Going to Snoqualmie!

[TheArm]

My boss is getting married in Seattle (her fiance lives there) on August 8th, so I'm so excited to finally make it up to the Northwest and want to check out all the filming sites! But as I've never been, I don't really have a concept of how much ground/distance I'll be covering, or how much time I should account for. Can anybody recommend a good hotel in that area? I actually looked and saw that the Salish Lodge isn't that bad and is available the night I'd want to be there; has anyone stayed there?

Also, I think I can figure out where the Salish Lodge/waterfall is, the Colonial Inn, Weyerhauser Office, the Kiana Lodge and Mar-T Cafe, but what about some of the actual residences, like the Palmer and Hayward houses? Are those locations public knowledge?

Can't wait! Any advice on planning this out would be greatly appreciated, as I want to get the most out of my day or two there!

[MysteryMan]

I have stayed at the Salish Lodge twice and can highly recommend it (if you can afford it!!), it's a fantastic hotel. There is a small fireplace in almost every room I think and they bring in fresh wood for it every day, which just smells heavenly... The room I stayed in also had a bubble bath. And I had a small terrace with a view to the waterfall. It was such a relaxation listening to the sounds of the waterfall all night. I have never stayed at a hotel as nice as that.

Most of the filming sites are very easy to find, like Great Northern Hotel (The Salish Lodge) obviously however the interior scenes (seen in the pilot) were filmed at Bainbridge Island at the Kiana Lodge, which is more of a conference hotel. Right on the outside is the rocky beach where the discovery of Laura Palmer's body was filmed. You will recognise the location instantly if you go there. Back in Snoqualmie/North Bend/Fall City, there are the Double R Diner (North Bend), Sheriff Station, Saw Mill, the bridge Ronette was found walking, the roadhouse (Fall City), Big Ed's Gas Farm and the Hurley house rigfht beside it, trailer park seen in Fire Walk With Me, high school, the intersection where the One Armed Man shouts at Leland and Laura in FWWM, the spot where the picnic video was filmed and where James sits holding his half of the necklace in the pilot. All of these places are relatively easy to find and are close to each other, when I was there I had found all the directions on the internet prior to my trip, which I think was a very good idea. Easy to miss a few locations if not planned in advance. I never saw the Palmer house or the Hayward house though, I have a suspicion they were located in Seattle.

[Twin Pie]

I visited Twin Peaks last April while staying in Seattle for business. Rented a car downtown and drove to North Bend in the morning (about a 40 minute drive). Got my first (of many) goosebumps when Mt. Si emerged from the landscape while still on the Interstate 90.

I spent the whole day driving & walking around in the North Bend/Snoqualmie/Fall City area, and couldn't get enough of it. Had breakfast at the Double R (Twede's) and returned at night to see its lit neon-lights. I also walked to the foot of the impressive Snoqualmie Falls and had lunch on the rocky beach. I visited every location MysteryMan mentioned, and then some: the road with the "Welcome to Twin Peaks" sign (don't look for the sign, I stole it ), Sparkwood & 21 and the log-on-a-wagon from the intro (now roofed)...

Another afternoon later that week I got in the car again and took the ferry from downtown Seattle to Bainsbridge Island (about 30 minutes maybe) to see the Great Northern interiors from the pilot, Laura's log and the Packard/Martells exterior at the Kiana Lodge. I advise you to call the kind people of the Kiana Lodge beforehand to ask if you're allowed to take a little look around at a particular day/time, and also to announce your arrival at the office upstairs. I spent an hour there, on the rocky beach and inside the lodge. It looks so much smaller in real life than it does on screen, but it's absolutely worth it.

I believe there are no other filming locations on the island, but you'll enjoy the many Douglas Firrs on the main road driving on and off.

I think the Palmer and Hayward houses are completely off-course, but I might try to visit them next time I'm in Seattle because I think they're on the road to the village where Northern Exposure was filmed.

Anyway, enjoy your stay in "Twin Peaks"!

[jlyon1515]

The Palmer houses (yes, there are TWO) are not on the way to Roslyn (filming location of Northern Exposure). The series Palmer house is in Monroe, and the FWWM one is in Everett. The Hayward house (from both the series and FWWM) is in Everett as well, only a couple of blocks from the Palmer house.

Also, though you do have to take the Bainbridge ferry to get to the Kiana Lodge. The Lodge itself is NOT on Bainbridge Island. You have to drive off the island to Poulsbo to get to the Kiana.

[TheArm]

Thanks for everybody's tips! I had an amazing time there, though I felt a bit like a nutcase taking pictures of random people's houses and such. I was sure someone was going to have me arrested and/or committed. So cool to see everything in person, so much of it has hardly aged at all! Amazing and very creepy (in a good way!). Anyway TP fans who haven't been really should do themselves a favor and go, it really adds a new dimension to the series and the movie.

[musicaddict]

I am considering coming to the States next year for a holiday and really want to travel to Seattle/Snoqualmie and see the TP filming sites. Does any one have specific information including maps/directions/locations of the TP filming sites? Also do you know if it is easy to get around if your don't have a car? Can you hire someone to drive you around? Can one get from Seattle to Snoqualmie/North Bend without driving i.e. a taxi or train ride or some kind of hotel shuttle?

Anyone information would be greatly appreciated.
Apologies if the information I have requested is in another thread - I did a search but couldn't find anythings as specific as what I am requesting.

Thanks

[TheArm]

If you were just going to Seattle, I think you'd be fine without a car, but to get out to the smaller places like Snoqualmie, North Bend, Fall City, Poulsbo and Everett, you really would need to rent a car, I would think. I mean, I'm sure you could theoretically get a taxi to take you around everywhere, but it would be very expensive (hundreds and hundreds of dollars, I would think). Unfortunately the US (particularly the West Coast) isn't quite as train-friendly as places like Europe, the UK, etc. Unless anyone disagrees? Especially given that some of the locations are "off-the-beaten-track" (like the "Welcome to TP" sign spot, the Sheriff's Office/sawmill, Ronette's bridge, etc.). And if you want to stay close by to the locations, I'd recommend either the Great Northern itself the Salish Lodge if you want a premium/luxury/pricier hotel experience, or the Issaquah Holiday Inn if you'd like something more affordable. I'm sure their individual websites will say if they have airport shuttles.

And I'm happy to help you out with finding the locales. Send me a private message off board, if you'd like.

[musicaddict]

I managed to get to Seattle for a Twin Peaks tour.

Luckily with all the information online I was able to visit the Kiana Lodge with relative ease. It cost about $ 24 one way for a taxi ride to the Kiana and back.

I also then spent 2 nights at the Salish and they were able to recommend a driver who took me to visit a number of the filming sites. He was charging $50 per hour and it took a bout 3.5 hours. I had sent him beforehand a list of google map links to 13 sites and he actually did some research to ensure that we found all the right spots.

The only comment I would make is that I felt that maybe the Salish and even Kiana lodge seemed embarrased by the Twin Peaks connection? There was nothing around the Salish to even note the fact that the hotel was filmed or featured in Twin Peaks. Additionally I have seen on another site that there use to be a plaque at the log where Laura washed up at the Kiana lodge however I think it has been removed (?). Only Twede's seem to embrace the Twin Peaks connection with its mural on the wall and the Twin Peaks mugs they sell.

So if anyone is wondering, you can do a tour of the filming locations even without a car of your own! If you are interested in doing that and would like the contact details of the person who drove me I would be more than happy to pass them on. Just PM me.