But, often, you’re not aware that it’s Hawaii that you’re seeing on screen. From “Jurassic Park” to the TV show “LOST,” Hawaii has acted as a stand-in for all sorts of fantastical locations.

When a move is both filmed AND set in Hawaii, though? I feel like it’s impossible to watch without wanting to book a ticket ASAP.

Here are a handful of movies that I don’t think you can watch without immediately wanting to go to Hawaii.

The Endless Summer

Not entirely set in Hawaii, this surf film from 1966 nevertheless highlights some of the beaches (and waves) that Hawaii is so well known for. This film follows two surfers as they chase big waves all around the world, from California to Africa to New Zealand. It has a fun soundtrack and a sense of humor about it, making it a documentary that I never tire of watching.

From Here to Eternity

This 1953 drama tells the story of three soldiers (including one played by Frank Sinatra) stationed on the Hawaiian island of Oahu in the months leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. There’s an especially famous beach scene in this movie where characters played by Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr are kissing in the crashing surf at Halona Cove (now often nicknamed “Eternity Bay”). This scene makes me want to break out my vintage-inspired beachwear and find a handsome man to canoodle with in the waves.

Halona Cove, AKA Eternity Bay

Blue Crush

Yes, I’ll admit it — I totally watch this movie anytime it’s on TV. Based on an Outside magazine piece called “Life’s Swell” by Susan Orlean (a great read about a real-life surfer chick), “Blue Crush” shines the spotlight on the surfing culture on Oahu’s North Shore. It’s also just really fun to watch, and I’m not ashamed to admit that it’s one Hawaii movie that I love.

Sunset Beach on the North Shore

50 First Dates

Lastly, how could I not mention this Adam Sandler/Drew Barrymore classic? Set on Oahu, this romantic comedy about a memory-deficient woman and the man trying to win her heart  is one of the only Adam Sandler movies of this millennium that I actually really like. Yes, it’s silly at times. But the story is cute and the Hawaii backdrop sure doesn’t hurt either.

There are, of course, plenty of other great movies that have featured Hawaii (like “Blue Hawaii,” “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” “The Descendants” and even Disney’s “Lilo and Stitch”). But these four are some of the ones that most make me want to head to the Pacific after watching them.

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What other films can you think of that star Hawaii?

Vampires and werewolves aren’t my thing, but visiting Forks, Washington, gave me an appreciation for how this town on the Olympic Peninsula — with a population just over 3,500 — has embraced the Twilight vampire-romance novel and movie franchise. “Twilight” author Stephenie Meyer discovered Forks when searching Google to find the rainiest city in the United States to set her novels, and the rest is history.

The first Twilight novel was published in 2005, and Forks welcomed its first vampire-seeking visitor in 2006. Tourists have always known Forks as an outdoor recreational paradise, but, thanks to Twilight, it has begun attracting a new set of curious visitors. If you find yourself in the Pacific Northwest, discover the magic and mystery of Twilight with these five things to do in Forks:

Pick Up a Self-Guided Tour Map at the Forks Visitor Information Center

Pick up a map featuring a self-guided tour of Twilight-themed points of interests at the Forks Chamber of Commerce Visitor Information Center. Although none of the movies were filmed in Forks, fans will find a small Twilight museum featuring movie memorabilia and plenty of photo opportunities including outside with Bella’s red Chevy truck. Fans can souvenir shop from a selection of Twilight guidebooks, T-shirts and jewelry. (1411 SForks Ave.; Tel: 360-374-2531).

The self-guided tour of Fork’s Twilight features stand-ins from the series including the Swan House, City Hall, Forks Community Hospital with a parking spot reserved for Dr. Cullen, the Cullen House, and Forks Outfitters.

