Is there a "Hippie Scene" in the San Jose / Santa Cruz area? (San Francisco: to buy, theater)

[echo7tango]

My 14 year old niece loves tie dyed outfits and VW buses and such. I thought I'd take her out one afternoon or evening to visit a local (SJ/SC) 'hippie scene', if I'm using the right phrase. I'm looking for where we can drive around and see some VW Beetles and Buses, if painted psychedelic even better, and maybe have a meal in a place that captures the flavor, without being approached by folks wanting to sell or buy weed or meth or other drugs.

A clean, simple activity is what I'm looking for.

Got any suggestions?

[tehsquishmeister]

Take them down to the pacific garden mall in Santa Cruz? Maybe the sight of all the "hippies" will keep them in school

Oh, without being approached for weed or meth. I don't think that even exists.

[the topper]

Nope, the jetstream shifted north to Arcata, and that's where they are. Now, bums hang out in SC. The good ole days of gentle and sweet hippies that populated Santa Cruz and SF have been over are now in either in far northern CA or just none existent in SC or SF, just homeless drug addicts populating there. A lot of those hippies were everyday people being hippies when they were young in the 60's to early 70's and have since grown up, but there are still some today but in far northern CA and Oregon.

[echo7tango]

Okay. Thanks for the replies so far, but, well, are there any spots in SJ or SC where the hippie-like, homeless druggies hang out? I might check them out myself first.

Yes I'm lowering my standards!

[gizmo980]

Originally Posted by echo7tango

Okay. Thanks for the replies so far, but, well, are there any spots in SJ or SC where the hippie-like, homeless druggies hang out? I might check them out myself first.

Yes I'm lowering my standards!

Go to any public beach in Santa Cruz, and you'll find plenty of them! San Jose not so much... there are a number of homeless encampments (look under any freeway overpass), but I wouldn't describe them as "hippies" generally. You're from San Francisco, right? Why not take her to Haight-Ashbury? Or does she live in the South Bay?

Oh, also try Boulder Creek! I'm not THAT familiar with the town, but it seems to have that "hippie vibe" still present. Anywhere in the SC mountains, really, seems to be where the aging hippies have gone to roost. Maybe I'll go there when I retire, lol.

[the topper]

Originally Posted by gizmo980

Go to any public beach in Santa Cruz, and you'll find plenty of them! San Jose not so much... there are a number of homeless encampments (look under any freeway overpass), but I wouldn't describe them as "hippies" generally. You're from San Francisco, right? Why not take her to Haight-Ashbury? Or does she live in the South Bay?

Oh, also try Boulder Creek! I'm not THAT familiar with the town, but it seems to have that "hippie vibe" still present. Anywhere in the SC mountains, really, seems to be where the aging hippies have gone to roost. Maybe I'll go there when I retire, lol.

They ain't hippies, just bums and drug addicts. Hippies are not in the Bay Area anymore. Just a few older and former hippies live in the SC Mountains.

[noregon98]

Originally Posted by echo7tango

My 14 year old niece loves tie dyed outfits and VW buses and such. I thought I'd take her out one afternoon or evening to visit a local (SJ/SC) 'hippie scene', if I'm using the right phrase. I'm looking for where we can drive around and see some VW Beetles and Buses, if painted psychedelic even better, and maybe have a meal in a place that captures the flavor -------

without being approached by folks wanting to sell or buy weed or meth or other drugs.

A clean, simple activity is what I'm looking for.

Got any suggestions?

Please...don't take this suggestion wrong, but do take 9 separate pictures of each in your day to day future travels (or Google them) of the bolded activities and sights you want both of you to experience all in one afternoon or evening, then have them Photo-shopped all in to 1 photo/scene, 'cause unless you are extremely lucky, you may not even find two in one afternoon or evening...and that was being generous on my part. That will be the closest to finding them all in one day/spot!

The only one you can really bank on is finding a place to have a meal in a place that captures the (hippie) vibe, and that's subjective, at best.

If you're successful at the meal wish, make sure you have a copy of (or can download/stream) Woodstock, so that you can watch on your iPhone/pad while you're dinning, and possibly experience the other 8.

You can both watch as the hippies in the movie get approached to buy drugs.
It'll be a lot safer for both of you...them, maybe less so.

Originally Posted by the topper

They ain't hippies, just bums and drug addicts...

That's all the "alleged" real hippies ever were, except they flashed the peace sign to everybody and anybody, which was the only positive. Looking back...what did that really do for the planet and world peace?

It did however, make it somewhat socially acceptable for everybody and anybody to wear beads and flowers in their hair if they so desired, and the drugs helped them not worry about it, or pretty much anything else, except...where and how can they get more.

Life, Look, Time, or Newsweek magazine did a 1966-1967 (cover?) story, which kind of brought them to the masses, and directly or indirectly, made that drugged-living off the land lifestyle somewhat glamorous, and a goal for many.

Again, the closest thing to an actual hippy, were basically just runaways, or kids that were run of the house, that became homeless people who lived and traveled together, panhandled, fished for food in dumpsters, did drugs, got knocked-up, and raised their kids to follow suit, which many of course did...monkey-see, monkey-do.

