Actors at California's famed Hoberg's Resort

By C. MacDonald

A little kid across the street loves street-sweepers. For years he rushed out early in the morning to witness the sweeping machine majestically brushing by. Last weekend, he turned 6 and his parents actually had a real street-sweeper come to his party and take kids on a ride. How cool is that?

His turning 6 made me recall the beginning of my acting career at that same age. It all happened at Hoberg's Resort (south of Clear Lake in Lake County, North Central, California). The resort was founded by Gustav Hoberg in 1885 and featured cottages among beautiful pines. It had tennis courts, a baseball diamond, game room, restaurant, golf course, swimming pool, horseback riding and turned into the largest privately-owned resort in the state—a place which attracted celebrities, sports stars and big bands, like Tommy Dorsey's. Everyone loved going to Hobergs. For three generations, it was run by the Hobergs family before others took over.

My parents had been going there since the 1940s and I was lucky enough to get in on the incredibly fun times when I arrived in the world. And I still recall my first acting gig at age 6 before a Hoberg's audience. Usually, the fun gatherings were for singing songs and even if you didn't have a good voice, the large crowds always made up for any vocal deficiencies—so everyone felt at ease and had a blast.

But one night, it was announced that on Saturday, all kids were invited to participate in a talent show by the campfire, in front of hundreds sitting on logs—kind of an early version of "American Idol." Excited youth courageously stood up and exhibited their remarkable singing, dancing and story-telling talents to a huge, friendly, appreciative audience. Some of the skillful prize-winners undoubtedly went on to Hollywood and Broadway.

Acting wasn't really my "cup of tea" and the more I thought about having to perform, the more terrified I became as my parents and peers kept urging me to take the stage for the first time. I finally agreed to recite a poem, which I remember to this day: "When I was one, I had just begun. When I was two I was hardly new. When I was three, I was hardly me. When I was four, I wasn't much more. When I was five, I was just alive. But now that I'm six, I like it and I think I'll stay six forever and ever."

It was easy to memorize but I was shy and not to thrilled about spilling my talent before a large group of star-studded peers and under a star-studded sky. I did show up in the woods at the appointed time and took my place on a log as my acting peers got up and sang to perfection. One by one, the emcee called each kid up to entertain. But I got cold feet as it got closer and closer for my debut and I suddenly decided to end my acting career before it got started and vowed not to perform.

With the coolness of a tiny 6-year-old, I managed to slink down behind a large log that dark night and remain out-of-sight. My name was announced but no one could find me until the show was over. I had been petrified, just like the famous Petrified Forest in nearby Calistoga.

Unfortunately, Hobergs Resort later went up in flames, just like my acting career.

Hoberg's Resort on Cobb Mountain was destroyed in the "Valley Fire" on September 12, 2015. The wildland blaze wiped out more than $2 million in renovations to the historic resort, first established as a hotel in the 1880s.