Our family was looking for an affordable overnight en route to New Orleans. The Western Inn Express at I-55, Exit 61 in Hazlehurst, MS was just the ticket. $64.10 without a reservation at 7 pm at night.

Great location: near KFC, McDonalds, Wendy's, Taco Bell, Sonic, Wal-Mart.

Two-story, outside corridor and covered (but outdoor) stairs at a motel with some loud patrons.

There was a seasonal pool (still covered in mid-March). The room had a small microwave, refrigerator, comfortably soft beds, soap and shampoo, medium quality sheets and a stingy amount of low-quality towels.

It was clean; we slept and left. Good value. The only thing I'd forewarn others about is the alarming blue paint on the walls. Very odd.

The Western Inn Express is a two-story motel on a highway, down the street from a Piggly Wiggly, next to a Taco Bell/Kentucky Fried Chicken, and less than a quarter-mile from a soon-to be replaced Wal-Mart. The rooms are painted blue, a darker shade than any wall I’ve experienced in a lodging establishment. The three flickering 40-watt fluorescent bulbs barely illuminated the shadows of the room, which was perhaps a good thing. At one point I thought I dropped an earplug behind the side table and discovered a Wal-Mart receipt, a penny, a used tissue, and a ball of dust and hair. Comforters were synthetic, with holes, in a red-white-and-blue patriotic motif.

The motel has a bullet-proof style window that the hotel owners stand behind at night. During the day, guests can step into the small lobby and take a plastic wrapped pastry from the small fridge.

The motel has a small highway side pool. TVs work well, but the bathroom was pretty dim, with a loud fan and strange plastic fixtures. The motel was apparently recently remodeled, so I suppose the fixtures are new and the blue paint was a way to hide the walls and whatever had been on them.

This motel isn't the worst place to stay, but it's not especially clean and you'll hear your neighbors through the walls. The motel manager gave someone else the key to our room while I was there, which was a bit disconcerting.

Across the street is Stark’s, the favorite local hangout. in the space of a former Dairy Queen, which sports a daily special: Fried Bologna on Jalapeno Cheese Sourdough Bread Sandwich.