This is a charming travelogue. After learning of his father's early dementia, a middle aged man and his father undertake a bicycle journey across the country. The story is told in sections reflecting sections of the journey. Each is illustrated with photos, quotes from the people they met, and poignant reflections about their relationship. A pleasant, feel good read to dip into in spare moments. ( )

Not the travelogue one might have expected. A physically healthy man with Alzheimer's Disease takes the Trans-America bicycle tour with his son. The father always was interested in other people, and more than half of this book contains of paragraphs of what people said when the father and son met them on the road--quotes and snapshots more than complete conversations. Formatting made the e-book a laborious read, so go ahead and buy the printed copy. It's a terse but heartwarming read. ( )

This is the story of a middle aged man who takes his father on a cross country bicycle trip. His father is in the early stages of Alzheimer's disorder but is otherwise a healthy 75 year-old. The book is a travel diary, supplemented by lots of photos and brief vignettes about the people they meet along the way. We get glimpses of the author's doubts about the project and about the physical and psychological challenges they meet. ( )

"Conversations across America" written by Karl Loya, is the story of the last part of life of his father, aged 75 and suffering from Alzheimer's.

The story takes place in 2015, where the son has the brilliant idea of crossing ten US states, across roads, on a mountain bike, on the Transatlantic, with his father. During this long journey of 73 days, over 4,200 miles, humor colors their daily lives, punctuated by hope, but also by the many doubts that assail them.

With exemplary dignity, which borders on the depths of illness, Kari Loya takes us with him on the path of respect and love.

From these countless encounters on the side of the road, both ward off bad luck by exploiting the benefits of endurance sport. Cognitive decline decreases less quickly, morale boosted by physical abilities, are highlighted in this thesis.

A gigantic photo novel sprinkles the text, carrying optimism, deep convictions, but also, delivering to the reader, formidable life lessons!
A whole panel of the rural population of these ten states crossed, supports their vast escapade by offering them smiles, admiration, heart-warming encouragement and compassion! All these small gestures of friendship multiply their faith and their potential to climb these passes, mountains, endure the lack of comfort, the cold of the nights, the lack of ease to relieve their needs.
Such almost unbelievable events show again and again that it is often possible to do more than we ever thought possible.

Faced with the uncertainty of tomorrow, when one finds oneself in the situation of Alzeimer, this mission of surpassing oneself is an exhilarating and life-saving enrichment, which gives wings!

Bravo for this testimonial, extraordinarily lively and colorful, which helps to redefine what we believe is possible! ( )

Father and son embark on a 73 day, 4,200 mile adventure from Virginia to Oregon,
My favorite part in the entire book was when Kari's life rolled by as if it were a memory from a movie.
From the moment I opened Conversations on my laptop I regretted not having the coffee table version Kari mentioned. Some of the landscape photography is absolutely gorgeous. However, here is what you need to know two-thirds of the book are photographs of ordinary people with their accompanying "stories." Some of the stories are interesting or even heartfelt, but a great deal of them are exclamations about Merv's age or the number of miles they are trying to bike. Wow is a common refrain.
My only detractor? The sheer volume of stories or conversations overshadowed the beauty of the father/son narrative. I tracked how many pages were dedicated to Loya's personal journey compared to the pages of "conversations" and the ratio was 1:3. Additionally, the same "conversation" is in the narrative so I felt like I was reading the passages twice.
My favorite section of the book was the end where Loya included a partial list of the gear they carried, their itinerary of the different stages, and the half-time report about dogs and meals. ( )