KY couple riding bicycles across country

LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - One local couple is doing something few of us would even consider. They are riding their bicycles across the country.

They’re doing this for a special cause, though.

On Friday, Bruce and Kelley Dawkins, of Louisville, are setting off on the cross country trip.

“Oh, we’ll probably average between 60 and 70 miles a day," Bruce Dawkins said. “That’s what we’re going to try to do.”

They’ll drive to St. Augustine, FL and then pedal away, 3,400 miles to San Diego, CA.

“You sort of get in shape while you do it," Kelley Dawkins said. "The first couple of weeks will get more challenging.”

They estimate the trip will take 60 days.

“There’s a part that actually goes through the Davis mountains in Texas, and once you get through that area its 87 miles with no services. And it’s hot. It’s the desert,” Bruce Dawkins said.

They said they bought the bike map from an organization called Adventure Cycling Association.

A few nights will be spent in hotels. Most will be spent under the stars, camping. Everything they need to survive is on the bikes.

Kelley Dawkins showed us what’s inside the various bags attached to their bikes. One filled with food. Another with items to cook with. Another to sleep with.

They plan to do their laundry every three to four days and will either wear their cycling shoes or a pair of flip flops.

A few years ago they rode along the Mississippi River. That was 2,400 miles. This trip is 1,000 more.

“Most people just think we’re crazy,” Bruce Dawkins said with a laugh.

It’s a passion that’s pushing them -- to raise money, awareness and hopefully one day a cure for Alzheimer’s.

Kelley’s grandmother had the disease and now her mother is in the late stages of it. Her symptoms became apparent soon after retirement, after working most of her life.

“I don’t want to live my life like that," Kelley Dawkins said. "I want to see the world and do the things I want to do while I can still them.”

They are paying for the trip on their own. Any money donated will go toward the Alzheimer’s Association.

For more information on their journey, click or tap here.

Some may be wondering how they got nine weeks off of work. Bruce is an independent insurance broker and will still do some work while on the road. Kelley said her boss at Langsford Learning Center was extremely generous and told her, “You need to take this trip.”

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