It might not be Forks, Wash., but for you vampire fans, Bellingham could be just a ferry ride away.

Forks, of course, is the setting for the popular "Twilight" movies, about the family of vampires who have settled in the Olympic Peninsula. Just north of the peninsula -- and effectively a stone's throw from the Canadian border and Vancouver -- is Bellingham, Washington.

And Bellingham is most noteworthy this week to Twin Cities residents, since Alaska Airlines is offering a last-minute airfare flight to Bellingham for $318 roundtrip.

I found the deal here:
http://www.alaskaair.com/as/alaska/WebSpecials/WebSpecials.aspx

And from what I can tell, there's no set deadline (which, of course, means the special could disappear at any time). But the other fine print: Travel is valid only between Jan. 29-Feb. 12.

This is particularly noteworthy for those with that itch to see Vancouver (or sample its winter sports activities), as the 2010 Winter Olympics are set to begin Feb. 12 in Vancouver.

If you're interested in those details, you can find those here:
http://www.vancouver2010.com/olympic-schedule-results/

Of course, if you're just interested in hanging out with vampires, then you probably don't need to worry about the winter sports. But you probably should read this piece I recently saw in London's Guardian, before you go, because you won't be alone:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/jul/13/twilight-vampires-forks-washington-state

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Now Bellingham isn't the only deal out there.

This week US Airways is again offering some last-minute international specials for the Twin Cities, including tickets to Madrid for $620 and tickets to Dublin for $698. Tickets must be purchased by Monday, Dec. 21.

Those deals can be found here:

http://shopping.usairways.com/promotion/ESaver/Default.aspx?re=1


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Some other deals out there this week:

-- Fly.com is touting a $176 roundtrip airfare to New York City out of MSP. Details here:

http://www.fly.com/FlyWidgets/FareAlert.aspx?Origin=MSP&Destination=NYC&StartDate=01/01/2010&EndDate=03/31/2010&amt=176&cur=USD&utm_source=tzoo&utm_medium=t20&utm_campaign=12152009

-- Travelzoo is promoting lower-level seats to see the Timberwolves, over the next few days, knocking prices down from $50 to $20 per seat. Details here:

http://entertainment.travelzoo.com/entertainment/711983

-- Worryfreevacations.com is heating up the winter this week, with airfares as low as $300 roundtrip to Mexico. Those deals can be found under the "Hot Deals" tab at their website here:

http://www.worryfreevacations.com/specials/hotdeals/origin.do?originCode=MSP

Funjet.com is also offering similar fares here:

http://www.funjet.com/hotdeals/detail.asp?OAC=MSP&plCode=#CUN