82-Year-Old Rides Bike Across Country

ST. AUGUSTINE, FL -- An 82-year-old man riding his bike for a cause should be arriving in St. Augustine Wednesday morning around 11.

Once he completes his journey, he will officially be the oldest person to accomplish this feat.

For the past four months, he has been on two wheels biking alone across the country.

He's gone through seven states, racking up more than 3,000 miles on his way to St. Augustine. What makes a trip of this magnitude more special is the man's age.

Payton started his trip in Sacramento, California back on March 20, 2009. He went through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, and Alabama until his journey ended in St. Augustine, Florida.

"Oh, it feels like I accomplished something," said Payton. "I'm glad it is over, it was a hard trip."

Along the way, Payton kept his eyes looking forward to his next stop even though his heart was focused on who he left behind.

His wife of 56 years is battling Alzheimer's Disease back in California.

"I have to take care of her, so I wanted to kind of have a last fling to fulfill one of my ambitions of driving across the country on a bicycle."

Payton dedicated the trip to his wife and even named his bike Delores, in her honor.

It was a 3,000 mile journey that Payton said re-energized his spirits and gave him the strength to be strong for his wife when he gets home.

Payton plans on resting up in St. Augustine for a couple of days then he plans on catching a bus or train back to Sacramento, California to look after his sick wife.

Payton documented every mile of his cross country trip. CLICK HERE to see Payton's pictures and read his journal entries.

©2009 First Coast News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten, or redistributed.