Where to stay and what to listen to
"Drop out. Leave society as you have known it. Leave it utterly. Blow the mind of every straight person you can reach. Turn them on to beauty, love, honesty, fun." — TIME magazine, 1967
When I imagine the summer of '69, I tend to think of a bunch of idealistic travellers roaming aimlessly across the country with no money, no plans and no responsibilities — a concept that can seem kind of appealing after a bad day on the stock market. While heading off to San Francisco in a VW van probably isn't the solution to 2009 stress, the Summer of Love did expand our minds and teach us new ways to approach our time off. Travel was about being curious and carefree — and experiencing world music, ancient spiritual practices and cultural differences were all part of the deal.
While hippies dropped out for weeks, months or even years, it's possible to ‘turn on and tune in' for a long weekend (or a leisurely afternoon). Here are some great ways to find spiritual harmony and discover your inner hippie:
Feel the beat
1969 was the summer of Woodstock — a peaceful gathering of 500,000 concert-goers who converged on a farmer's field to hear the likes of Joe Cocker, Joan Baez and Jimmy Hendrix. While Woodstock has long past, you can still throw on your best tie-dyed t-shirt and groove to the hip tunes at one of Canada's Folk Music Festivals. Often set in beautiful locations, like the mountains of Canmore, A.B. or Vancouver's Jericho Beach, folk festivals are relaxed, family friendly, multi-day concerts that feature music from across Canada and around the globe.
Retreat
While seeking illumination at an ashram might not fit your lifestyle, places like Hollyhock on B.C.'s Cortez Island take what was best from the hippie era and add a modern twist by offering upscale restorative retreats. A day at the seaside resort begins with a walk along a forest trail to the Sanctuary for meditation, followed by yoga in the Raven building. As you stretch and move through the ancient posses (beginners are welcome), you'll find your worries receding and your stomach preparing for the gourmet organic breakfast that follows. Regulars to Hollyhock say it takes only a few hours to get into what they call, "the Hollyhock Zone," a state of calm that gets you humming Beatles' songs. Continue your visit to with a trip to the bodywork centre for a treatment (the sea-stone massage is incredible) — then end the day with a sunset kayak paddle where bioluminescence lights up the water and stars light up the sky.
