Best Cities For Hippies

My morning show partner, Doug, calls me a hippie. I haven't asked him exactly why he does that, but he does indicate that it's not a compliment. I disagree. Give peace a chance, Doug. That's all I'm asking.

This is my coffee mug. I also have peace sign flip-flops, tie-dyed clothing and bandanas, love for all creatures great and small, and I may have said once or twice that if I had been born a bit sooner, I would have made a great hippie living in San Francisco with flowers in my hair. I attended the 25th Anniversary of Woodstock. The REAL one at Max Yasgur's Farm, not the pretend one down the road.  I've sold everything I own and packed up my car to move half way across the country. More than once. More than twice, actually.  And for this, Doug calls me a hippie.

I sort of see the connection. However, if I wanted to get serious about the groovy peace and love kind of lifestyle that does seem very appealing, I would move to one of the cities on this list.

Just for the record, I don't smoke pot and I have no interest in "occupying" anything where I would have to sleep in a tent and not shower for weeks. So given the results of this survey, I would most likely be shunned from the community anyway.

Estately has come out with a list of the 17 best cities in America for hippies.  The rankings were created by looking at “marijuana availability and legality, number of stores selling hemp, local counter-culture icons, tie-dye availability, hippie festivals, progressive government, intensity of Occupy protests, and a Facebook poll.”

Eugene, Oregon takes the prestigious top spot, followed by Olympia, Washington. Portland, Oregon came in fifth.

So, put some flowers in your hair, grab your tie dye shirt and put on your rose-colored glasses. Here are the grooviest cities in the USA.

17 best cities in America for hippies

1. Eugene, Oregon
2. Olympia, Washington
3. Asheville, North Carolina
4. Boulder, Colorado
5. Portland, Oregon
6. Burlington, Vermont
7. Ithaca, New York
8. Berkeley, California
9. Austin, Texas
10. Bisbee, Arizona
11. Missoula, Montana
12. Oakland, California
13. Berea, Kentucky
14. Manitou Springs, Colorado
15. San Francisco, California
16. Bloomington, Indiana
17. Arcata, California