A motel with vampire envy

The Pacific Inn in Forks, Wash., can thank a vampire named Edward for boosting its business.

Forks is a sleepy town of 3,500 along U.S. 101 on Washington's Olympic Peninsula. It's best known for being in the middle of nowhere and for receiving 12 feet -- that's feet -- of rain a year. Along with logging, tourism has long been a big part of the economy.

Enter Edward Cullen, the fictional character in Stephenie Meyer's vampire-themed Twight saga romance novels and later the star in three blockbuster movies.

The story is set in Forks. The movie, while supposedly shot there, was actually filmed in Oregon and British Columbia (not enough motel rooms and other services for the crew in Forks). Still, the end result is that the exposure has launched Forks into the spotlight. Several shops sprung up with vampire related merchandise. For a few bucks, Twilight Tours transports fans to sites from the tale. The town of Forks can thank its lucky stars; many struggling small towns across America should be so fortunate.

Jim and Laura in a Twilight room

A year before the book was released, Forks natives Jim and Laura Decker bought the 35 unit Pacific Inn motel. Laura was a bookkeeper and Jim a logger.

A year after that, Twilight author Meyers came to town for a book signing. "Nobody thought much of it," said Jim Decker. But their mood changed when Twilight fans began arriving in droves. The little community was instantly on the radar. No matter that 12 feet of rain poured down a year or that the sun seldom shone.

Twilight fans, after all, want rain and gloomy skies. Vampires don't like sun, and that's the main reason Meyers chose Forks for her tale.

The Pacific Inn

A couple of years after the Deckers bought the motel they tweaked the decor in some of their rooms to a Twilight theme. Basically, that meant painting the rooms red and black, putting up a few movie posters and providing black bathroom towels embroidered with "Twilight."

It's been a hit. The six rooms book up often even though they go for about $25 more than the same rooms without the special treatment. People of all ages come. Parents surprise their kids. Grandmas and grandpas show up. A couple came for their honeymoon all the way from Australia.

And they don't care if it's dark and pouring rain. "That's the way the vampires want it and that's the way they want it," said Laura.

Take your photo with the movie's stars.

Not only has the publicity from the book and movie been good for the economy, it's been good for the teenage boys at Forks High School. Jim and Laura's son Braden, 17, plays sports there. And that makes him a big hit with the young ladies when he travels wearing his Forks HS Spartan shirt. That's the school Edward the handsome vampire attended.

Learn more about the Pacific Inn and its Twilight rooms at its website.

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