Driving distance honeymoons: Buhl Mansion, Sharon, Pa.

Only 70 miles north of Pittsburgh, Sharon, Pa., certainly qualifies as driving distance. But as a honeymoon? With a stay at Buhl Mansion Guesthouse & Spa, absolutely.

Buhl Mansion was built in the late 19th century by local steel magnate Frank H. Buhl and opened as an inn and spa in 1996 by Jim and Donna Winner, who restored the once abandoned property to its original glory. With just ten rooms, each one unique and luxurious, the award-winning Buhl Mansion is a great place for a quiet, relaxing honeymoon--or even a mini-moon.

Every room at the mansion features a gas fireplace and a jacuzzi for two for a romantic getaway. Guests can indulge in a couples massage at the full-service spa, browse the on-site art gallery and enjoy amenities included with their stay, including a welcome tray, champagne reception and breakfast.

Buhl Mansion offers a limousine shuttle to its sister property, Tara, where you'll find gourmet and casual dining options as well as a museum collection of Civil War and "Gone With The Wind" memorabilia. Other local activities near Sharon include shopping and golfing.

Images courtesy of Winner Hospitatlity

Finding a cheap flight for your honeymoon

I was browsing the Web earlier this week with StumbleUpon, and came across this comprehensive blog entry on finding the best deals on air fare. Laura Milligan at TravelHacker put together 30 resources for making sure you're getting the best price on your airline ticket.

Buying online is a great way to save on travel, but be prepared to put in the work to get a good deal for your honeymoon. Start early, because unless you are flexible on either the dates or the destination, you probably don't want to leave a last minute deal to chance. When looking at flights, I personally recommend comparing rates across at least a few of the discount sites, and once you find a flight you like, double check with that airline's Web site as well. Sometimes they end up giving you the better rate.

Image from FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Driving distance honeymoons: Asheville, NC

Less than an eight hour drive from Pittsburgh, Asheville, NC, offers plenty of romantic activities for a honeymoon. Located in North Carolina's gorgeous Blue Ridge Mountains, Asheville is a place to experience both the outdoors and the arts.

Scenic Mountains
Take a leisurely drive along the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway, or hike together along any number of different nearby trails. Visit parks and attractions such as Chimney Rock, where many scenes from "The Last of the Mohicans" were filmed.

Arts and Nightlife
Downtown Asheville bustles with activity, as artists and musicians provide plenty of entertainment for locals and tourists a like. A small and vibrant city, Asheville shines with its own unique character. At night, visit a local wine bar or brewhouse or take in a show.

Historic Sites
You'll find plenty of historic site and museums in Asheville, the most famous of which being the Biltmore Estate. At Biltmore, you can tour America's largest home, taste test at the winery and rent horses and bikes. You can even stay at the luxurious on-site inn or cottage.
For more information about Asheville, start with Explore Asheville for visitor guides and Web sites.

Images from Explore Asheville and Biltmore.

A Vera Wang honeymoon

Vera Wang's name has become synonymous with wedding gowns, so why not extend the Vera Wang experience into the honeymoon? Most people realize that her designs go much further than wedding dresses, spanning everything from fashion to china to mattresses. But her name is also on an exclusive hotel suite at the Halekulani Hotel in Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii.
The marketing and branding genius of this suite impresses me so much. First of all, though it's not labeled a "honeymoon" suite, putting her name, so popular with brides, on a hotel in one of the top honeymoon destinations was the right decision. Also, the suite creates a total Vera Wang experience--the ultimate goal of any branding program.

So if you stay in the Vera Wang Suite, what do you get? A gorgeous getaway with views of the Pacific Ocean, Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head. Vera Wang designed the suite herself, combining products from her home, bath, gift and accessories lines with unique Hawaiian furniture.

Beyond that, you'll even get to indulge in some of Vera Wang's personal favorites, like watching a film from her "Vera's favorites" movie library or sipping on a cocktail from the specialty menu she helped create.

