Mississippi Welcome Center — Local services in Slidell

Will never spend another dime in the state of Mississippi if I can possibly help it because of this place. Pulled in after a 500-mile run in the RV...very tired at 100am. Pulled into a slot between a couple of semis, dropped the jacks, and ran out the slides (so the furnace would work as it should.) About to crash out, when there's a knock at the door. Security. The lady requests that I move the RV from the semi lot to the "RV" lot (which she directed me to...never saw any signs.) Tells me I'll be more comfortable there since the sound of diesels won't mess with our sleep. I move the rig to the RV slots. Drop the jacks, send out the slides, and my family goes to bed. 1/2 hour later, someone's knocking on the door. Since there was nobody around, I grab my .50 cal and ask from the floor who it is. Security. I tell the guy to walk to the front of the rig, and stand 15 feet in front of it so I can see that's who it is. I turn on the front camera, and it is security. I go out to see what he wants. Tells me I can't stay here with the slides out and jacks down...rest area policy. I'm incredulous. the parking spaces are set at an angle, so the jacks are necessary, and the slides have to be out to maximize the furnace effectiveness. I explain this to no avail. Finally, told him to perform a mating act on himself, and I pack up and leave. Drove 12 miles up Interstate 12...found a Walmart parking lot and went to sleep. Jacks down and slides out. WTF is up with the State of Mississippi? ....Sidenote. On the way back from Vegas, I made sure to buy fuel, dinner, and some vino in Louisiana. Then pulled across the state line to another of the MS rest stops. Dumped my garbage in their trash bins, ran down my jacks, ran out my slides, and turned on the TV. Went to sleep, and left early in the am. Made sure that I didn't spend any money in the state...and made sure that I dumped every bit of refuse I could find in their bins (not that Mississippi residents seem prone to actually use the trash receptacles themselves.) Backward, worthless state...kind of...

The Mississippi Welcome Center, a veritable colossus among the sentinels that greet travelers at state lines, presents an interesting dichotomy in the world of roadside hospitality. Its grandeur is not merely in its physical stature but in the promise it holds within its expansive boundaries.

As one approaches, the sheer scale of the establishment unfolds like a grand narrative, each acre telling a story of welcome and respite. It's probably the largest welcome center one might encounter, not just in terms of the built structure but the sprawling embrace of the land it occupies. It's as if Mississippi itself is extending a warm, generous hand, inviting you to explore the depths of its hospitality and heritage.

However, like a beautifully bound book that falters slightly in its prose, the center's bathrooms do not quite match the lofty expectations set by its impressive expanse. Awarding them a modest three stars is a nod to the imperfections that remind us of the human element in even the most grandiose of endeavors. While they serve their purpose, they lack that extra touch of care and attention that transforms a mundane necessity into an experience in its own right.

Overall, a four-star rating encapsulates this juxtaposition of awe and slight disappointment. It's a reminder that even in grandeur, there is room for improvement, for attention to the smaller details that elevate a place from merely being a stop to becoming a destination. The Mississippi Welcome Center stands as a monument to welcome, a testament to the state's bountiful spirit, yet it whispers a humble reminder that perfection is a journey, not a...

I'm once stop here, on Sunday Aug.9th. use the W.C. dropped my wallet. un acknowledged Until I'm arrived Orlando Florida. Panic, upset, and all vacation moods were gone. Trace my steps back and think this placed could be the place I may dropped my wallet since I used toilet. Google the phone number and called. the response first very polite, (not like the most government service place) and very pleasant. Also the happiness to me is: after My identification announced. the lady told me she has it. and seem like every thing still in it. I'm thank you and instead to disturb my trip. she told us she will keep it there until my return trip. just enjoy my vacation. some one will be there even (security) at close time(of course I'm not, enjoyed at all, but I don't want because of me then effect every one, especially my three grandee, and my wife took the wheel.) I received my wallet without any issue, and every thing in it, even cash (few hundred I carry for long road trip emergency) at 7:am Sunday Aug.16th 2015. It was very pleasant experienced with all the personnel's who work on that morning. $$$ I Thank you, for your honor, nicest, Truly practice American value.

%%% There is also many good, honor people out there on the road. I'm can not Thank enough for the traveler (anonymous), who was pick up and return my wallet to tis office.

Thanks again...