Welcome Signs

Since leaving Charleston in April FREEDOM has passed through the following states:

South Carolina
North Carolina
Virginia
Maryland
Delaware
New Jersey
New York
Ohio
Michigan
Wisconsin
Illinois
Missouri
Kentucky

We also drove through Indiana and Pennsylvania on our shore leave last month, bringing us to a grand total of 15 states visited to date.  On the road, I kept myself entertained, and clicked off the miles, by watching for welcome signs as we entered each new state.  They typically feature the state slogan, offering a window into the state spirit:

Among my favorites

Pennsylvania: A State of  Independence

Wisconsin: Open for Business

South Carolina: Smiling Faces, Beautiful Places

Along the waterways, though, there are no welcome signs. We have to rely upon a line on the paper or electronic charts to tell us when we have crossed from one state to  the next. No fanfare, no welcome centers, no brochures.  Consequently, when we entered Kentucky we were not greeted with:

Kentucky: Unbridled Spirit!

Nor was there:

Missouri: Where the Rivers Run  ( you can say that again)

And we won't see:

Tennessee: America at It's Best! or even: The Stage is Set For You! 
    (Nor will Justin Timberlake be waving from shore to welcome us to his home state, but I digress...)

Yet, there will still be smiling faces, running rivers, unbridled spirit,  and everywhere, America at it's best.