“If you can find any way to make it to San Francisco next week, you should! Skip, swim, fly, walk, hitchhike…” ~Matt Mullenweg, Founder of WordPress

My husband Bronson and my cool grandmother indulged my fascination with polygamists this summer on an impromptu trip to Hilldale, Utah (where FLDS is headquartered).

The best part was standing in line at the grocery store with a few of the polygamist wives—their hair all doused in Aqua Net, donning the customary pastel dresses.

You don’t have to be a native to experience the polygamist lifestyle up close. Identity Tours is a Utah-based company started by two brothers, Heber and Richard, who were exiled from the FLDS in 2003 by now jailed church leader (and convicted rapist) Warren Jeffs. On the 4-hour bus tour, titled “The Polygamy Experience: A Guided Tour of Colorado City,” Richard Holm answers questions about the history and traditions of the legendary polygamist community. (more…)

Interview with Kathy in Bora Bora in April 2008. Appeared in the 2008 season of “D List” on Bravo.

Snow Canyon was one of my favorite places as a kid. On March 17, 2009, Bronson got to experience it for the first time, along with my grandmother.  —Sam

GROWING UP, I used to pretend that my red Radio Flyer was my very own car. I’d take imaginary trips to see my grandmother in southern Utah, holding an invisible steering wheel as I guided the “car” along each bend in the road. When I arrived at her house, I never wanted to leave.

Some things never change.

On my shoulder is a tattoo from Where the Wild Things Are. It’s the story of Max, a mischievous boy who goes on a scary adventure in a jungle far from home. He dances with monsters, who crown him “king of the wild things.”  We named our Yorkshire Terrier after him.

Max has come to symbolize my journey through life. After high school, I needed to get out of Utah. I didn’t know how to deal with the reality that I was into guys. After college, I moved to LA and launched HERO Magazine. Maybe then they’ll accept me, I thought. I spent the better part of a decade chasing that.

In the wake of my mom’s health, that seems so distant and unimportant now.

There’s this flood of conflicting emotions inside me; I’m still in a daze.
I’m angry that we’ve essentially lost 12 years: we’ll never get them back.
I feel guilty: did I contribute to her cancer?

I’m coming to grip with that line in Fight Club:

This is your life, and it’s ending one minute at a time.

I’m overwhelmed by all the love and support, and at the same time I’m not very good at accepting help. Ironically, the concern of loved ones causes me to retreat deeper into the jungle.

Fortunately, Where the Wild Things Are ends on an up note: Max eventually gets lonely and returns home to his room and finds a hot supper waiting for him.

Like Max, these past seven days have taught me that no matter how hard you try, you can’t run away from home.

THERE ARE HOTELS THAT FEEL PRETENTIOUS and there those rarer destinations that feel like home, kind of like an episode of déjà vu. After at least a dozen weekend trips to Palm Springs in as many years, the spankin’ new Ace Hotel and Swim Club ranks at the top of my list for getting nearly everything “right.”

Well Done Thing #1: The Marketing. I found their stylishly designed matte postcard at my local Rudy’s barbershop in Silverlake. That should have been my first clue that my husband and I were in for a truly “underground” treat. We were indeed, with a standard $89 room (upgraded for no additional charge by Jesse upon arrival). Cool lobby details: Fake deer antlers, the Scoutmaster handbook, and a photo booth.

Well Done Thing #2: The Rooms. Think “the W goes camping.” A huge, comfy bed. Slatted walls for hooks, bathrobes and magazine clippings. A big flatscreen TV with high speed Internet (included) and a roomy shower with an enormous rain-style can showerhead. Canvas-covered walls with grommetted canvas flaps instead of curtains. Oh and that faux-mini bear rug? Genius.

Well Done Thing #3: The Service. I’ll be damned if we didn’t phone the front desk at 3am for an extra pillow (big boys need two apiece) and they actually brought it to the room within 10 minutes. Much earlier poolside, We asked for a pour of Hendrick’s gin and the waitstaff made it happen. Then there was that seamless upgrade I mentioned earlier. And keep in mind, we were there on opening weekend, when everything’s bound to go wrong.

There were a couple hiccups. The poolside staff hadn’t stocked towels, and the steam/sauna in the Spa wasn’t up and running on our trip. The indoor restaurant wasn’t open (but the outdoor section was pretty much packed on a pretty chilly February night). But these were minor glitches in the Matrix.

The best part about the hotel was that it allowed us to really unwind and find a little peace (and love!)  before returning to the sometimes frenetic, chaotic city life. That’s what a good hotel should be all about. And that’s why the Ace Hotel and Swim Club is all aces, baby.

We traded the city life for a snow ensconced lakeside retreat in the mountains last weekend. Here’s a 30-second slide show; you can read about it on LovesickBilly.

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Reach & Touch Crunch

On the road, time and quarters are tight, so these six exercises require no special equipment; they’ll kick you into shape by using your own body weight as resistance.  After the jump… (more…)

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I TURN 34 today, so we’re off to Vegas to compete in the Bighorn Rodeo. It’s our third rodeo this year in as many states. Here’s something to give you a taste of a day in the life. Be sure to check the photostream over the weekend.

Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy

Ride a Cowboy from Sam Page on Vimeo.

I love blogging, but I love traveling more. We boarded a Virgin America flight at 6:30 a.m. headed to SFO this weekend to surprise my friend Paul for his 44th birthday. I’m just using my iPhone.

More pics…