We all have those moments when we wish life came with an escape hatch…when we could ditch it all, head out on the road and never look back. Some, with little in the way of personal ties, manage to fit adventure and spontaneity into their lives, but most of us give up such dreams once a mortgage, child and more “practical concerns” come along.

So it is with some amazement, and a touch of envy, that I learned about the Pedouins–a family of 5 who are pedaling 7,000 miles from Kentucky to Alaska on a five-person, or quint, bicycle. The parents, Bill and Amarins, with their 3 daughters, Cheyenne (6), Jasmine (4) and Robin (3) left on Aug. 1 of last year and made it to California by way of Mexico this past February–they expect to reach Fairbanks, Alaska this summer.  Along the way, they are immersing themselves in the country’s natural wonders, finding new friends who lend them places to stay and spending more quality out-in-nature time together than most families can ever hope for. Follow their journey online, and allow yourself to be inspired.