I don’t travel just to be going somewhere. I travel for the experiences. I dive, cruise, drink, boat, and explore as if that moment in time cannot be replicated. You would be amazed at how much more enjoyable travel is when you push beyond the edges of the ordinary.
Whether you are tired of the same old travel routines, want to know what it’s really like on a luxury cruise, how to find a seahorse, or beat everyone else to the newest wine regions, you have found the right website. If you are looking for more out of your travel, join me and learn how to travel with gusto, savor the flavors life offers, and break away from the travel herd.
Go more. Experience more. Enjoy it More.~ Melinda Crow
FirstRead.Me Wins Awards
FirstRead.Me is about exceptional travel reporting, writing, and photography. We believe in sharing travel tips you may not find elsewhere... ...and two of our stories for Travel Pulse were honored with awards for 2017 from the North America Travel...
News on Celebrity Captain Kate MCCue
Captain Kate is Swapping Ships It's official: Captain Kate is no longer the Master of Celebrity Summit. She handed the ship off to Captain Charis over the weekend. After a short vacation, McCue will take over as the Master of Celebrity Equinox, again...
Cruise Review: AmaWaterways AmaSerena
Disclaimer: Gary and I were hosted by AmaWaterways on assignment for Cruise Critic. AmaWaterways: Everything We Had Dreamed it Would Be As many ocean cruises as we have been on, this was our first river cruise AND our first time to visit the Christmas Markets in...
Cruising 201: In-depth Questions About Cruising
We know you have questions about cruising!Cruising can get complicated. No matter how many cruises you have been on, there is always something that pops up that you don't know. The fact that there is always something new to learn about is part of what...
Scuba Dive Review: St. Vincent
Scuba Dive Review: St. Vincent Disclaimer: Gary and I were hosted on a Windstar cruise that took us to St. Vincent. Our diving was not hosted. All opinions are my own. Life is good anytime we have the opportunity to do a scuba dive review, so let's jump...
#TravelTruth: Are Dolphin Swim Experiences Ethical?
Dolphin swim experiences are an emotional and controversial subject. I have personally always felt torn between a love for marine animals, which includes a strong desire to see them, and a firm belief that those desires should never be satisfied at the...
Guy Fieri and Carnival Host 4H Cooking Contest at the State Fair of Texas
Guy Fieri and Carnival Expand Their Partnership October 11, 2017—Guy Fieri and Carnival showed a whole lot of kid love this week at the State Fair of Texas. The Food Network celebrity chef took time to promote both his own foundation, CWK (Cooking With...
#TravelTruth: 2017 Mileage Runs for Real People
Okay, all you road warrior, top-tier elite status mongers, this post is probably not for you. Move along so the rest of us can talk freely—about 2017 mileage runs for small-time players. We aren't even in the same league. Let's face it, folks, more than a...
Killer Volcano Has Travel Writer Running for Her Life
Disclaimers: This post is not sponsored, but some affiliate links for which I get paid a tiny amount if you make a purchase are included. Always consult a physician before beginning a new exercise or running program. Nothing in this article should be...
#TravelTruth: Hiking Guatemala’s Pacaya Volcano in 2017
Conditions on the Pacaya Volcano in August 2017 Current conditions matter—that's why I want to make sure that the date of my post is clear. There are plenty of older posts floating around about hiking the Pacaya Volcano that can be misleading about what...
Viking Combo Cruises: 2 Cruises, One Booking
So what's a Viking combo cruise? It's a marriage made in heaven--you begin a European journey on board one of Viking's river cruises, before being whisked away to a Viking Ocean ship for the remainder of your voyage. Besides the sheer novelty of the...
Photo Journal: Volcanoes, Architecture, and the People of Guatemala
#TravelTruth: There Could Be Snakes in the Toilet—Expecting the Unexpected When You Travel
When we are not traveling, Gary and I operate a very small lakeside cabin resort. It makes us better travelers—knowing what goes on behind the scenes in the hospitality business. It also has given us a wealth of interesting stories. #TravelTruth from an...
10 Secrets You Need to Know About Cruise Ship Scuba Diving
Cruise ship scuba diving is like an all-you-can-dive buffet. On some itineraries, you get to pick and choose from six or seven great dive destinations—trying a little of this island and a little of that island. A land-based trip that allows you to dive at...
Pasta Recipe: Easy Spaghetti Carbonara with Bacon
I LOVE PASTA After visiting Italy for the second time, I felt a strong need to share my love some of my favorite Italian pasta dishes with friends—especially carbonara. The only problem is that making carbonara can get tricky. But you know me—I can find a...
Breaking Bread and Barriers: Lunch with a Slovenian Millennial and a Vintner
Is there such a thing as too much Slovenian wine? Not if it connects you to the people. As much as I love cruising, cruise travel can make it difficult to break through the barriers that separate us from the people of a port city. We disembark...
Milan: The Duomo and the Galleria in Photos
The city center in Milan is a photographer's dream. The architecture unfolds detail by detail, changing subtly with every hour of changing daylight. The image above is titled "Galleria Nights." This is a post for The Weekly Postcard Blog Link-up. Find...
Townhouse Galleria: A Deluxe Galleria View Room in 4 Shots
Townhouse Galleria: Better Than Ever New Entrance Recent remodeling has positioned the Townhouse Galleria as one of the premier city-center hotels in Milan. The entrance, which was previously tucked away in a courtyard, is now directly on the street and...
Disclosure: Posts which I have been paid to write and post here are labeled as “Sponsored.” Other posts may contain links or references to companies, destinations, or travel providers that provided their product at no charge for the purpose of review. Additional links may be found to stories on other publications that I wrote for payment from those publications. In these two cases, I am under no obligation to write anything or provide links. These companies do not dictate or review what I post here on FirstRead.Me. All opinions are my own.