Itawamba County Welcome Center

Nice, friendly, welcome to Mississippi. I arrived just before 5:00 and while the staff was friendly and it sure was a lovely looking lobby area, the coffee was done. Nicely kept and maintained outside, the bathrooms were clean and it was easy to get in and out of the rest area. Nice welcome to the 20^th state to join the Union.
Lovely. It really is «The Hospitality State.»

This was probably one of the nicest rest stops ive been to. they have a pot of fresh hot coffee waiting for ya, lots to look at, and a healthy selection of the touristy pamphlets.
The only negative i have is the toilets are LOW to the ground… im a tall person and they are def not tall people friendly! and please add paper towels or upgrade the hand blowers!!! it would take 3 days for hands to dry!
But the grounds were Beautifully kept and landscaped, it was nice they put it back up off the road too,

My first drive to Memphis definitely pushed me to the limit. All of the semis, the traffic lights, the awful drivers, and the construction. Not to mention the roadkill. So I was pleased to hear of the welcome center off of the I-​22 corridor that was supposed to be oh so nice.
I held my bladder in a longgg time in anticipation for this. So by the time I got there, it was time to go!
As you approach the center, it is kind of perched on a valley– looks really nice and well kept.
As I am going up the windy hill, I was stopped by an older gentleman (looked like security) and waved to me. I put down my window, only for him to tell me that this place has lost all of its power, and it has no running water. He said something about going down the road 10 miles (either to the weigh station– which I had no idea cars were allowed to go, or to Tupelo, which was 40 miles away. I couldn’t understand that accent!).
There was no where to run behind a tree and let it rip, as there was maintenance everywhere. I drove about 10 miles down the road, and saw nothing. I ended up going to Tupelo, which I am amazed I lived to tell the tale.
You may look pretty on the outside welcome center, but my bladder and I can never forgive you!!!

Picture this: A rest stop with history and a classy lounge area. Plus they offer to make you a free cup of coffee! Not at all what I expected, but I definitely felt welcomed.