I
f you have a teenager.. You've heard of 'twilight.' The books are best sellers.
And the latest movie, 'New Moon' is one of the year's most anticipated films.
It's such a phenomenon, in fact.. That the tiny town where 'twilight' is set has now become a Mecca for fans.
There's no easy way to get there. It's on the way to nothing -- perfect for handsome vampires -- looking for a little privacy.
It's a fictional "world" -- but it's actually a very real place.
Forks, Washington, population 3,200, is the epicenter of "Twi-mania."
"I was looking at the map and saw Forks and was like NO Way...turn around. We have to go here...This is Twilight!" said George Aerosmith, a 'Twilight' fan.
This year alone, some 64,000 'Twihards' have overrun this logging town - six times the town's average.
Twilight's author, Stephenie Meyer, never dreamed people would flock here. In fact she chose Forks as the setting for her series - precisely because it was out of the way.
But what did she like the most about this part of the Pacific Northwest? It's vampire friendly weather. It rains 10-12 feet every year here in Forks, making it not only the wettest place in the lower 48 states, but also, the darkest."
"One guy called and said I was going to come camping there but I heard you have a vampire problem," said Marcia Bingham/Forks Chamber of Commerce.
Which is why some fans chose to travel in the safety of the Twilight Tour Bus. It takes you to all Twilight's key haunts.
"We've got grandmas more excited than the grandchildren on board. It's been amazing," says Travis Belles, a guide for Twilight Tours
'Twilight's heroine is Bella - who has a crush on Edward - who leads an odd, sort of, un-dead lifestyle. And everywhere the characters go - fans want to follow.
"I think every girl wants that perfect love story I guess," says Karley House a "Twilight" Fan.
So do older fans, like Annette Root. She was so devoted, she actually moved to Forks - to open Dazzled by Twilight - selling every manner of Twi-fi memorabilia.
Did you ever think this was a little crazy, she's asked.
"I think that a lot." Annette says, "But I'm happy. I'm happy crazy, so that's ok."
The fascination has spread to nearby Port Angeles - to the Italian restaurant where Bella and Edward had their fictional first date.
So what's the fan's most popular dish? What Bella ordered, of course.
"Mushroom ravioli."
"We're over 5,000 orders of mushroom ravioli this year, says Neil Conklin the owner of Belle Italia. "That's a lot of mushrooms."
Just as it does in nature, Forks residents know Twilight will eventually fade - but for now - this town's tourism, seems to have risen from the dead
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