LAST week on Facebook I asked you what you wanted to see here, what you wanted to see me write about. Why? The reason is twofold. I’ve been dealing with some personal crap that has been leaving me feeling less than inspired and that’s when the light bulb went off. Why not reach out to you and let you decide what you wanted to see next? And so a new semi-regular feature, Reader’s Choice, has been born. You guys get to call the shots. Every now and then I’ll ask you for suggestions and then choose one of your ideas.
SO HOW DID IT GO?
Well the fabulous Ava threw her hat into the ring and suggested…
“…Donuts and doppelgangers and damn good coffee…Go into the lodge, Alli. It’ll tell you what to write.”
As a fellow fan of the seriously fascinating and f’ed up David Lynch series Twin Peaks I was compelled to comply. For those of you unfamiliar, the show is set is the fictional town of Twin Peaks where Agent Dale Cooper and company set about to solve the extremely bizarre and dark mystery of who killed Laura Palmer…and the answer is quite unexpected. Definitely worth the watch if you want to witness what was, quite possibly, the strangest story to ever make it onto prime time television.
So, Ava, here it is…Twin Peaks, as requested…and in three parts, nonetheless.
AVA’S CHOICE (part I OF III)
WELCOME TO TWIN PEAKS THE TRAVEL GUIDE PART I
LAURA PALMER’S HOUSE
For all you truly diehard fans out there I’ve got brilliant news. The Palmer home (or one of them at least…there were a couple of homes used during the movie and the series), located at 708 33rd St, Everett, Washington, is up for sale as of June 30, 2014. You can own your own piece of Twin Peaks history for the mere asking price of $549, 950. The home has 4,104 square feet, 4 bedrooms and 1.5 baths. And yes, the interior was used in filming in both the series and Fire Walk With Me: the kitchen, “Laura’s” bedroom, bathroom as well as the living and dining rooms were used though they have undergone a considerable amount of updating – good for a normal homeowner, bad for a fan.
THE GREAT NORTHERN HOTEL
Ah, the Great Northern Hotel with its majestic falls is better known to the locals of Snoqualmie, Washington, as The Salish Lodge & Spa. This icon is still open for business and, in what will come as no surprise to anyone ever, the Snoqualmie Falls (or “Whitetail Falls”) along with their 268 foot drop are still there too. (See…I told you…not surprising considering giant waterfalls don’t just get up and walk away…and god knows there’s no shortage of rain in the Pacific Northwest so the odds of them drying out are virtually non-existent.) The rooms, spa and grounds look amazing and as if the location alone weren’t enough reason to visit, the annual Twin Peaks Fest is just up the way in North Bend, Washington, (and just ended – it was August 1-3 so if you were hoping to attend you’ll have to hang in there until 2015’s festival rolls around) so if you ever plan on attending and want the full Twin Peaks experience, you can stay at The Great Northern and make the quick 7 minute trek to North Bend (I said it was just up the way). Sounds like a perfect weekend to me!
THE DOUBLE R DINER
Equally iconic as The Great Northern is the much beloved Double R Diner, home to the best cherry pie in town which would be incomplete without a cup of coffee as “black as midnight on a moonless night.”
Sadly, the original diner which served as the Double R, the Mar-T Café which became Twede’s in the late 90’s, caught fire around ‘00. Twede’s owner completely remodeled; the only recognizable remnant of the original diner as far as I can tell (apart from the exterior) are the neon lights on the ceiling. But fear not, Twede’s (located at 137 West North Bend Way in, you guessed it, North Bend, Washington) proudly advertises itself as the “Home of Twin Peaks Cherry Pie” even if it does no longer have any of the small town diner charm of the original (which is my very nice way of saying it’s awful. I hate to be mean, but the design snob + purist in me just can’t bite its tongue. *cringes and looks at feet* Sorry. *wince* Not very loving, I know…but I’m sure their cherry pie more than makes up for it).
LAURA, JAMES AND DONNA’S FINAL PICNIC
For those of you who are seriously hardcore about your Twin Peaks travels you certainly wouldn’t want to miss out on having a visit to the location of the infamous picnic video – one of the last happy outings for Laura, James and Donna. If you’re keen to reenact the scene you can grab your camera, pack a basket of your own and take a drive up to Snoqualmie Point Park, 37580 SE Winery Road, Snoqualmie, Washington…just don’t forget your motorcycle, cardigan and dancing shoes.
:: PICNIC VIDEO ::
RONETTE’S BRIDGE
Reinig Bridge, a trestle bridge in Snoqualmie and better known to Twin Peak’s fans as Ronette’s Bridge, is a popular place in the Twin Peaks pilgrimage. Over the years the bridge has become covered with offerings, scrawled references to the series left by fans, like a Jim Morrison’s grave of train trestles. Though an arsonist set fire to part of the bridge in May, 2014, the landmark still stands and will no doubt continue to acquire more marks of love and dedication as the years go by.
Did I miss one of your favorite locations? There will be more to come in part II of the Twin Peaks travel guide, coming next week. Cross my heart. If you don’t believe me, just ask the Log Lady. I’m sure her log will have something to say about this…
Cherry Pie Kisses & Black Coffee Chaos,
Alli Woods Frederick
IMAGES :: READER’S CHOICE LOGO © ALLI WOODS FREDERICK. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. :: BLACK LODGE VIA FANPOP :: via life between frames :: images from real estate listing + twin peaks :: the great northern via limpire :: © LIZ G KELLEY :: ©ERIK ALSTON :: VIA WELCOME TO TWIN PEAKS ::
