April 8, 2026
The Stories Behind My FAB Story
Submitted by Sharon Boorstin
I enjoy introducing CLU-FAB students to places with fascinating history. Here I am at one of my favorites: The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa in Riverside, which opened in 1902. Over the years owner Frank Miller enlarged and enhanced it, adding wings, courtyards, and a chapel that has become a popular spot for weddings. Miller filled the public rooms with antiques, sculptures, and paintings like this one, “San Juan Hill,” which hangs in one of the restaurants. It depicts the battle in 1898 when then Lieutenant Colonel Theodore Roosevelt led his “Rough Rider” cavalry soldiers to victory in Cuba during the Spanish-American War. Whether I’m giving a talk on “Legendary Resorts,” “Gold Country,” or “Los Angeles in the 1930s,” I like to include what I call the stories behind the story. My long career as a teacher, screenwriter, Los Angeles Times contributor, and author, has taught me that it’s the colorful details that bring a subject alive for students — especially “Fifty and Better” students at CLU.