Twilight (2008):
Kadow's Marina made an appearance in the 2008 motion picture dark fantasy, Twilight. In reality, it is known as Kadow's Marina and is the home to around 20 residential houseboats and several covered boat docks on the Columbia River. The lot is located across from Caterpillar Island and was formerly home to the Leeward Marina until 1987, when the Kadow family purchased it and took over. In March of 2008, the small marina was overtaken by Hollywood film crews, which would use it for a film adaptation of an immensely popular novel.
Twilight (2008)
The film is an adaptation of the bestselling novel of the same name by author Stephenie Myer. The novel's overnight success led to a series of equally popular follow-ups that have captured the imagination of readers from across the world. Twilight concerns the relationship of a teenage girl and a century-old vampire set against the backdrop of the Olympic Peninsula in the state of Washington.Ironically, Kadow's Marina is one of only a handful of locations that were actually filmed in the state of Washington. Although the book is set primarily in the northwest Washington town of Forks (see Forks, Washington under Literary Sites), production on the film adaptation of Twilight took place primarily in northern Oregon. The reasons for this varied from the area's ability to accommodate a major motion picture production to various financial incentives that were offered by the state of Oregon. Even though a few Washington locations were utilized, they were located near the Oregon border in the southern portion of the state. Aside from the marina, the production shot various scenes alongside the Columbia River Gorge in Washington, as well as used Kalama High School (see Twilight (2008): Kalama High School) to double primarily for exterior shots of Forks High School (see Twilight Saga: Forks High School under Literary Sites).
The scene shot at Kadow's Marina was actually a scene that was added for the movie and did not appear in the original novel. In it, the character of Waylon Forge (Ned Bellamy) encounters the nomadic vampires led by James (Cam Gigandet) as he is working on his boat. Like the scene, the character of Waylon was also added for the film adaptation of Twilight as a close friend of Charlie Swan (Billy Burke) - the father of the main character, Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart). Waylon's death at the hands (or teeth) of the coven of James, Victoria (Rachelle Lefevre), and Laurent (Edi Gathegi) builds the tension for their future encounter and conflict with the Cullen family. The other attack scene involving a night watchman was shot several miles away in Oregon City, Oregon (see Blue Heron Paper Company).
The Marina Today
Kadow's Marina continues to operate to this day and can be found on the very scenic Lower River Road. While it is open to the public, visitors need to obtain a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Vehicle Use Permit to be able to legally park in the parking lot. The parking lot on the West side of the road is strictly for residents only. The marina is an active business and contains many private residences. As with any movie location, guests should respect the privacy of the business and the residents and not loiter on the grounds.
article courtesy of TheCabinet.com Dark Destinations