Have a Twilight Bite at Sully’s Drive-In

Vampires don’t work up an appetite, but several Forks restaurants serve Twilight-inspired menus. A local favorite known for their ice cream is Sully’s Drive-In. Chomp on a “Bella Burger” topped with a special sauce, pineapple and Swiss cheese. Yum! (220 North Forks Ave.; Tel: 360-374-5075)

Spend the Night at The Cullen House

Esme Cullen leaves a daily message about the vampire family’s activities for Twilight fans on the porch of The Miller Tree Inn Bed and Breakfast. Designated “The Cullen House” by the Forks Chamber of Commerce, visitors to The Miller Tree can select from one of eight delightfully charming rooms. And, they can be rest assured innkeepers Bill and Susan speak Twilight. Fans who can’t spend the night are welcome to step on the porch to read the message and take photographs but are asked not to disturb guests. (654 E. Division St.; Tel: 360-374-6806)

Declare Your Alliance to Team Edward or Team Jacob with a T-Shirt

There are several shops in Forks to pick up souvenirs including T-shirts, buttons and jewelry. In addition to the Forks Chamber of Commerce Information Center, try Forks Outfitters for a broad selection of apparel (950 SouthForks Ave.); Native to Twilight, which embraces the magic of Forks’ and La Push’s Native American culture as described in the series (10 Forks Ave.); and Leppell’s Twilight Central, which has just about everything else including scrapbooking supplies and Cullen baseballs. Planning a Twilight themed wedding in Forks? Leppell’s is the right florist to theme your wedding. (130 S. Spartan Ave.)

Dip Your Toes in the Sand, Howl at the Moon

Located 12 miles from Forks is La Push, home of Jacob’s Quileute Tribe. Visit First Beach on the Pacific Ocean to enjoy the sun and surf. The beach is where Jacob shared with Bella some of his tribe’s legends in the book. Located between Forks and La Push is Three Rivers Resort, which happens to be on the Treaty Line. Spend the night or just grab lunch of a “Werewolf Burger” or other Twilight-inspired fare. (7765 La Push Rd.)

Pop culture enthusiasts and Twilight fans alike will be charmed by Forks’ magic — the fictional world of Twilight married with the beautiful natural playground Mother Nature created.

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Have you visited Forks? Are you Team Edward or Team Jacob?

It can be glamorous to live in a state that appears on the top 10 list of US film locations. While Santa Fe gets less action, there’s often the possibility of a celebrity sighting to look forward to. Some of the most recent ones were last summer when Johnny Depp was around town shooting The Lone Ranger, playing a Tonto who falls 180 degrees from the one I grew up with on TV. We’d know they were shooting in and around Santa Fe when we’d see movie trailers traveling local roads on their way to locations and casting calls for extras on the Internet. Can you imagine coming for a visit and ending up in a movie? It’s possible!

We visited Bonanza Creek Ranch, location of many film and TV shoots, just before Cowboys and Aliens (a film that was shot there) had just opened in theaters. The working cattle ranch has a range of sets including an Old West town complete with typical buildings from a 19th-century wild west town. We toured most of it with ranch owner Imogene (pronounced, Ima Jean) Hughes. A feisty woman of a certain age with boundless energy, she was an enthusiastic tour guide just loaded with stories about the celebrities she’s met since 1985.

We toured the jail, the saloon, the hotel and other buildings that had been used in a lot of films and TV shows. Some of the films that were shot here include the 2007 remake of 3:10 to Yuma, Into The West, All The Pretty Horses, Appaloosa and Young Guns. Besides the town, we also visited the “Pond House,” where the Billy Bob Thornton film The Astronaut Farmer was shot.

We went to see Cowboys and Aliens the next day. It was pretty amazing to see the town of Absolution, a place we’d walked through the day before, come to life. The movie got mixed reviews, but coming from Santa Fe and recognizing the locations made seeing it great fun. The alien space ship location was Plaza Blanca in Abiquiu, a place we’d visited before. It’s Georgia O’Keeffe’s White Place that she immortalized in a number of paintings.

We visited the Bonanza Creek Ranch with our grandsons (and their parents) again last summer. The highlight for them was getting to be in an “old west” jail cell. It was a blisteringly hot day and we were with the official guide (not Hughes), and, sadly, it was not as magical as the first time.

