Family from Holland finds South’s hospitality in Florida Panhandle

A family of four from Holland is touring the southern United States on bicycles this spring, and passed through Marianna recently.

Janica and Bert Brilleman say the trip has been filled with adventure so far and that they think people of the South are some of the best in the U.S.
An experience they had in tiny Greenville, near Madison, helped fortify that belief.

Describing Greenville as “a little village of about 800 people,” Mrs. Brilleman explained what happened there.

“Alec, our 4-year-old, fell off a curb (while playing on a rest break) and broke his tooth. There was blood everywhere,” she said. “A man driving by saw this and pulled over and asked if he could help. I said, ‘Yes, you can help!’

“They didn’t have a dentist there, so he drove us (to Madison) 10 miles to the nearest one. He wouldn’t take any money for helping us, the dentist wouldn’t take any money for his work, and a bed and breakfast inn put us up for the night free. It was unbelievable,” she said.

“People have been so helpful and friendly,” she said. “We selected this route because we had heard we could expect hospitality, but this has been beyond anything we imagined.”

Alec and their 2-year-old daughter, Nio, have been having a fine time, the Brillemans say. The kids ride in seats installed on the backs of their parents’ bikes.
They travel about 25 miles a day, usually staying in campgrounds overnight. They spent three days at Three Rivers State Park near Sneads, extending their planned visit there after Alec made a little friend among their fellow campers.

This is not the Brillemans’ first long-distance bike trek, but their first since the children came along.

“We wanted to do this now, because in Holland, you have to have your children in school at age five, so it was now or never because Alec will be five soon. Before we got married, we toured Asia together, but this is a different experience,” Mrs. Brilleman said with a smile.

“The bikes are heavy; we’re carrying about 70 pounds more than normal,” Mr. Brilleman agreed, gesturing toward the cargo that includes a gas stove, sleeping bags, a tent, tools, snacks, kids’ books, toys, diapers and other assorted toddler gear.

They try to take back roads when then can, but wound up on busy U.S. 90 in mid-town Marianna Tuesday. They were hoping to get back to a less-traveled route as they left town.

The family is following a general path laid out by the Adventure Cycling Association, starting on the Atlantic Coast.

They’re not going the whole distance, however, and will end their trip in Texas after roughly 1,300 miles.

Then it’s back to Holland, where Mrs. Brilleman will resume her job as an art historian for the city of Almere and Mr. Brilleman will resume his medical practice.