A New Gem in the Artist’s Village

13 Aug A New Gem in the Artist’s Village

Santa Ana, CA. If you are a regular Santa Ana visitor, then you may have heard of or been to The Road Less Traveled Store when it was on Main Street, just off the 5 freeway. But the once easily ignorable RLT store has been newly revamped in it’s new home the Artist’s Village in downtown Santa Ana.

The RLT store started in 2005 as the brainchild of Delilah Snell, who wanted to see something different in her Orange County community. Snell rented a 500-sq. ft. retail shop in an unknown spot on North Main Street where she saw the need for eco/non-toxic/sustainable goods with $5,000 of savings from working at The Gypsy Den. Over the next 6 years, her store became a hub for creative thinkers, community members and artists to find something literally of-the-beaten-path. In that time, RLT had won awards and media attention for eco-education and creativity, and Delilah lectures across the state on food sustainability, creative business development, DIY and green consumerism. Now with the recent RLT move to downtown Santa Ana, RLT aims to collaborate with Grand Central Art Center with a new home in the heart of the Artist’s Village. RLT has also partnered with friend and fellow green business Belly Sprout offering eco-beauty and natural parenting. Snell also teaches classes at RLT, has a line of preserved jar food goods called Backyard In A Jar, and also started the Patchwork Festival and Craftcation Festival, two indie OC gems. The Artist’s Village has always been a main hang out spot for indies, weirdos, artists and musicians alike, but now RLT actually has things to offer to that community, in more than Sysco food menu pretending to be healthy cuisine like Gypsy Den. We are all so excited abotu RLT, and I just wanted to share how awesome this place is. They offer gluten-free cooking classes, yoga classes, handmade goods, and their website even has a number of great recipes and blogs to follow. Check em out!

Road Less Traveled Store