.
Portland , Or. 97210
THE CARVER CAFE :
SE Hwy 224
Damascus , Or. 97089
CLACKAMAS COMMUNITY COLLAGE : ( Indoor scenes for the high school shot here )
19600 Molalla Ave
Oregon City , OR 97045
FORKS POLICE STATION :
1010 Bridge St.
Vernonia , OR 97064
THE STONE CLIFF INN :
17900 S Clackamas River Dr
Oregon City, OR 97045
VANCOUVE BC SET LOCATIONS :
THE MARINA : ( As seen in Twilight )
10612 NW Lower River Rd.
Vancouver, WA. 98660
KALAMA HIGH SCHOOL : ( The outside shots of Forks High were done here. )
548 China Garden Rd.
Kalama , WA. 98625
PETITE JOLIE : ( Dress Shop in Twilight )
251 S. 1st St.
St. Helens , Or. 97051
THUNDERBIRD and WHALE : ( The Alley, and the Parking Lot )
260 S 2nd St.
St. Helens , Or. 97501
THE SWAN HOUSE :
184 S 6th St.
St. Helens Or. 97051
THE RESTAURANT :
330 S 1st St.
St. Helens Or. 97051
THE CULLEN HOUSE : ( This location is somewhat hidden because of the trees. It is at the end of the street and an amazing location. Take pics and video just don't go past the driveway is all the owners ask.)
3333 NW Quimby St.
Portland , Or. 97210
THE CARVER CAFE :
SE Hwy 224
Damascus , Or. 97089
CLACKAMAS COMMUNITY COLLAGE : ( Indoor scenes for the high school shot here )
19600 Molalla Ave
Oregon City , OR 97045
FORKS POLICE STATION :
1010 Bridge St.
Vernonia , OR 97064
THE STONE CLIFF INN :
17900 S Clackamas River Dr
Oregon City, OR 97045
VANCOUVE BC SET LOCATIONS :
Travel Log Day One to Forks and Canada and Back.
Jennifer's POV:
Sept 11, 2009
I can’t describe to you how excited I was when I woke up Friday morning. It literally felt like a dream. We had been planning the trip for so long that it kind of felt surreal that we were finally going.
Kristal and I in a car is a hoot…especially Kristal. If you are ever totally exhausted and having to drive. She is the one you want with you. She just makes everything more fun!!
Once we got food in our tummies and gas in the car we were out of Klamath…and listening to all the CDs we made for the trip. That’s another thing about Kristal and I ..we love to sing..and to just about anything. Well once we were on the road we started to notice something…did any of you watch the first episode of Vampire Diaries? Well we had crows at just about every corner while we were driving. And I’m not exaggerating!! Everywhere we went they were there. So we just figured the vampires were following us. Yes..we are just that special!!
Anyway our first stop was the Cullen House. I think Kristal is going to be putting all the addresses on the blog as well just so you have an easy “one stop shop”. Before I go any farther though…I was a mess while driving. I was scared to drive in a big city and Portland was big. But, once we got there it was amazing. There were two other girls up there taking pictures as well. You can actually only see part of the house because we all have to respect the owners’ privacy. Can you imagine living in “The Cullen House” and all the fans that come and take pictures? So we stopped at the end of the driveway and took lots of pics. While we stood there it was kind of surreal to be standing where “they” once were.
So the next stops we were going to make were in St Helens, OR. The drive there was really easy and once we got there it was so worth it! So St Helens was this really small town..with a few Twilight locations. The first once we found was the dress shop. Kristal and I discretely took pictures…because we didn’t want to get stared at in the middle of town. I know..too funny right? Do you know how many people have been through this town and taken pictures of the same places? Oh well. After the dress shop we found the restaurant. It sure didn’t look as magical as it did in the movie with the twinkle lights and all, but it was defiantly the place. Then we started looking for the “Thunderbird and Whale”. We had a bit of a hard time finding this one, but once we did “OMG!!!!” Because once we found it…we found the parking lot where Edward saves Bella from those “disgusting” guys and then the alley way where Bella first sees them while leaving the book store. I have to say..this was a squealing moment for me. And Kristal and I were so funny about this one. We were actually whispering to each other in the parking lot..like we were going to get in trouble for being there. Too funny!!
