Senior cyclists pedal through Jackson County, FL on cross-country trek

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Cyclists pedal through Jackson County on cross-country trek
Dothan Eagle
Marianna, FL - George and Maryan Gleason pedaled their bicycle-built-for-two down hilly State Road 73 into Marianna Tuesday afternoon, logging another 50 miles that day as the crossed from Alabama into the sunshine state.

They’re taking a 2,400-mile adventure along a diagonal route across the nation. They said Tuesday they planned to spend the night here and head out on the last leg of their trip Wednesday morning . Tallahassee is their Wednesday afternoon goal. From there, they’ll fly back to their home near Bellingham, Washington. They’ve been through town before on a route down the east coast. They had dinner at Jim’s Buffet and Grill the last time they were here — they recognized it as they pedaled east on U.S. 90 this time around — and planned to eat there again for old times’ sake Tuesday night.

They’ve cycled many miles up and down the country, and across the northern tier, but this is their first-ever diagonal trek. It has taken them through Washington, Idaho, Montana, North and South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee and Alabama on their way to Florida.

The two have been riding their burgundy-colored 24-speed recumbent tandem bike together since 1998, the year they took their first really, really long cycling tour together. On that one, they went 4,600 miles across the northern tier and into Canada. They’ve done so many long-distance rides since then that it’s hard to recall them all at a moment’s notice.

The courage and stamina for such adventures is admirable at any age, but perhaps even more so for people like the Gleasons. He’s 77. She’s 76. Married 53 years now, they have no plans to hang their bike on a rack anytime soon.

Back home in Bellingham, WA, they’ve got ...


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