Kauai Podcast #21: Taylor Camp, with John Wehrheim

Taylor Camp DVD

Taylor Camp DVD

Taylor Camp, with John Wehrheim

I’m really excited about today’s show, and I think you are going to really enjoy it!  Today we are going to talk about Taylor Camp, a “hippie” community which existed on the north shore of Kauai from 1969-1977.  It began as a “safe haven” when Howard Taylor (brother of actress “Elizabeth Taylor”) bailed out 13 people jailed for vagrancy and offered to let them stay on his land at Haena.  It quickly became a mecca for surfers, hippies, Vietnam vets, artists, and those looking for a different way of life.  Taylor Camp really reflected the movement of the 70’s perfectly.  It was a clothing optional (but many times not), drug friendly, commune of acceptance and love, an ordered community without rules, and it represented a non-materialistic way of life.  It was a true microcosm of people and personalities from all over, bonded by their love of nature, Kauai, and living freely, and it seemed to provide spiritual healing for all of them in one way or another.

A couple years back I picked it up the video, “Taylor Camp”, eagerly watched it, and loved it.  I thought it was a very well made documentary, an amazing mix of both incredible pictures of Taylor Camp and its residents in its day, and interviews with camp residents, Kauai locals, and the government officials who wanted them out, thirty years later.  It totally drew me in, and because of that documentary, doing a show on Taylor Camp has always been a priority on my list of show subjects.

A couple months back I decided to reach out and contact my “dream interview” for this show, and I called John Wehrheim, the Emmy Award winning producer of the movie “Taylor Camp”.  We talked for a bit, and after a short conversation he agreed to come on the show and discuss Taylor Camp with us.  He’s not only a great guy, but I don’t think there could be a more perfect person for this show.  I’m really excited to have him on and I think you are just going to love this interview.

As discussed in the show I have included the following links:
Website for Taylor Camp
John’s Website encompassing both Taylor Camp and Bhutan projects
Taylor Camp Book
Taylor Camp

Play
Share
This entry was posted in Podcast, Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.