The pink house between Grano Arso and Little House Brewing Company in Chester is now home to an exciting shop of global goodies, a venture by the very adventurous duo, Shelby and Chris Howe. The husband and wife team are veterans of our once-favorite outdoor outfitters, Trailblazer and Denali in its various locations. Chris was one of the owners and Shelby was the men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing buyer.

Pre-pandemic (and post Denali/Trailblazer), the couple was in the midst of launching MissAdventures, a business that would offer all-inclusive experiences for women completely facilitated and led by the two of them. Shelby has been traveling to Nepal and trekking the Himalayas continuously since she was 2. With her at the helm and Chris managing logistics, the travelers were to be in the utmost capable and experienced hands. Their first adventure was set for the Everest region of Nepal but eventually, the trips would extend to South America and various other countries. In March of 2020, they were in Amsterdam on their way to Kathmandu for their first MissAdventures trip when Nepal closed its borders! And the rest is history.

The pair had intended to perhaps someday open up a shop sharing treasures from their favorite corners of the world and lucky for us, the pandemic moved that along faster than expected. The bright and bustling shop is filled with goods from Thailand, Indonesia, India, China, and Nepal plus a handful of items from Europe and American folk art. You’ll find jewelry, textiles, incense and oils plus statues of deities, books and lots more. 

You’re sure to see the Wayfinder Society’s 1994 Green Subaru Sambar Dias Classic, (originally imported from Japan), tooling along the shoreline at a snail’s pace, with the couple’s labradoodle riding shotgun (hilariously appearing to be driving since the steering wheel is on the right). 

Community is important to Shelby and Chris and they plan to host a slew of events in their new Chester digs ranging from origami workshops to guided meditations and out on the shoreline for local hikes. Keep your eye out!

14 Main Street, Chester
860.322.3905

https://www.thewayfindersociety.com/