This is the kind of helicopter I flew. MD500E with guns and not saw blades!

Keith,
I don't remember seeing any campgrounds yet. I don't think this part of IL is a vacation destination.

Nice image.....Love it!

Looks nice and cool.... Hey, have you seen a lot of campgrounds?

Totally agree with your characterizations, particularly semi drivers being good and logging trucks be problematic. There's one local logger who passes me frequently on my rides who not only drives close, but loves to lay on the horn right as he's passing me. I just feel like telling him, ' ya know, I can see and hear you coming, I totally expect the horn at this point, you really aren't startling me any more'. I'm also wary of school bus drivers, as you said; they don't give an inch. I wonder if they are just reluctant to cross the line.

Thanks, Dave. I'm sorry we're not going to get to your area this summer. Look forward to seeing you in the fall.

Thanks, Keith. We appreciate your taking the time to respond to our posts so often:-).

Completely agree about the dark tinted windows. I like to make eye contact at intersections.

Thanks for your observations. We always wonder if other cyclists notice the same things we do. I have wondered if school bus drivers have some strict prohibition about crossing yellow lines. We don't seem to have many who wait patiently to pass - they tend to just go by in our lane.

My pet peeve is cars with dark tinted windows. I'm not comfortable around cars if I can't make eye contact with the driver.

Very well said and organized; not sure I’ve ever seen these observations written out like this. I agree though, your characterizations are spot on. Keep traveling on my friends!

This past January, on a two day ride from Arcadia FL to Mt. Dora FL, I spent more time on Rt . 17 than I would have liked and was mentally making the same list of driver types that you did.

Commercial semi drivers definitely at the top of the list. They were so good at moving over I would say "Thank you, brother trucker!" as they went by (not that they would hear it...)

At the bottom of the list, anything driver pulling a trailer, other than a semi/tractor trailer. This includes towed type RVs, landscapers, people on their way to the local dump, etc. They would never move an inch and seemed to hug the right shoulder as they zoomed by.

Dump trucks were right there at the bottom, too. Whenever a dumptruck or someone pulling a trailer whizzed by my left ear, I would mutter "Thanks a lot, "

The big self-contained RVs were somewhere in the middle - many would move left, many would not. But dumptrucks and those big RVs are the least aerodynamic out there and had the biggest bow and stern wind waves.

Did not see enough school buses to classify them, but I see many on my local road riding. They are very hesitant to cross double yellow lines, but they also seem very willing to wait to pass around here.

Well, things seem to be going smoothly, so glad! I noticed you were doing some trails that is always nice for me; get away from the cars. I won't bother you, just wanted to say hi!

Hello guys
Nice to see pictures of you, on the road again 👍
It look like you are doing a good trip.
Hotels and B&B must be happy to get clients 😊
Thank to share your journal, always very interesting.
Pierre and Sylvie xx

Wow, that looks nice