California hails oceans, mountains, valleys, palm trees, cacti, a colorful Hispanic culture (among others), and movie stars. So why the heck is our license plate so BORING? It's been boring all through history. Part of me thinks the government makes license plates plain so police can easily read them when pursuing vehicles, which they do frequently. Other states have car chases but boast interesting and attractive plates. They prove aesthetics don't have to fly out the window. My favorites are:
Utah: Bold, bright. Utah has cool rocks and they know it.
Hawaii: When I see this plate I feel like smiling.
Mississippi: Do it, Mississippi. This state doesn't scrimp on colors. It looks like they commissioned Thomas Kinkaid to design their plate. Now I want to go to Mississippi, sit on the shore and gaze at this lighthouse at sunset.
Georgia: I have a strange obsession with images of fruit. I appreciate the graphic simplicity of Georgia's purty peach, combined with how its image immediately brings to mind their state.
Oregon: Oregon's not trying to fool anyone. They're not known for sun or fruit. They strut their stuff with three solid colors offset by white, showing threes and mountains.
You can see license plates from all 50 states (some which are a few years old) at The US 50.
