Kentucky family on a bicycle built for five pedals through Lowcountry on way to Fairbanks


Photo by Tyrone Walker
Bill Harrison (left), daughters Jasmine and Robin, wife Amarins, and daughter Cheyenne travel along U.S. Highway 17 on Tuesday. The Kentucky family is on a 7,000-mile bicycle trip to Alaska.

On a custom-made bicycle built for five, the Harrison family of Mount Vernon, Ky., pedaled on the edge of Folly Road on Tuesday, trailed by heavy slow-lane traffic that steered around them.

They’re on their way to Alaska.

Mom looked back to make eye contact with drivers coming up from behind. Dad stayed tuned to the traffic situation by glancing into a rearview mirror. When a red light turned green, dad counted down "Three, two, one" and the family began pedaling in unison.

The Harrisons’ daily travels have ranged from as little as five miles to as many as 62 miles. Things have gotten easier since leaving behind the hills of Tennessee and Kentucky.

"We just take it one day at a time," said the mother, Amarins Harrison. The trip has taught the children, Cheyenne, 6, Jasmine, 4, and Robin, 3, values such as persistence, she said. "From time to time, we have been very tired. Giving up has not crossed our mind. Now my kids know if we don’t give up we’ll make it to the top," she said.

The Harrisons have been on the road for about a month, discovering the kindness of strangers who have given them cash, food and shelter.

The father, Bill Harrison, said his family hopes to travel to San Diego by Christmas, although they may spend the winter in Texas before tackling the higher altitudes of New Mexico. Next spring, the Harrisons plan to continue the bicycle journey with their girls to their final destination, Fairbanks, Alaska.

"This is one of the few times in my life that I’m learning to just listen to that inner voice," Bill Harrison said.

They home-school the children, play counting games on the road and visit a library once a week.

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