The next location was in Kalama, WA. This was where the outdoor scenes of the high school were shot, and another really exciting moment for Kristal and me. But remember, there were some really pivotal scenes shot in the parking lot. This is where we first see the Volvo, where Edward saves Bella from Tyler’s car, and where we witness Edward and Bella going “public”. We of course had to park in Edward’s spot. That did it for me…more squealing like a teenager!!
Once we left Kalama we knew that we needed to get on our way to Forks. We were really excited, but I could tell that the not sleeping the night before was starting to wear on me. But once we saw signs saying “this way to Port Angeles and Forks” we got our second and then third wind. The drive was really beautiful, but once we got to the lodge I was ready to get to sleep. We stayed at the Kalaloch Lodge, which was a nice place with a beautiful view. But I have to say that Kristal and I were a little taken a back with the lack of cell phone reception, TV, and internet. I know. Most people would pay to leave all that behind just to listen to the waves and be near the beach..but not us!! Once we got settled and in bed it was hard for us to believe that our first day was over already. And what an exciting day it was!
Sept 11, 2009
I can’t describe to you how excited I was when I woke up Friday morning. It literally felt like a dream. We had been planning the trip for so long that it kind of felt surreal that we were finally going.
Kristal and I in a car is a hoot…especially Kristal. If you are ever totally exhausted and having to drive. She is the one you want with you. She just makes everything more fun!!
Once we got food in our tummies and gas in the car we were out of Klamath…and listening to all the CDs we made for the trip. That’s another thing about Kristal and I ..we love to sing..and to just about anything. Well once we were on the road we started to notice something…did any of you watch the first episode of Vampire Diaries? Well we had crows at just about every corner while we were driving. And I’m not exaggerating!! Everywhere we went they were there. So we just figured the vampires were following us. Yes..we are just that special!!
Anyway our first stop was the Cullen House. I think Kristal is going to be putting all the addresses on the blog as well just so you have an easy “one stop shop”. Before I go any farther though…I was a mess while driving. I was scared to drive in a big city and Portland was big. But, once we got there it was amazing. There were two other girls up there taking pictures as well. You can actually only see part of the house because we all have to respect the owners’ privacy. Can you imagine living in “The Cullen House” and all the fans that come and take pictures? So we stopped at the end of the driveway and took lots of pics. While we stood there it was kind of surreal to be standing where “they” once were.
So the next stops we were going to make were in St Helens, OR. The drive there was really easy and once we got there it was so worth it! So St Helens was this really small town..with a few Twilight locations. The first once we found was the dress shop. Kristal and I discretely took pictures…because we didn’t want to get stared at in the middle of town. I know..too funny right? Do you know how many people have been through this town and taken pictures of the same places? Oh well. After the dress shop we found the restaurant. It sure didn’t look as magical as it did in the movie with the twinkle lights and all, but it was defiantly the place. Then we started looking for the “Thunderbird and Whale”. We had a bit of a hard time finding this one, but once we did “OMG!!!!” Because once we found it…we found the parking lot where Edward saves Bella from those “disgusting” guys and then the alley way where Bella first sees them while leaving the book store. I have to say..this was a squealing moment for me. And Kristal and I were so funny about this one. We were actually whispering to each other in the parking lot..like we were going to get in trouble for being there. Too funny!!
The next location was in Kalama, WA. This was where the outdoor scenes of the high school were shot, and another really exciting moment for Kristal and me. But remember, there were some really pivotal scenes shot in the parking lot. This is where we first see the Volvo, where Edward saves Bella from Tyler’s car, and where we witness Edward and Bella going “public”. We of course had to park in Edward’s spot. That did it for me…more squealing like a teenager!!
