DAPHNE, Ala. — Some may have seen an intriguing sight this past week as a family of five peddled their way through town on a yellow “quint,” or five-person tandem bicycle.

The Harrisons — Bill, wife Amarins and daughters, Cheyenne, 6; Jasmine, 4; and Robin, 3 — said they’re biking across America on a 7,000-mile journey from Fort Pierce, Fla., to Fairbanks, Alaska.

The eight-leg expedition began Aug. 1 at the gates of the Renfro Valley, Ky., KOA Kampground. The first leg — a 633-mile ride to Charleston, S.C. — was accomplished in 31 days.

The second leg took the family from Charleston to Fort Pierce, a 557-mile trek made in 21 days.

The Harrisons have already biked approximately 1,800 miles and are on the third leg of their expedition: a 1,065-mile route from central Florida to Biloxi, Miss.

While riding down Main Street in Daphne, the Harrisons lunched in Centennial Park, where they encountered a number of residents eager to hear their story.

Bill Harrison said the family left Kentucky with $300 to its name; economic hardship actually motivated the clan.

“On the trip to Alaska, we want to share our family’s journey with others to demonstrate how to live a dream despite the economic, social or educational climate,” he said.

The Harrisons said they’ve made it this far relying on donations to their Web site and the kindness and hospitality of strangers.

“We’re relying on people’s generosity,” Bill Harrison said. “Living simple, living a dream. If we can do it with a family of five, we can do anything.

Throughout the trip, Cheyenne, Jasmine and Robin — in lieu of traditional school — receive “life lessons” as well as subjects like social studies, science, language and mathematics.

The children have learned about national geography and topography; acquiring food and food sources; local customs and music; time zones; birds, insects, mammals and reptiles; animal habitats; the human body; earth and its history; oceans and the hydrosphere; air and water pollution; astronomy; solar energy; writing stories and poetry; narration; journaling; reading; and Spanish.

While visiting the University of Aiken, in Aiken, S.C., the children were treated to a private tour of the institution by a science professor who introduced them to the constellations.

“Cheyenne came back and told me there were 88 constellations,” Bill Harrison said. “I had no idea there were that many.”

The family’s goal is to spend the summer in Fairbanks, “experiencing the never-setting sun and the never-ending night,” Bill Harrison said on the family’s Web site. “We will discover the way the Alaskans live; enriching our lives with the exposure to new customs and traditions.”

The rest of the family’s journey is as follows:

The Harrisons will travel across the Sun Belt and through the southwest to the Pacific Coast Highway.  From there, they will ride north to Vancouver Island, Canada, pick up the Marine Highway and head for the Alaska mainland.

The ride through the Southwest will include a stop at the base of the Grand Canyon, where Bill and Amarins met eight years ago.

Harrison said he and his wife had been planning a family vacation and realized, with the kids’ ages, that now would be the ideal time to make this cross-country adventure.

The Harrisons had just finished building their house, constructed from scratch and fully paid for.

Still, Bill Harrison said it was time and nothing was going to deter him.

“We’ve got to go out and enjoy America,” he said.