Which Coachella captivating the minds of young hippies (or posers), I think there needs to be a little variety to where we can congregate. Some of the considerations when looking for a place to experience open-mindedness is considering the local community, the state government's stance on drugs and social issues and cultural diversity. While every big city in America has its perks, very few have these attributes.
Portland, Oregon
This city has been a refuge for hippies since the 1960's and rivals most other West-coast cities for being a hipster paradise. From communal coffee shops, nude bike rides to organic fruit shops, the city has everything a free spirit wants. There are also plenty of Portland Hotels geared towards backpackers wanting to meet other interesting people.
Even with all of that, Portland still has the gritty urban vibe that may be missing from hippie communes. It is also in close proximity to Ashland, where you can find a glimpse of where most of the original hippies had migrated to.
San Marcos, Texas
Even being in the middle of a red state, San Marcos captures the original spirit that Austin had before the flood of tech companies came through. This small city has been a hippie enclave for decades and is one of the few 420-friendly communities in the state.
Luckily, there has been a flood of 20-somethings reviving the area and it's making it into a nice tourist spot. As the town is along a river, it's well known for river rafting and tubing.
Moab, Utah
Salt Lake City is a bit of a square town and its Mormon foundation doesn't really like the modern hippie movement. On the contrary, the state itself is quite different with lots of immigrants and Moab is an Oasis for hippies to congregate. The Moonflower Community is a prominent commune that is quite open to outsiders, especially those wanting to buy from one of their many stores.
Boulder, Colorado
The city of Boulder attracts university students, tech startups and organic food markets alike. Most importantly, it has been a hippie-friendly town for quite a while. While free-spirited mentality is persistent, there have been famous clashes between law enforcement and protesters concerned about social issues. With the legalization of cannabis in the state of Colorado, this has changed things for the better since.
San Francisco, CA
This city has been at the root of hippie movements since the beginning, and while it has certainly changed with tech corporations taking over, its spirit is still strong. Progressive politics, gay rights, and free love are wrapped up with hyper-capitalism, making it one of the more fast-paced hippie destinations.
Not everyone in the bay area is driven by money, tech and real estate. The housing crunch in this city has made communes and alternative lifestyles more practical than fantasy.
Due to recent legalization, 420 in the Park is one of the events to check out. If you want to meet some characters, stay somewhere near or within the Haight-Ashbury Neighbourhood. Hippie Hill is a place to check out to find some remnants of the original hippie culture.
Bloomington, IN
In the middle of cornfields and ways away from the bustling city of Chicago, Bloomington has lots of hippie college kids from Indiana University. Vegan cafes and progressive politics are at its core, making it more hippie than any other part of this boring, conservative state. The hippies in this town may seem hardcore on the surface, but its a community of Tibetan monks would say otherwise.
Ithaca, NY
Ithaca has its roots during the old hippie movements and had even set the record for the largest peace sign formed by an audience. Much like a commune, the town has "Ithaca hours", in which local residents may trade one hour of labor for goods or services outside the bounds of the USD. If that isn't anti-establishment, I don't know what is.
