Man in giant bear suit is walking from Los Angeles to San Francisco

Jesse Larios says he sleeps where he can and is eating meals at petrol stations during the 644-kilometre trip

Jesse Larios, 33, from Los Angeles, wears a bear suit while walking along Hollister Road in Gilroy, California. Reuters

What has a giant padded head, perfectly round red cheeks and a bobtail, and right now is walking from Los Angeles to San Francisco?

Meet Bear Sun – also known as Jesse Larios.

Mr Larios says he does not know exactly what inspired him to dress up as the character he has named Bear Sun and start the 644-kilometre trip, but he is pleased with the attention the move is attracting.

"It was an impulsive decision, for sure. I didn't plan it out," said the 33-year-old, speaking from inside the brown-and-white suit he designed.

Mr Larios's – or rather Bear Sun's – journey began on April 12 and has transformed into something that has drawn fans from all over.

Before starting his trek, Mr Larios set up a GoFundMe account that, as of Wednesday, had raised $7,100 for charity.

When he reaches San Francisco, he plans to hold an online vote to determine where to donate the money.

"I just want to help people out," Mr Larios said.

Mr Larios has been making stops along the way to sleep and eat, but not much else. He visits service stations for meals and to clean up, and said he sleeps in the suit wherever he finds himself at the end of the day.

The trip has already taken longer than anticipated but he said he is not in a huge rush.

Instead, he is just enjoying the walk, the highlights of which he posts on Instagram, and takes inspiration from the journey and all the people he has met along the way.

Asked how he is bearing up, he said: "Everything's been pretty wild, to be honest.

"It inspires me to do new things. It brings new ideas. It fuels my creativity. It helps out a lot and it feels good too."