Samantha Wood

Owner and Chief Tasting Officer

A self-proclaimed chocoholic, Samantha has an insatiable appetite for meeting new people, traveling to far off lands, and continually learning. She started this business, initially called Colorado Springs Food Tours, in May 2010 with her mom, Karen Kelley, after becoming disenchanted with her boring desk job. This leap of faith propelled her into figuring out the odds and ends of being an entrepreneur, becoming a voice for local businesses, and finding ways to give her guests the best customer service she could possibly provide. She’s traveled extensively throughout the United States, Western and Eastern Europe, and parts of Asia.

In May 2015, she received her MBA in Innovation Management from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs and also holds a degree in Business Marketing and Professional Writing from the same school. Samantha was named the Leadership Pikes Peak Emerging Leader of the Year and a Colorado Springs Business Journal Rising Star in 2014.

Samantha offers consulting to other aspiring and existing food tour owners. Please inquire to receive a list of topics and templates she can share to help make your business successful.

Read Samantha’s interview with the Colorado Springs Business Journal

Noel Wood

Operations Manager and Tour Leader

Noel is a Kentucky native who now calls Colorado Springs home. She has traveled the world to sample as much delicious food (and wine!) it has to offer! Having visited many culinary hot spots within the U.S. and abroad, she has developed her palate for exciting eats and delectable drinks.

After graduating from the University of Kentucky (Go CATS!) Noel has spent over a decade honing her administrative expertise and, more recently, cultivating a knack for strategic marketing. Working with Rocky Mountain Food Tours truly allows both her personal and professional interests to coincide, making Noel one ecstatic foodie!

Roger Hadix

Tour Leader

Roger watched the food scene develop as he grew up here in Colorado Springs. Mom taught him how to prepare family favorites, and Dad showed him how to grill. Being a short order cook got him through college, and later he had the opportunity to travel and experience BBQ from Kansas City, delicious frozen custard in St. Louis, and blackened red fish in New Orleans. Thrilled with the possibilities of food, Roger threw himself into attempting new dishes of his own. Today, he is a published author and loves to share the history of Colorado Springs while feeling pride in how our city is attracting and fostering epicurean delights around every corner. Roger looks forward to exploring the downtown food scene with you!

Rochelle Reeder

Tour Leader

Rochelle is a desert rat from Arizona with a penchant for seasons.  Her food journey started later in life when her husband informed her that Tostitos lime chips were not, in fact, a wholesome breakfast food.  She turned to Food Network and Alton Brown taught her about food in a language she understood.  Pretty soon her newfound love of food and the city she adores were married, and finding that next local eatery has become quite the hobby.

This wife, mother, friend and foodie believes that food is an equalizer designed to bring people together and looks forward to sharing her beautiful city with you over some good local fare.

Heather Larsen

Tour Leader

Ask anyone who has lived here once, and they’ll tell you that Colorado Springs is a place that has a way of bringing people back, time and again. An avid globe-trotter from a military family, Heather has lived in, worked in, and eaten her way through much of the world, choosing to call Colorado Springs home.  Her culinary interests were sparked by the cuisines she has had the opportunity to try and fall in love with from various cultures. A passionate historian and storyteller, Heather seeks to find the lesser known stories and tales that bring any destination to life in a more intimate manner than your history book. She is thrilled to be able to bring the cultural history and diverse food culture of Colorado Springs to life through its incredible local establishments so that you leave happy, satiated and better connected to our beautiful city.

Jason Gomez

Tour Leader

Jason has called Colorado Springs his home since 2018. Originally from Arizona, Jason lived in the heat for most of his life and earned his B.A. in Spanish and Portuguese from the University of Arizona. In college, he worked for a summer camp in the Springs and upon graduating, he landed a full time job with them and moved out in the dead of winter. To this day, he says, “This is the coldest place I’ve ever lived.” When he’s not  managing camps, he is a huge fan of all things entertainment: movies, shows, concerts, and a good meal with friends. He deeply enjoys culture and believes food helps people share their stories and unites us all.

Brenna Skattebo

Blog Writer and Photographer

Brenna is a native to Colorado Springs, attended college in New York City, and is now married to her high school sweetheart and lives happily in Downtown Colorado Springs. She’s a professional wedding, portrait, and lifestyle photographer and copywriter for Rocky Mountain Food Tours! 

When she’s not writing, snapping photos, or traveling, you might find her at one of her favorite local coffee shops sipping an oat milk latte, taking her cat for walks around the neighborhood, or drinking wine on a friend’s front porch.