There was a social movement called "Lebensreform" (life reform) in Germany & Switzerland around the late 1800's/early 1900's that promoted a sort of back-to-nature lifestyle, organic farming, raw foods, veganism as well as alternative medicine, sexual liberation, nudism etc. The was also a youth movement born out of this, called "Wandervogel" that was into hiking, camping, nature activities and amateur communal singing (think Kumbaya).

Some of these Germans migrated to the US. A fair number went to California for the warm climate to practice their alternative lifestyle. One of these people was William Pester, a German, who came to California in 1906 to avoid military service in Germany. He was a follower of the lebensreform ideas and also enjoyed novels about Native Americans. He settled in Palms Springs in the Coachella Valley around 1916.

Writer Gordon Kennedy wrote of him: "He earned some of his living making walking sticks from palm blossom stalks, selling postcards with lebensreform health tips, and charging people 10 cents to look through his telescope while he gave lectures on astronomy. He made his own sandals, had a wonderful collection of Indian pottery and artifacts, played slide guitar, lived on raw fruits and vegetables and managed to spend most of his time naked under the California sunshine."

Other Germans like Pester lived similar lives in Southern California, including the Nature Boys of which Pester is considered a part. Some started and ran health-food stores, raised organic food and espoused a back-to-nature lifestyle. Another of these Nature Boys was a guy called Gypsy Boots, a health food nut who did yoga. Of course, other young Americans in California at the time where also influenced by these people and followed the movement.

A lot of the Nature Boys and the like eventually made it up to Northern California for the Summer of Love in 1967. However, they are just one aspect of the hippie history. You can see the obvious influences - like health food, nature, yoga and an overall free spirit - that because associated with hippies and still exist today.

However, it was around the time of the Summer of Love that this movement mixed with people like the Beats and the Merry Pranksters, which, I believe, injected a much more drug-oriented aspect to what became the hippie movement. I won't expand upon that here, but you can see how, out of a nature/health movement you add a lot of drugs and "posers" and we end up in the 70's, tripping out with Charles Manson.