JAN 4 STAR WARS LOCATIONS YOU CAN VISIT

JAN 4 STAR WARS LOCATIONS YOU CAN VISIT

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is the world's top movie for the third straight week! It just passed the $1 billion mark and notched an impressive 96 on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics applaud the special effects and the appealing cast. It features Carrie Fisher's final role and showcases newcomers Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver. However, the real scene stealer in the film is Skelling Island, the secret hideaway for Luke Skywalker. Shot by drones in HD, the Irish isle mystifies on the big screen. It's funny, although set in a galaxy far, far away, the eight movies are actually filmed right here on earth. Here are some of the most memorable locations and how to get there.

Skelling Island, Ireland. There are a hundred tiny islands dotting Ireland's rugged Atlantic coastline...but none is more stunning the Skelling. Twin peaks rise 800 feet instantly out of the sea in spectacular fashion. Luke's house is actually the ruins of a 6th century monastery. Horribly worn stairs are still in use. It's difficult to visit...but not impossible. Only a dozen tours from Kerry County are allowed each year. Environmentalists worry about disturbing the thousands of migratory birds who also pilgrimage there.

Onk Jemal, Tunisia. Audiences are first introduced to Luke Skywalker when he was a lonely teen living on the distant desert planet of Tatooine. He lives in a futuristic underground cave. To recreate such a fantastic place, George Lucas filmed in the Sahara Desert foothills in Tunisia. In the thirty years since the original movie, locals have turned the abandoned movie sets into a tourist attraction. They'll rent you robes and light sabres for a small fee.

Tikal, Guatemala. At the close of A New Hope, the Millenium Falcon lands on the jungle moon of Yavin. Here, the Rebels will use an abandoned base to launch an attack on the Death Star. Here on earth, one of the best places for ruins and jungles is found in Guatemala. Tikal, once a thriving Mayan capital city, served as the perfect substitute. While a ticket to see the ruins is a mere $2.50, getting there is expensive. No paved roads serve Tikal, so you must take a flight from Guatemala City.

Hardangerjøkulen Glacier, Norway. One of the most memorable scenes in 1981's Empire Strikes Back is set on the ice planet Hoth. Luke battles the giant mechanical Imperial Walkers.  The only place on earth that could possibly be as cold as the distant planet is Norway. The Imperial walkers were transposed onto footage of the glacier. Good news! Norwiegan Airlines has expanded service to ten American cities, but getting to the tiny village of Finse near the glacier will be difficult. NOTE: Lucas' inspiration for the walkers themselves came from the cranes in the Port of Oakland.

Lake Como, Italy. Although generally panned by the press and audiences alike, The Attack of the Clones did succeed in choosing some stunning locations for filming. Our favorite is Villa del Balbianello, site of the wedding between Anakin and Queen Padme. Getting there easy: Take a simple 40 minute train ride from Milan, then a ferry across the lake.

Redwood Regional Park, California. Not all Star Wars scenes are filmed in horribly remote countries. In fact, the forest planet of Endor is actually in Northern California. Getting to Del Norte is a long, but spectacular drive up Highway 101 from San Francisco. In the Return of the Jedi, the rebels set up camp among the Redwoods and ferns. If you go, try to catch one of the uber-cutesy Ewoks that still inhabit the park.