20 vintage photos of California during its heyday
- California experienced a renaissance in the '60s and '70s.
- The hippie movement was centered around San Francisco, bringing free love, big hair, and music into the Golden State.
- Hollywood also experienced its own renaissance in the '70s.
- Disneyland, Joshua Tree, and Palm Springs were popular destinations in the state.
Long before Silicon Valley skyrocketed the rent in San Francisco or scooters littered the streets of Los Angeles, California was a symbol of cultural change.
During the '60s and '70s, California experienced a renaissance. With hippies taking over the corner of Ashbury and Haight streets and Hollywood producing game-changing movies, California was at its peak.
From hairier men and women to a stricter Disneyland, this is what California looked like during its old-school heydays.
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Los Angeles experienced a housing boom in the '60s, bringing more people to the Golden State.
During the '60s, Los Angeles built 76% more houses than the previous decade, upping the number of homes to 232,379.
At the same time, the hippie movement was sweeping across the nation, especially in California.
As a reaction to the Vietnam War, hippies were known for their free love and creativity. They often expressed this love and openness at music festivals, like this one at Lake Amador in California in 1969.
The hippies actually referred to themselves as "freaks" or "love children."
These so-called "freaks" loved to take drugs, preferably LSD, and often gathered together to listen to music. Here, a group of hippies enjoys one such jam session at Mt. Tamalpais near San Francisco.
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