Man takes cross-country bike trip to get to wedding

NORTH OLMSTED, Ohio -- Paul Kramer took the slow lane to get to his niece's wedding.

Kramer, who lives in Southern California, hopped onto his bicycle on April 12 and pulled into his brother's driveway here on Tuesday -- 71 days and 4,250 miles later.

"This is the end of the trail," said Kramer, 61, removing a rearview mirror attached to his glasses. "I'm a little sweaty."

Kramer traveled with about 60 pounds of equipment -- a stove, gas bottle, tent, spare inner tubes and bicycle repair tools.

He rode 60 to 65 miles a day and allowed so much time that he arrived ahead of schedule. So he went on to Pittsburgh to visit relatives, then doubled back for Saturday's wedding.

"I took the long way around," he said. "The weather was so nice."

Kramer didn't carry a cell phone because there would be no way to charge it. He sometimes stopped at public libraries to send an e-mail message home.

Kramer plans to pedal home in a few weeks. He says the scenery is worth the effort.