The sign for the Shamrock Motel in Texarkana, Texas, was like a dream on the sunny Sunday morning in November 2024 that I stopped by for a quick visit. I had a long day ahead of me, which ended with me in Memphis, Tennessee, shooting signs at 3 in the morning. Yes, I was on deadline for my book, “The Great American Retro Road Trip.”

The Shamrock Motel didn’t make the book (maybe a future edition) but it offered just the right dash of luck I needed at the start of a long drive packed with dozens of stops.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! #retrologist