Once we left Kalama we knew that we needed to get on our way to Forks. We were really excited, but I could tell that the not sleeping the night before was starting to wear on me. But once we saw signs saying “this way to Port Angeles and Forks” we got our second and then third wind. The drive was really beautiful, but once we got to the lodge I was ready to get to sleep. We stayed at the Kalaloch Lodge, which was a nice place with a beautiful view. But I have to say that Kristal and I were a little taken a back with the lack of cell phone reception, TV, and internet. I know. Most people would pay to leave all that behind just to listen to the waves and be near the beach..but not us!! Once we got settled and in bed it was hard for us to believe that our first day was over already. And what an exciting day it was!
~Travel Log Day one to Forks and Canada and back~
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Kristal's POV:
Sept.10th 2009
I think I will start this blog on Sept. 10th the night before we leave for Forks. I spent the night before hanging out with my family as this would be the longest I have ever been a part from my children. I also watched Supernatural and Vampire diaries. A little Sam and Dean to help ease the excitement of leaving. I tried to be in bed by 10 pm but I could not sleep, I wonder why ?
Sept. 11th 2009
I must have finally fallen a sleep because it was really hard to wake up at 6:15 am the morning we left. I felt like I had sandpaper in my eyes but that was nothing compared to the excitement I was feeling as I headed towards the shower. I was thinking I am going to see twilight sets and sleep in Forks tonight. The plan was to meet Jennifer at our children's school load my stuff in her car and then take off. Only as we headed down the road we realized Jenn did not have her Canadian money yikes ! We came home got her money and off we went. We planned many stops along the way to Forks as we intended to visit as many Twilight sets as we could. Our first Stop Portland Or. to visit the Cullen house. One word AMAZING !! We had trouble finding the location as it is slightly obscured by trees. Lucky for us we ran into 2 twi-fans taking pictures of the house. Jennifer and I followed the flashes to success. We have our own pictures of the Cullen house that I will include in this blog. You are not allowed past the driveway as a family resides there. They allow pictures and Video but ask that you be very respectful of there home and not go past the driveway.
Next stop St. Helens Oregon where several scenes of Twilight were shot. St. Helens is a very lovely small town. First stop was the dress shop. You know the one where Bella first catches a glimpse of the bad guys and where everyone is trying on prom dresses. Anyway funny thing the little dress shop is a hair salon. I have no clue why I was feeling nervous but I swear people were staring us down lol. Anyone that knows me knows I am not shy so why I was feeling so is beyond me. The next spot was easy to find it was almost literally across the street from the hair salon. It was the little Italian restaurant where Edward and Bella went to eat after he saved her. It is some type of office. It was more magical in the movie but I still recognized it and knew I was in the correct spot. Jennifer and I had some trouble finding the Thunder bird and Whale but the moment we did it was on. Talk about two screaming teens had anyone come across us at that time that's exactly what they would have thought we were. I have our reactions on video. I think the video might be a bit of an embarrassment so I think I will keep it to myself. The Thunder bird and Whale bookstore is a lawyers office and pretty much to find it you have to be parked in THE parking lot. You know the one I speak of. The one where Edward saves Bella oh baby. Connected to the parking lot is the little alley and I remember that alley well. What a thrill to see where all that is holy Twilight movie was made hehe. Ok so do you think I'm a dork yet ?? It's ok I admit it.
After all this excitement we knew we still had a long drive a head of us to reach Forks. We were tired but determined to reach the mother land ! Forks here we come. Months in advance we tried to book a room in Forks. That was a joke because the weekend we chose to go up was SM day. If you don't know what this is search my other blogs I have links added. :) Anyway we felt lucky to have found a room at Kalaloch Lodge. It was an expensive room I might add. Here is a link if you want to check it out. http://www.visitkalaloch.com/
Over all I am grateful to have had a place to sleep. But just know if you do stay here that the view is great the breakfast was decent. However you will not have a TV or a phone in your room. Jenn nor myself had cell reception which was another bummer. So at the end of the day do you really want to pay 200.00 for a view ? I think next time we will book a room a year in advance if we have to.
Sleep finally claimed us. I think we had been on the road for 11 hours. Needless to say we were very tired. I woke up at 5:30 am because I knew we would be attending Stephenie Meyer's Day today. I do believe that's another blog ........
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