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One family, two wheels, 7,000 miles |
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Written by Greg Bird
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Tuesday, 11 August 2009 |
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Every summer, most families plan to take a trip together for vacation, but very few are doing what the Harrison family out of Mt. Vernon have planned – a 7,000 mile bike ride, from Kentucky to Fairbanks, Alaska. 
Every summer, most families plan to take a trip together for vacation, but very few are doing what the Harrison family out of Mt. Vernon have planned – a 7,000 mile bike ride, from Kentucky to Fairbanks, Alaska.
Bill and Amarins Harrison, along with their three young daughters (Cheyanne, 6, Jasmine, 4, and Robin, 2) started out on their epic journey from the KOA Campgrounds in Renfro Valley last Saturday.
Tuesday the Harrison’s, also known as the “Pedouins,” (a derivation of the word Bedouin) traveled through McCreary County, braving the long, steep hills in the northern part of the county before stopping for a lunch provided by Burger King. From there they made camp at the Jackson Heritage Park, planning a visit to the McCreary County Public Library to allow the kids to play and read while Amarins updated the family’s website detailing their journey.
Bill stated the basic idea of the trip is not only to spend quality time together with his family, but to also show people that following their dreams is possible.
“We are just blue collar people who are following our dream,” he said. “America is all about that puritan work ethic. I think what made this country is the sense of freedom and a determination to see what is out there.”
“If we can do this, anyone can live their dreams,” he adds. “We want to encourage people to live their dreams.”
The first leg of their trek will take them to Charleston, South Carolina. From there they plan to visit the Florida Keys, Biloxi, Mississippi, Slaton, Texas before wintering in San Diego with friends they met on the internet. Some time next spring they will set forth on their final journey, through northern California, Washington and then on to Fairbanks, Alaska where they will spend a year before returning to Kentucky.
They plan on covering about 30 miles per day on the trip, spending two days on the road and one off to rest and enjoy the scenery.
In all, the trip will take around 18 months to complete and will cover over 7,000 miles, but Bill doesn’t think of it in terms of length, just time spent with the people he loves.
“This isn’t a race,” he said. “This is about family.”
What makes the trip unique is the participation of their three young children. Since they are home schooled by Amarins, the entire journey will be a learning experience. In addition to their regular school work, the entire family will be able to study multiple areas throughout the trip: geography, cartography, mathematics, natural science and different cultures.
In their preparation for the trip, the family researched several bikes before determining the perfect fit for this once-in-a-lifetime journey.
They ordered a custom-built tandem bicycle that can be expanded by adding additional components, allowing the family of five to ride together. Cheyanne and Jasmine can help with the peddling with the addition of special gear sprockets, which allows their feet to reach the pedals. Robin has a special seat as well, complete with a back support and headrest, allowing her to “nap” when the mood strikes her.
The Harrison’s spent three months training for their arduous journey. They logged hundreds of miles on their “big yellow bike,” learning and re-learning the bike’s handling characteristics as they added more riders and equipment. At 14.5 feet long, just turning the bike around is an adventure, and when you add a trailer containing 100 pounds of supplies, it can be a chore just to get it moving.
On the steep hills in McCreary County the Harrison’s discovered just how many revolutions of the pedals it takes to cover one mile on the bike’s shortest gear – 1,000.
Proponents of “simple green living” the Harrison’s made sure to pack only the bare essentials to bring with them on the trip, not only to lighten the load, but to prove they can survive on the generosity of their fellow man.
“We are trusting in the human condition,” Bill said. “We trust that the universe will provide along the way.”
The Harrison’s have several businesses and friends who are sponsoring their journey, but they do accept donations through their website www.pedouin.org.
“We have a very diverse support system. They provide support emotionally, spiritually and materially.”
To follow the Harrison’s through their epic trek across the country you can visit their web page at www.pedouin.org. The internet radio station, IMAXradio.com will also be broadcasting a live report from the family every Friday at 2:00 p.m.
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