Quite a few of today's homeless with or without a roof over their head, are pretty much the same, sans flashing the peace sign, unless they're hoping it may help them in receiving a handout the next time they approach you...just in case you may remember them from the last time.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by gizmo980

Oh, also try Boulder Creek! I'm not THAT familiar with the town, but it seems to have that "hippie vibe" still present. Anywhere in the SC mountains, really, seems to be where the aging hippies have gone to roost. Maybe I'll go there when I retire, lol.

Felton, too, on the road to Boulder Creek. Check out Felton's little jazz club, Don Quixote's, to see who's playing, OP. It specializes in Grateful Dead cover bands, Bluegrass, African jazz occasionally, and other 60's-inspired eclectic stuff. The Greateful Dead used to play there, and lived in the area for awhile, from what I understand, so Don Quixote's is maintaining the tradition. Geezer hippies, and music aficionados of all stripes, local and tourist, hang out there. They have a dinner menu of Mexican food. The food isn't anything to get excited about, but the music's often very good.
http://www.flynnscabaret.com/

[echo7tango]

Originally Posted by the topper

Hippies are not in the Bay Area anymore. Just a few older and former hippies live in the SC Mountains.

Some are. See below.

Originally Posted by noregon98

Please...don't take this suggestion wrong, but do take 9 separate pictures of each in your day to day future travels (or Google them) of the bolded activities and sights you want both of you to experience all in one afternoon or evening, then have them Photo-shopped all in to 1 photo/scene, 'cause unless you are extremely lucky, you may not even find two in one afternoon or evening...and that was being generous on my part. That will be the closest to finding them all in one day/spot!

<snip>

That's all the "alleged" real hippies ever were, except they flashed the peace sign to everybody and anybody, which was the only positive. Looking back...what did that really do for the planet and world peace?

I want to avoid the social benefit tangent here. All I'm looking for is where to get some of the experience.

Funny you should mention the separate items, because on Friday afternoon I saw them all within one hour. It was an experience that led me to create this thread and ask the OP question. In San Francisco, in the Haight at Buena Vista Park, I met some hippie people -- and I'm still trying to find a better term. One guy, clad all in purple with a tie-dyed shirt and bandana on his head, greeted me with a kind "Namaste" and as we made small talk (I had approached, asking about the park and its hill) he introduced himself as a 50-something openly-gay male. I introduced myself as a 50-something retired Marine, and we proceeded to find common ground and we had a nice conversaion. It was mostly small talk, and as we parted we wished each other a "God bless, brother."

There were others there, mostly clean cut kids who were homeless entrepreneurs. They offered weed, acid, and some others that I didn't recognize and don't remember.

Not 15 minutes later I spotted a psychedelic-painted VW bus. It bore a sign saying San Francisco Love Tours (San Francisco Sightseeing - San Francisco Love Tours | San Francisco Love Tours). Here is a nice image. I then had a good burger at Haight and Clayton, at a place called the Burger Urge.

My niece lives in the south bay, and that's why I asked for San Jose and Santa Cruz. But maybe I'll take her to Haight-Ashbury. Maybe we'll do a love tour. That VW Bus looked great.

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Felton, too, on the road to Boulder Creek. Check out Felton's little jazz club, Don Quixote's, to see who's playing, OP. It specializes in Grateful Dead cover bands, Bluegrass, African jazz occasionally, and other 60's-inspired eclectic stuff. The Greateful Dead used to play there, and lived in the area for awhile, from what I understand, so Don Quixote's is maintaining the tradition. Geezer hippies, and music aficionados of all stripes, local and tourist, hang out there. They have a dinner menu of Mexican food. The food isn't anything to get excited about, but the music's often very good.
Don Quixote's International Music Hall~ Come Have Dinner &A Show

Don Quixote's International Music Hall~ Come Have Dinner &A Show -- their schedule looks great. Except for "Dance Concerts are 21 and over unless indicated." still, I might check it out. It's an hour from me.

[lemonstar]

Pacific Avenue in Santa Cruz may fit the bill . . . you can buy a "Keep Santa Cruz Weird" coffee mug in the fantastic Bookshop Santa Cruz if you happen to hit the area on a less hippieish day. There are many complaints about homeless people, etc., downtown (just check out the SC Sentinel online) and many people avoid downtown for this reason. However, I visit downtown Santa Cruz/Pacific Avenue at least 3-4 times a week at various times of day and have never been offered drugs or felt fearful for my safety. Usually, you can find plenty of tie die-clad people and street performers among the boutique stores, restaurants, and independent move theaters.


I second @RuthforTruth about Don Quixote's - also, even if a performance is for 21+, all ages can opt to buy dinner in the adjacent dining room and watch from there for most shows. If you want a more immersive "hippy" experience without drugs (as far as I know), there is a yoga studio called Divinitree in midtown/Water Street that has events like Kirtan chanting night on December 16th. I can almost guarantee you there will be plenty of young hippies there!