Completing Our Tour Around The Real Twin Peaks
Last week, we embarked upon a tour around the Real Twin Peaks – North Bend, Washington. Our guide is North Bend resident Casey Stanton, who kindly agreed to share his collection of photos and videos with us. Make sure to check out our previous article on the real Twin Peaks here.
We entered the town of Twin Peaks and discovered Laura’s body. We walked across the bridge with Ronette Pulaski and stayed at the Great Northern Hotel. We refueled at Big Ed’s Gas Farm and had a beer at the Roadhouse.
Most of these places are prominently featured in the original run of Twin Peaks, but today we’re going to complete the list with some entries from both “Fire Walk With Me” and season 3. So, once again, allow yourselves to be guided by Casey’s insights. So… “let’s rock!”
Twede’s Cafe, or the real Twin Peaks Double R Diner
“What is now Twede’s Cafe,” Casey tells us, “has been a restaurant in town since 1940. A fire gutted the interior in 2000 and when it reopened it looked nothing like it did in the show. When Lynch came back to film the new series, the deal was that he could remodel it to how it was in the show as long as they made it permanent. It is chock full of Twin Peaks stuff.”
They have some great photos of the show being filmed and the walls are covered with Twin Peaks references. The food is good and the portions are huge! The coffee is indeed damn fine. While the recipe used for the cherry pie is no longer the same as it was during filming, Casey says it is still good and should not be missed.
DirtFish offices, or the Sheriff’s Department
“The Sheriff Station is one of the most popular destinations for fans looking for the real Twin Peaks. The building used to be used as part of the old Weyerhauser Mill.” What remains of the mill – the ruins of the old Packard Sawmill, incinerated at the end of season 2 – is directly in front. Nowadays the Sheriff Station is used as the offices of DirtFish in Snoqualmie, an off-road driving school, and the old mill is used as a racetrack. Visitors are welcome to come inside and look around. They will even let you sit at Lucy’s desk! The desk itself was remodeled recently, and they sell key chains and bracelets that have pieces of the original desk embedded in them.
They also have a replica of the Twin Peaks Sheriff Department Bronco out front, which was put together especially for fans. While visitors are welcome inside the offices, under no circumstances are you allowed to walk onto the racetrack near the mill buildings. “However,” Casey adds, “when there are Twin Peaks events in town, DirtFish has been known to have showings of “Fire Walk With Me” on a big screen inside one of the bigger mill buildings.”
E J Robert’s Park, or Carl’s Bench
“The park in North Bend has been a popular place for families to visit for decades,” Casey says. “Carl’s bench is there and has become a popular spot for fans to visit. The park is in the middle of a residential area and I think it is one of the most peaceful parks in town. I’m not surprised that Carl would choose that particular bench. It’s a great spot to sit and contemplate things”.
BONUS – Richard Horne’s truck
The Intersection (Fire Walk With Me)
On with our tour around the real Twin Peaks. “The intersection is largely the same as it was back when “Fire Walk With Me” was filmed. The gas station that Leland pulls into has been torn down, and no new building has replaced it. The area houses an apartment building, a few car mechanic shops and an Alcoholics Anonymous hall.”
It’s very close to Ronette’s Bridge and the school used for Twin Peaks High School in the pilot. There is also an empty field nearby that used to be the park used as the Fat Trout Trailer Park in “Fire Walk With Me”. If you look carefully, you can also find a certain famous telephone pole.
EXCLUSIVE – Inside Laura Palmer’s House in the real Twin Peaks
And now, completing our tour around the real Twin Peaks – last, but not least – the exclusive look you’d been waiting for. The place where it all began… The dwelling where evil was born, consumed and perpetuated: the Palmers’ house. Casey got acquainted with the current owners.
“I met [the owners] by happy accident and was invited into their home,” Casey says. “They’ve lived there for about two and a half years. When they bought the house, the woman who had owned it previously had sort of let the place go. The new owners certainly did a wonderful job of getting it back to its former glory.” Well, they sure did! Take a look.
The living room
The framed photo of Laura Palmer as prom queen on the side table
The world’s most terrifying ceiling fan
And, in conclusion, it gets as meta as can be. Have you ever wondered how it’d feel to watch the dinner scene from “The Missing Pieces” episode directly on Sarah Palmer’s TV? Here you go!
We hope you enjoyed this real Twin Peaks tour! If so, please, feel free to leave a comment, like and share. Also, make sure you check out Casey’s photo album and his YouTube channel for further content. A big thank you to Casey Stanton and his friend Ilaria Rivoire, who provided some of the images and videos.
