Well, I've got to say this has been one of the greatest days of not only the trip, but also my life - it was just amazing today. I made it to so many place I've only thought about visiting, I've seen so much in person from the big screen and small screen, everything is just so surreal and awesome right now. PICTUREs! Tons of pictures this time.
First thing this morning I left the hotel, filled up on gas and groceries, and headed over to Snoqualmie and Snoqualmie falls to get my Twin Peaks fix I had been dying for for weeks now. I had a little problem with Delorme and the GPS at this point, a lot of the roads it told me to go down had long since been closed, and at one point it had been going down an old unused railroad (there was NO regular road in the vicinity, I checked 20 times, I thought I was going nuts). There was some kind of fair or something going on today in the town, so there was lots of activity. First I stopped in the town square to check out some familiar Twin Peaks landmarks. (Original top [for the most part, some screen captures I couldnt find on the web and I dont have my DVDs with me to make any], my pictures bottom).
Picture of giant log from opening of pilot episode (cut from later episodes for time)
The cool thing is, right next to the log is the gazebo where Dr. Jacoby is struck from behind after following Laura's cousin, thinking she was Laura, episode 7 I think.
After that I was off to look for Salish Lodge (The Great Northern Lodge) and the falls. It was actually 2 seconds up the road, I mean - literally 2 seconds up the road, but I'm an idiot and I got confused with the map and took a turn and ended up finding the Packard Mill (Its not the Packard Mill in real life, but on the show). Shot from the intro sequence.
I could only get the very top of them from the side road, I didnt want to actually go onto their land, its a big business and I felt kind of uncomfortable going down there.
Anyway, I backtracked and easily found the Salish and the Falls. The falls and the surrounding trails/land are just amazing. Top shot are the falls from the opening credits (or different angle from the show)
And from the bottom of a 1/2 mile steep hike. It was actually kind of funny, going down everyone was all fine and normal, and everyone coming back up was out of breath and red in the face.
Also, just some surround area, it was beautiful.
Back up at the top of the falls, a picture of the Salish lodge (which are right next to the falls, its really expensive to stay there [Agent Cooper was wrong on that one] but I imagine its beautiful inside).
Also, there are a number of railroad tracks all around Snoqualmie being an old logging town, and a number of rundown railroad cars. I'm fairly certain I found the one from Fire Walk With Me, but unfortunately the shot came out blurry, and all I had was of cars further down the track.
I was just out of my mind at this point, Twin Peaks is (as you probably could have guessed by now) in my top 3 favorite shows of all time, and I was just living it. But I had one more place to go, the RR, for a slice of cherry pie and a cup of coffee. And I have to say, it really WAS a damn good cup of coffee, Agent Cooper would have been proud.
The diner caught fire once after the show filmed there, but they pretty much built it back up to how it looked before, though the interior has changed a bit. In the backroom where the bathrooms are, all the walls are just completely filled with Twin Peaks pictures and memorabilia, the famous shot of Laura Palmer.
And some shots of B&ws from the show/Fire Walk With Me
Well, I paid my bill, took a few more photos, and left Snoqualmie, though I'm sure I'll return again one day for another slice of pie. Its really beautiful, but I caught it on a sunny day, I would like to come back when its foggy and not so touristy.
Speaking of which, I realized today why a lot of my pictures dont quite do justice to the scene, I've been using a weird lighting mode on the camera that lightens everything up too much. Like - it looks clear, but its not the actual lighting of what I'm taking a picture of. I realized tonight when I snapped some photos of Astoria and though it was dark up in the hills, the photo showed it being light. I wished I had realized this 7 days ago. Oh well.
Anyway, I drove into Astoria, OR (where they filmed The Goonies), and came to my hotel. And I have got to say - THIS is the place I'm going to move. I have another day booked just to check the town out, I have fallen in love with the place, completely. I don't even want to leave right now, I could spend my next two weeks here and be happy. I'll have more photos tomorrow but here are a few to start out with.
First off, the important one! (And more to come tomorrow of Goonies). Observe Rosalita (the maid who can't speak english, remember?) crossing the street in the intro of the movie, she is quickly almost hit by two cars zooming by her.
New paint job, but 19 years later the store is still there (Dear God 19 years since Goonies came out, almost 20).
This is the shot from my HOTEL ROOM. For those who have seen the film, can't you picture One Eyed Willy's boat breaking free and sailing out into the Pacific from here? It happened little down the coast, but it all looks so much like the movie. More shots of that tomorrow.
That train track has a cute little trolley that comes by every 30 minutes during the daytime and picks people up.
A huge bridge that crosses the columbia river to Washington.
Another shot with boats.
To sum Astoria up, its steep hills filled with little houses that look out into the bay, its amazing. Pretty much every house in Astoria has this view, as its so steep in the hills behind my hotel. Its amazing, its all trees and houses dotting out everywhere, all looking across the water to Washington in the distance, with cliffs plunging down into the water.
It really does have a Goonies feel to it, its awesome, I so love this place. Anyway, more tomorrow, I've got an extra day here. I'm going to be shooting down to Cannon-Beach as well to take photos of where the old restaurant was (enterance to the underground) and the beach at the end of the movie were.
If you don't hear from me again, I've stayed and Astoria and am not coming back. ;)
PS: I hear the barking of Sea Lions out my window. :)
