We had the good fortune of connecting with Andrew & Chelsea Evans and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Andrew & Chelsea, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Joshua Tree is an obvious desert in every sense. There is a fascinating variety of plants and animals living among a land sculpted by strong winds and and surreal geologic features 3,000 ft above sea-level in an area known as the Hi-Desert. Home to 7,000 residents our small unincorporated town see over 3 million visitors every year yet struggles to provide basic services. There is no sewer, there is no grocery store, there is a convince store, one bar, and two stop lights. We saw a void; we were living in a shopping desert. The nearest clothing store was a town away and was a big box store and we didn’t think that was right. The pandemic hit and life was significantly distributed but we saw an opportunity out of the defeat. This was our chance to create our future rather then fulfill for someone else’s.

Roaming Travelers was launched in 2020 offering locals and tourists a curated boutique clothing shopping experience. It has since grown to operate two retail locations in Joshua Tree and 29 Palms.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We strived to carve out our presence in the area by curating a unique and exclusive selection of clothing and accessories that cannot be found elsewhere in the area. Through hosting events and pop-ups featuring local or emerging designers and vendors we have been able to provide a sustainable and eco-friendly shopping experience. Our social media presence has allowed us to build a strong brand by creating an emotional connection with locals and tourists over the years. Our focus has been on created a unique online presence and shopping experience to complement not only the physical store but embodying the desert experience.

This past December we launched our 3rd retail location as a mobile shop in a renovated 28′ 1968 Airstream to expand our brand and take it on the road to festivals, pop-ups, and events.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
The most common question we get is ‘But what is there to do..?’ so we have put together a guide. Avail via our iOS & Android app or Instagram. URL: https://www.instagram.com/roamingtravelers/guide/explore-joshua-tree/17970756664337309/

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
This story wouldn’t be without each other. It had always been Chelsea’s dream to own a clothing store while I saw this as another adventure to embark on as a couple. Providing encouragement and motivation as a sounding board for ideas this dream was able to become a reality. Chelsea focused on the creative and operations while I did everything to support the back-side of the business and build out our technology platforms.

Website: www.roamingtravelers.com

Instagram: @RoamingTravelers

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/roaming-travelers-joshua-tree

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutSocal is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.