Twilight: Mecca to Forks + Geocaching (of course)

A day off of school? Precious time with a Twi-struck kiddo? What's a mom to do? Why, pack the stationwagon for a mecca to Forks, WA, to celebrate all things Twilight.

And of course, while at it, squeeze in a geocache. Yes, folks, there is a Twilight geocache, placed in Forks, WA just a few weeks ago. Now, I've done some seriously crazy-making geocaches, but this one was pretty strenuous given our time constraint: 10 stops, puzzles to solve at every single one of them, and then a final challenge...

We fortified ourselves at Sully's after the 3.5 hour drive + ferry ride. Thanks to Gypsy Wings who made her mecca to Forks earlier this year, I was armed with the inside scoop, including indulging in a Bella Burger. Did I miss a reference in the book--but why was there pineapple wedged in the burger? Was it because Bella is a little prickly? A little tart?

The geocache began at the Chamber of Commerce with Bella's truck. (The clue involved a few bolts, adding digits together, and division.)

Next, we zipped over to the hospital where Dr. Cullen had his own parking spot. (Those jaded among you might be rolling your eyes. However, just think: a book spawned all of this fandom. A book! That is worth celebrating!) I personally loved how the town has thrown itself into the characters.

And then a trip to the Swan house, followed by a quick stop at the Cullen house. (I have to admit, the Cullen house used in the movie completely captured the family. Bravo, location scout!)

We braved the perfect vampire conditions of rain and wind to make it to Jacob's stomping grounds where we claimed the last clue: counting those orange balls above the water.

Bummer! After all that, we were skunked by the final coordinates. We tromped around in the mud and muck in prime Twilight woods for half an hour before we gave up. The ferry was calling and we had to run...despite the readergirlz buttons we were going to drop into the cache. With the movie coming out in November, there will be a next time.