There are other film locations to see when visiting Santa Fe. You can visit sites that were in films such as Crazy Heart, Wild Hogs and City Slickers, to name a few. And you might even spot a famous face on the street or in a restaurant. You never know who’s on location in Santa Fe!

This week, the site is Glen Coe in the Scottish Highlands.

Glen Coe, a narrow U-shaped glen in Scotland’s Highlands region, is known for being heart-stoppingly beautiful, despite its often-moody weather and its dark past. It was here in 1692 that the infamous Massacre of Glencoe took place, in which 38 members of the MacDonald clan were betrayed and killed by members of the Campbell clan as the MacDonalds offered their hospitality to the Campbells. Because of this tragedy, Glen Coe is often said to mean “the Glen of Weeping.”

Because of its natural beauty and intriguing history, Glen Coe is already one of the top vacation spots in Scotland for people who love hiking and pretty scenery.

But it’s bound to become even MORE popular in the near future.

Why? Because the latest James Bond film, “Skyfall,” shot a good portion of scenes in and around Glen Coe.

Screen capture from “Skyfall.”

When Bond and M head up into the Highlands to Bond’s boyhood home, Glen Coe is shown off beautifully in multiple scenes. In fact, this is one movie that is bound to convince a lot of people to book a trip to Scotland.

Screen capture from “Skyfall.”

VisitScotland has latched onto this fact, using Bond as a selling point for Glen Coe and the Highlands, and citing the film as one of the reasons that Scotland was named the top destination in the world for 2013 by CNN Travel.

Not that it really needs selling, of course. Who WOULDN’T want to go here?!

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Is Glen Coe on YOUR must-visit list?

1. Go to where on-location filming is occurring.

There is an amazing website called OnLocationVacations.com that posts daily updates of the addresses where TV shows and movies will be filming that day.

Where do they get their intel? It’s mostly from volunteer tipsters who have seen restricted parking signs up around the city. These parking signs state that folk won’t be able to park on a given street on a given day due to filming.

OLV’s Twitter followers also tweet in tips directly from filming sites.

Ideally, check whether outdoor or indoor scenes are being filmed, since you won’t generally get to see much when it’s an indoor location.

Be warned that this is a hit and miss game, so not ideal for when you’re timecrunched.

2. Watch red carpet arrivals.

I once saw Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie from a distance of less than 3 feet when they were arriving for a movie premiere. Many of the NYC premieres are held at Ziegfeld Theatre on W. 54th St., which is very close to the Broadway theater district.

3. Get tickets to Letterman.

It’s pretty easy to get tickets to Letterman. I’ve gotten standby tickets twice and missed out on a standby ticket once. (Again, this does require a good few hours commitment. Also, be warned that the show is super loud and attending a taping is actually a bit unpleasant due to this).

You can also consider other shows like “The View.” This has been my favorite TV show taping, but the tickets are harder to get.

4. See a Star on Broadway.

I’ve seen stars as big as Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Amy Adams, and James Gandolfini (Tony Soprano) performing on Broadway. Most of the time, even big stars do the “stage door,” meaning they sign autographs after the show. Even Scarlett Johansson recently did a Broadway play.

You can search forums like the one at BroadwayWorld.com for information about whether a particular star does the stage door or not.

Broadway stars also attend shows — for example, Diana Ross was at the same performance of “Mamma Mia” that I was.

5. Just walking around.

I have seen tons of celebrities just walking around NYC. Keep your eyes peeled for big black SUVs. People like Mariah Carey usually have an entourage and security, but many TV stars just walk around like the normal people that they are.

I’ve seen Julianne Moore, Allison Janney, Michael Emerson and his wife Carrie Preston (Ben from “Lost,” his wife is in “True Blood”), Ted Danson, actors from “Glee,” and many more. I once stumbled upon Gossip Girl filming in Central Park, and bumped into Julia Roberts filming “Eat Pray Love.”

If you keep your eyes peeled, you’ll definitely see TV and movie stars just out and about.

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Have you ever seen any TV or movie stars while traveling?