AN ENGLISHMAN IN TWIN PEAKS

"Robert, I was hoping we'd have the chance to discuss the events of the past few days.

Not necessarily the physical events themselves but rather the thoughts and feelings surrounding them."

In April 1997 I embarked on a journey to fulfil a long-time ambition to visit the filming locations of Twin Peaks. My travelling companion, best friend and fellow Peaks enthusiast, was Jon. Here is our story;

DAY ONE

An afternoon flight from London's Heathrow airport meant an early start, no chance of missing the 5.50A.M train from Doncaster, South Yorkshire as neither of us could sleep in anticipation of what lied ahead of us. We landed at Sea-Tac airport mid-afternoon and after picking up the hire car we headed for our hotel in Seattle. A small point but perhaps an indication as to why David Lynch chose the state of Washington for the setting for Twin Peaks - in the bar at the Sheraton sat a grown man totally absorbed in his work, nobody paid him any attention, I'm sure he wasn't looking for any, he was quite content as he sat there blowing up numerous balloons making a variety of animals out of them!

DAY TWO

Seattle was a place which had began to appeal to me the more we had planned our trip and it didn't disappoint. It wasn't only the tourist attractions- the space needle, Pike Place market, the harbour, etc., but the general atmosphere created by the friendliest people I have ever met anywhere. Seattleites have a pride in their city, which is quite unique in my experience, and their warmth towards visitors leaves a lasting impression.

DAY THREE

An early exit from Seattle to Bainbridge Island via the Washington State Ferry. The Kiana Lodge was to be our first stop on the Twin Peaks filming site tour. I had written to the office manager Benita Strope a few months previous and she had kindly granted us permission to tour the private grounds. On arrival we were allowed to browse inside the lodge where the interior shots were filmed for The Great Northern Hotel in the pilot episode. The rooms were easily recognisable, despite a few minor alterations. We took photos of the entrance where Leland first heard the news of his daughter's death and the dining area where Audrey Horne broke the news about the murder. Outside we photographed the lodge, which of course was the home of Josie Packard in the television series and followed in Pete Martell's footsteps down to the beach where he discovered the body of Laura Palmer- wrapped in plastic. Benita told us that poor Laura (Sheryl Lee) hardly needed any make-up as she lay on the beach in the plastic bag, as it was so cold that her lips had turned blue anyway. We were also informed about the filming crew making a mess of the grounds as it had been very muddy but this was a small price to pay as the television company was paying a large amount of money for using the Kiana. After a memorable afternoon we headed for our motel in Poulsbo...a small place reasonably priced!

DAY FOUR

After a breakfast in the sun around the harbour of Poulsbo it was time to live the dream. Poulsbo had been an added bonus to the trip, as neither of us had known what to expect. What we found was Scandinavian hospitality and breath-taking scenery in "little Norway on the Fjord". Next it was back over on the ferry to Seattle and the short drive on to Snoqualmie. We arrived at the Salish Lodge at Snoqualmie Falls around lunchtime and I must confess that I felt slightly let down. The Falls were stunning but I had never envisaged that they would be such a tourist attraction - complete with viewing platform. An unusually warm April Saturday afternoon had attracted a lot of visitors and this, combined with a realisation that the anticipation that I had been living with for so long was finally happening left me feeling a little weird. Anyway it was time to check in at the Salish before setting out to find the other filming locations.

DAY FIVE

Nothing could have prepared us for the legendary breakfast that faced us on this gloomy Sunday morning. A legendary feast with a view of Snoqualmie Falls and the surrounding trees topped with an early morning mist was a good way to start any day. We had decided to start in Snoqualmie and have a look around the disused railcars hoping to find the one where Laura was murdered. At the time neither Jon or myself had access to the Internet and it is only recently that I discovered the actual one that was used in Twin Peaks wasn't there. Nevertheless we took some photos of this eerie place - a kind of graveyard for old railcars, before heading for the Snoqualmie winery. This was the location for the video of Laura and Donna shot, in the series, by James Hurley and it also offered a fine view of North Bend. I actually asked around in the winery if anyone could remember when the filming crew was there but they were totally unaware that it had even appeared on television. Next we drove to Fall City to have another look at The Colonial Inn and on to find the place that was used as Big Ed's Gas Farm. This is now a pottery shop that was closed anyway but right across the road remains Ed and Nadine's bungalow, although I can't tell you whether it was complete with silent drape runners! With only our recollections from the t.v. to help us we decided to try and find the Palmer's house, photographing anything that resembled it. A few fruitless hours and strange looks later we gave up (I have since learned that it is at Everett) and headed back to the Mar-T cafe where we signed the guestbook, Jon's entry encapsulating a dual obsession " Morrissey killed Laura Palmer on his sell-out tour of the U.S." After going around the same locations as the previous day for a final time it was back to the Salish Lodge for a night of reflecting over the weekends events and a few beers.

DAY SIX

It was to be an early start as we were driving into Canada for a couple of nights in Vancouver. Just time to take in the view of Snoqualmie Falls for the last time. Staff at the Salish Lodge had told us that the shots of the falls were filmed from a helicopter. A few framed photos and articles were discreetly tucked away inside The Salish and it was here where we read that the interior shots of The Roadhouse were filmed at a Seattle bar called The Timberline Tavern. We decided to make the effort to find this place before flying home. After the long drive to Vancouver we checked in at the hotel and decided it was to be a bar with jazz music, a pool table and plenty of beer.

DAY SEVEN

The Vancouver weather had been atrocious from start to finish. We couldn't allow the constant rain to keep us indoors though with our trip nearing it's end. The Capillano Suspension Bridge was both frightening and spectacular and the cable-car ride that took us to the top of Grouse Mountain provided the best panoramic view of the city. Stanley Park looked to be a great place to go when the sun shines! Only fans of Twin Peaks will understand when I say that the sights of Vancouver could only be an anti-climax after Snoqualmie/North Bend.

DAY EIGHT

It had to be an early start if we were to find The Timberline. We arrived back in Seattle around midday and decided to park near Pike Place Market and ask some people if they could direct us to it. After a number of unsuccessful enquiries we were wondering whether the bar still existed but Jon continued asking at the market-stalls until we got a result. If I remember rightly it was on Fifth which was quite a long walk away, but with a couple of hours spare we decided to check it out. When we finally found it, The Timberline Tavern was closed! Nothing could be seen from the outside because the red drapes were pulled too, the only disappointment on a journey that had managed to exceed our enormous expectations, but something to return for. On the flight home from Sea-Tac the conversation inevitably turned to when we would return. Nothing so exciting and uplifting should be done only once.