We were published as an ‘inspiring story’ in Voyage Denver Magazine. Below is the article released on May 19, 2020.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rhonda Macier Lathen.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Rhonda. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there. My first vacation abroad was to a popular Caribbean destination. Immediately I was smitten with wanderlust and started researching, planning, and traveling further away and to more exotic places each year. I’ve watched many businesses start and flourish while I assisted them as their accountant. My ultimate dream was to start my very own business and combine my love of travel, along with the joy of trying new cuisine around the world.

With the support of my friends and family, I made the decision to become a travel advisor and focus on culture and cuisine. After many long days working into the wee hours, I prepared a business and marketing plan, created and launched my website, learned how to market, researched hosting agencies, and filed the state and federal paperwork for Culinary Latitudes Travel. I’m not sure my website was quite ready but I decided to bite the bullet and fine-tune as I went along. Thankfully, my accounting experience helped me work through by budget and financials for the first two years.

Now I am a busy woman who loves making clients’ dreams come true. Couples, families, seniors, groups, and solo travelers have all enjoyed adventure with a side of fine dining through Culinary Latitudes research and planning. I work with a number of chefs, allowing them a chance to curate an experience for their following and grow closer to the people who support their hard work. In my spare time, I enjoy cooking, playing piano and flute, and I’ve recently become a member of the Sigma Rho philanthropic chapter of ESA (Epsilon Sigma Alpha).

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you? As with all businesses, there are always a few curveballs. With a little patience and tenacity, they can easily be overcome. The most difficult struggle to date is without a doubt the 2020 pandemic. Basically, business came to a screeching halt with a hope that people will still be able to travel the 4th quarter of 2020 and going into 2021. Culinary Latitudes was able to start working on dreams instead of bookings. “Dreams never go away” became my motto and we started hosting virtual vacations with the help of business development managers for our preferred vendors. This has been a great distraction from the anxiety families are experiencing while we have to stay at home.

Please tell us about Culinary Latitudes Travel. I like to say I am a travel advisor who specializes in luxury vacations with a side of fine dining. Culinary Latitudes has vetted and partnered with the best vendors to provide our clients with a nice experience, including culture, adventure, relaxations and yes, the most incredible chefs who offer cuisine unique to each destination. (Did you know that Belgium has the most Michelin starred restaurants in the world?)

We offer hosted trips where groups of 12-20 can join us on our next culinary adventure, or clients can create their own groups with our assistance. The advantage of working with us is that the perks almost seem endless. We have created a club membership called S.A.L.T. This stands for Sea and Land Tourism and as a member, you will have access to special promotions and various amenities. We feel very proud when our clients return from a trip and send us a nice note telling us how they enjoyed their vacation and will definitely work with Culinary Latitudes again in the future!

There are a few famous chefs who have used our services and we are hoping to establish partnerships with more in the near future. The restaurant business is hard and being a chef on any level is a demanding job. They deserve a vacation where they can have someone take care of them. Although some like to show off their skills and we are able to organize a demonstration where they can do just that! PS – Our goal is to always allow the ‘pied piper’ of the chef groups to travel free of charge.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business? My mother used to say I was the luckiest person on earth as jobs would fall into my lap. I feel that this same luck has followed me into my own business. With a little hard work, I’m able to connect with like-minded people who either support me or use my services.

While the travel industry was being shut down during the pandemic, I happened to have an acquaintance on a ship that had been at sea for 15 days waiting to arrive in port. Through Facebook and zoom, we were able to share a nice positive interview between the two of us. This allowed me to focus on what one of my preferred vendors was doing to keep everyone safe and help them arrive home without issue. It just strengthened my bond with Azamara cruise lines.

Pricing:

• My services are FREE when booking a river or ocean cruise, land tour, or resort stay.

• S.A.L.T. Membership is $49; which is currently being waived through December 31, 2020.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.culinarylatitudes.com

• Phone: 303-919-8627

• Email: rhonda@culinarylatitudes.com

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/culinary_latitudes/

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CulinaryLatitudes/

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/culinarytudes

Words directly from the Founder and Owner: While sailing the beautiful turquoise Caribbean, cool drink in hand, we would help catch our ‘fish of the day’ and have it prepared as a sashimi appetizer. Or, after a long day of walking the cobble-stone streets in a hidden Italian town we would stumble onto a new cafe filled with locals, and fall in love with the freshness of the pasta dish passed down for generations. These are just two memories that stand out in my mind. 

I have been preparing itineraries over 20 years.  Merging my passions for travel and cooking I created Culinary Latitudes Travel, an agency focused on crafting explorations for the enthusiastic traveler. I spend my workdays curating custom trips for people of all ages and different levels of travel experience, allowing them to take a break from it all with a truly exclusive and one of a kind experience.

I am determined to visit all continents by 2025 and next on the list is Antarctica and South America. I raised two beautiful children in Louisville, Colorado and then moved to Florida to be closer to my parents for a few years before returning to Colorado. With our blended families my husband and I have 6 children and 8 grandchildren across the states. When I'm not traveling, you’ll find me loving life with my two big, crazy dogs and researching new recipes to prepare. 

Ah, but it was a cool creamy Limoncello on the mountainous Isle of Capri that caused me to want to permanently be on vacation. There is nothing quite like being submersed in the culture, sight-seeing, and learning about favorite spices from the local chefs first hand. From tequila tasting in Mexico, meeting local fishermen in New Zealand, sailing the warm waters of the Caribbean, devouring the freshest seafood in Santorini, and learning to cook in Thailand, to wherever our future culinary adventures take us...won't you join us on our next great feast?

Are you a company that would like to work with us to promote your business or product? Please call us at  303-919-8627 and schedule a time to chat with us!