The story about how me and my husband accidentally ate at Bella Italia of Twilight fame on our honeymoon, having absolutely ZERO previous knowledge of Twilight.
A thread.

So, setting the scene. It's 2009. Me and my husband had just gotten married. We wanted to go on a honeymoon to a place neither of us had been to. We picked the Pacific Northwest.
We flew into Portland, drove up 101 to Port Angeles, and had planned to go into Canada but-

Husband hadn't gotten his passport in time and he didn't have a driver's license (hello growing up in Chicago where you didn't need that!). We decided to still go to Port Angeles and maybe go whale watching before going to Seattle. 3/x

Our first sign of trouble was when we drove through Forks.
At first I thought there was an elk or something on the side of the road because no shit there were like, 20 cars on the side of the road.
They were taking turns standing in front of the "Welcome To" sign.
4/x

But whatever, maybe it was a high school reunion or some shit.
Needless to say, I almost murdered three different groups of teenage girls running across the road.
5/x

We got into Port Angeles around dinner time and asked the hostess of the B&B where a good place to eat was. She listed a few different things, but I lit up at the sound of "Bella Italia."
"Oh, I love Italian food. Let's go there."
6/x

The hostess said she'd have to call to see if they could squeeze us in. She said it was "reserved out for months" but they had a special relationship with the Bella Italia and she'd try to work it.
She got us a seat but we had to get there ASAP. So we walked over.
7/x

We approached the Bella Italia and my first thought was "Oh, some celebrity must be here!" I'm from Chicago, so, we're used to it.
There were maybe four different groups outside taking pictures of the restaurant. Screaming. Jumping up and down.
There was no celebrity.
8/x

We go in and get taken to a seat and the true weirdness of what we were experiencing started to settle in.
Everyone. At every table. Took pictures. Of. EVERYTHING. The menus. The table settings. THE WALLS. FROM EVERY ANGLE.
This was happening at every table. Except for ours.
9/x

Again, let me reiterate - we had zero prior knowledge of Twilight.
I might have recognized the book cover as something I vaguely remembered seeing at a bookstore. We had no idea where we were or what was going on.
10/x

The waitress comes up to us and I made my biggest mistake.
"We're here on our honeymoon."
Now, I'd said that almost every place we'd been. People got excited, but like. Normal excited.
Nothing prepared me for the waitress turning to the other patrons and annoucning-
11/x

"THEY ARE ON THEIR HONEYMOON!"
And the ENTIRE! RESTAURANT! STARTED TO SCREAM!
It was.
Needless to say.
Quite.
Unnerving.
12/x

The waitress then takes my menu back from me and says, "Let me guess! You're getting the mushroom ravioli!"
Now, personally I hate fungus with a passion, but, usually no one tells a patron the daily specials this way.
Me, highly confused, asks for the menu back.
13/x

The waitress leaves, and me and my husband share a menu. We figured he didn't get one because they were busy (they were, very busy) and anyways, we figured out what we were going to order.
14/x

I make my order and it is accepted.
The waitress goes to leave, and my husband, the fool, waves her down, thinking she forgot to take his order.
She looks at him with absolute confusion.
"Oh! Oh... usually the dates don't eat!"
15/x

Anyways, we get our food, eat in silent confusion, and probably photobomb approximately 100 people's photos because of our confused faces.
The waitress though, awards us with wine. "BLOOOOOOD red wine!" she announces delightfully. We are now very concerned.
16/x

We walk back to the B&B (we had been taking photos in front of all the restaurants/hotels/sites we had stopped at but were too afraid to ask someone to take our photo for what reaction we'd get from that) and ask the hostess what the HELL was wrong with that restaurant.
17/x

And that is how I learned about the international best selling Twilight series, and how Bella and Edward's first date was at the Bella Italia in Port Angeles, and that Bella ate mushroom ravioli and Edward ate nothing.
The end!
18/18

In hindsight, we were confused but I imagine the waitstaff were also highly confused because what couple would come to Port Angeles on their honeymoon during the height of Twilight fandom and eat at Bella and Edward’s first date restaurant?