The full list of amenities rivals any luxury suite, with a welcome gift, private butler service, in-room fine dining and more. In true Hawaii-style, you'll even receive a surfing lesson. Certainly, this is the place to stay for a relaxing, pampered honeymoon.

Cruising for a honeymoon?

If you and your hubby-to-be have decided on taking a cruise for your next honeymoon, great! Now, which one to choose? With so many cruise lines, so many ships and so many destinations, where do you even start?

Enter Cruise Critic. One site where you can find professional reviews, advice from real-life cruisers and even shop for bargains (though I recommend shopping around other sites and/or travel agencies before booking to make sure you're getting the best deal).

This site provides an overwhelming amount of different types of information, so know what you're looking for before going in. To start, use "Find a Cruise" to check out options that fit what you're looking for. This tool will sort itineraries by your style--for example, honeymooners looking for good cuisine. You can also sort by price, destination or cruise line.

Once you've narrowed it down to a few ships, start looking at specific reviews for those trips. The professionally written reviews are a good place to start to get a big picture of what the cruise offers, but remember that the writer probably got to stay in a big suite and took advantage of a lot of paid services on board, like spas, exclusive restaurants and pr icy excursions. You may find the member reviews to be most insightful. Browse through them, looking for red flags that may indicate likely problems. Not every traveler will have a good time, but multiple people having the same bad experience is pretty good warning sign. Also look for reviews from other travelers like you (for a honeymoon, advice from a young couple will be more beneficial than advice from a group of retired friends or a family with lots of kids).

After you've booked your trip, come back to the site before you depart to look at the reviews again. This time, pay attention to specifics. Jot down any tips, like which restaurant is the least crowded for breakfast or what the best time is to visit the shore excursion desk. Remember which paid excursions people liked the most, and which ones didn't make the cut. Take a look at what sorts of things people were able to do onshore without the benefit of a ship-sponsored trip.

Cruises can be a great idea for your honeymoon, but you'll have an even better time if you do your research in advance. Whether you work with a travel agent, book with a cruise line directly or find a bargain online, take the time to know what your sailing into for a romantic week or two of your life.

Driving distance honeymoons: Niagara-on-the-Lake

Just about a four hour drive from Pittsburgh, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, is a great getaway for your honeymoon. This romantic Canadian town is filled with quaint bed & breakfasts and boutique shops. You'll be able to tour and taste at NOTL's many wineries, including Reif Estate and Chateau des Charmes.

You can also enjoy the outdoors in NOTL: playing a round of golf, hiking on a nature trail or boating on the Niagara river.

NOTL also is situated close to many regional attractions, including Niagara Falls, less than a half hour away. If you want to get away from the small town feel and experience the city, drive 90 minutes to Toronto or hop back stateside to Buffalo, just a 50 minute drive.

Image from Shannaleigh Bed & Breakfast

Driving distance honeymoons: Hershey

Only a three and a half hour drive from Pittsburgh, Hershey is a great place to consider for your honeymoon. While you may think of Hershey as a spot for a family trip (hey, Hersheypark can be fun for everyone!), the central Pennsylvania town can perfect spot for a romantic couples getaway.

Outside of the amusement park, zoo and a free tour at Chocolate World, you'll discover plenty in and around Hershey. The Chocolate Spa at the Hotel Hershey offers plenty of relaxing treatments that sound so good you'll want to eat them (cocoa massage anyone?). Nearby Indian Echo Caverns offers a glimpse at the world below the earth's surface. Hershey is a just a short drive to both city life in Harrisburg and Amish life in Lancaster if you want a change of pace.

You can find plenty of hotels in the Hershey area, including the Hershey Lodge and Hotel Hershey, which offer some exclusive benefits to their guests, including free admission to the Hershey Gardens and The Hershey Museum. I've personally stayed at both the lodge and the hotel and think either would make a great place to honeymoon.