Originally published in 2013

Nikki and her husband make the 4.5-hour drive from Irvine, California, to Las Vegas at least three times a year. But on one journey, she had some car trouble on the way there — and ended up with a very memorable experience while waiting on assistance. 

“I pushed the OnStar button* and the Advisor told me to stop and he would send Roadside Assistance,”* says Nikki. 

Nikki pulled into the first driveway she saw. When she looked around she felt like she had time-traveled back to the 1950s. 

The Advisor was still on the line with her, contacting a GM dealership to provide service and calling for a cab for Nikki and her husband, when he heard her laughing somewhat hysterically. 

“I couldn’t believe it,” she says. “I had turned into the driveway of a one-story, bright pink motel with turquoise blue trim and a great big pink elephant near the swimming pool! 

“Suddenly a fire-engine red 1960 Cadillac convertible came rolling up the drive and out hopped a bride and groom with a photographer in tow,” Nikki says. 

“The groom had a rough time lifting up his bride, whose dress was bigger than she was. Finally the photographer got his shot, and just like that they jumped back into the Cadillac and took off.” 

Just at the exact moment the Cadillac was pulling out of the driveway, the cab pulled in. “The whole thing was surreal,” Nikki says. 

But, like all good movies, Nikki’s story had a happy ending. “The dealership was great,” she says. “They quickly got our car back to us good as new so we were able to leave exactly when we had planned.”