We started our adventure to the View Point Inn from downtown Portland armed with our cameras and complimentary hotel map, where we then swore, for the second time together, that we would never again use 411-info for directions.  After much driving we found our way to the park used for several scenes in the film.  All the footage above comes from the same state park, which is huge by the way. You could call it one stop scene shopping. 

The first thing you notice about the landscape of Portland is that it is vivid green. Everyone tends to say that but it is true. The natural beauty of the area is so hard to explain — saying that everything is green is an understatement.  The snow topped mountains create a stunning contrast to the lush surrounding forest. This feature magnifies itself ten fold once you venture out of the city and into the scenic parks that surround it.  The roads that lead into the park are small and winding, so pack your Dramamine if you are prone to motion sickness.  All the twisting and turning is well worth it when you finally crest the hill and land at Vista House which over looks the Columbia Gorge.  The view brings new meaning to the phrase breathtaking.  Though the wind was fierce it did not stop our curiosity.  We strolled around the charming circular building admiring the grandeur of the sight.  Christina would like to mention that if you are a contact wearer, be sure to bring your glasses instead, or a good bottle of eye drops. The wind dries out eyes very quickly, and you want to be sure you can see for the rest of your trip because this precipice is not all this magnificent park has to offer. 

Once back in the car, we wound down the other side of the park (away from the View Point Inn) in search of the falls mentioned on all the signs leading into the park.  The roads wound and curved as we descend further into the gorge.  In some areas there is only enough room for one car on the road, and there are no guardrails so driving can be a bit scary.  Navigating this area was no easy feat for our driver, Jen.  She maneuvered our large SUV through effortlessly, all while avoiding the on coming vehicles who loved her side of the road more then their own.  Everything is covered in moss in the surrounding forest including the small one lane bridges, fully defining Bella’s words “Everything that’s supposed to be brown…is all covered up with squishy green stuff here…”  Along the drive to Multnomah Falls are smaller, but no less beautiful falls, each bursting from the shaded green landscape making you feel as though you were in a fairy tale rather than Portland, Oregon.

The spectacle that is Multnomah Falls was entirely worth the long drive down.  Be careful of cross traffic as you leave the parking lot though! They tend not to like it when you stop to video tape the falls in the middle of the road — Who knew? This waterfall actually is a double fall, with the first dropping from the top of the mountain into a pool and then the second dropping from the pool to the base of the falls.  The sound of the water grows in intensity as you make your way up the steps to the base of the falls.  It is truly an impressive display of the power of nature.  Alphie was the only one who braved the wet slope of the trail to hike up the path to the bridge.  It’s not that far, so if you have the chance to visit, make your way up the winding path to the bridge that overlooks the pool at the base of the higher falls. 

We then made our way back up the gorge to where the View Point Inn is located.  It’s aptly named for the view from its rooms; it would certainly be something spectacular to wake up to.  It was late at night so the inn was closed.  Alphie’s camera died just as we made it to the location so we were unable to capture a view of the actual entrance used for the prom. But the set decoration for the entrance was still in place around the corner from where we caught footage.  And we believe that the final scene between Bella and Edward from the book is replicated at the small fountain found in the center of the property which can be seen briefly in the fading light of the footage we captured. 

It was an amazing start to our visit, and we hope you enjoyed seeing the park through our eyes.  Next stop…Indian Beach and some one-on-one with the cast.

Our trip to the set began bright and early at 5am (it may have been that time on the west coast, but our bodies were still on Eastern Standard Time so it felt like eight!).  After a good home-style breakfast, which was essential given the day ahead of us, we began our 2 hour drive to the coast.  The morning was very cold and wet, so we were worried about the conditions we would face on the beach.  But nothing prepared us for the shock of what came next. And I quote…” Is that snow?” Yup that’s right….it was snowing!  Jen had to kick the SUV into four wheel drive to maneuver through the pass.  (The SUV was conveniently equipped with a button marked snow!)  There were even snow plows out the higher up we went.  Despite the sense of foreboding the snow brought, it was very beautiful as you can see. But luckily as we descended through the mountain pass, the snow turned back to rain.

This was the day that Catherine Hardwicke (the director) described as “But, at the end of our shoot day at the beach, with Jacob and Bella, the rain soaked through all my Gortex, through three layers of jackets and socks. I rang out my waterproof gloves and could have watered my rose bushes for an entire summer. The crew had to hold down the lunch tent to keep it from blowing away. Grown men were crying, but the actors and crew gave it their best.”

Once we reached base camp, we decided to brave the storm and get out to take some pictures.  Having never been to First Beach ourselves, we relied on the pictures others had shown us for comparison.  The massive mounds protruding out of the water really did the trick for us.  (Being children of the 80’s, at this point we all noticed that rock formation bore a striking resemblance to the beach in Goonies!  (Which was later confirmed .)

 We headed over to the set following the map and signs plainly posted on the route.  The drive was windy and the roadway was very narrow at times. At one point we were almost hit by a car that was flying around a blind corner. Yeah, having your life flash before your eyes was not a very good way to start the set visit, but we survived. The crew was set up in the parking lot overlooking the beach.  There were tents of all kinds as well as a few trailers.  Everyone was bundled up in rain gear and knee high boots — and we soon found out it was for a very good reason. 

The walk from the parking lot down to the beach was muddy, slippery, and included a generous helping of puddles, roots, and rocks to bar our path. Yeah, like that was going to stop us!  The terrain was rough, but beautiful and undisturbed by civilization.  We reached the beach, which consisted of higher ground that was covered in larger, black, sea-smoothed stones and lower ground that was your normal beach sand.  After making our way through down the steep sloping rocky hill the sandy beach was a welcome yet equally difficult walk.  With each step we sloshed and sank into the wet sand.  (If that’s what it was like for our feet, we’ll let you imagine what the equipment was doing!)

They were filming when we arrived.  We were introduced around by our host for the day and then we went to work getting as much footage as we could.  We filmed Taylor, Kristen, and Catherine talking through the scene before shooting another take. You can hear us in the background explaining to the reelz.com reporter what scene was being filmed and which actor was playing which part.  They were very nice, and we were able to help them understand more about the books, storyline and actors in the film. 

After a long day filled with excitement, a moody Mother Nature, and very hard work, we headed back to our hotel room to thaw. Jen, with very tired eyes, expertly navigated us back through the mountain pass. I, grateful for the warmth and not being able to feel my feet, counted no less than 8 blisters – a quick trip to Walgreens soon ensued to buy flip flops. Christina reveled in her umbrella being the only one of the four to survive the fierce winds, while Lori admired the scenic trip back to Portland basking in the memories of the day.