The bond between a father and his son is undeniable. Love them or hate them, as a young man, you’re intrinsically tied to your father in ways you won’t truly understand until you have a child of your own.
My relationship with my father has always been tumultuous. Tiresome at times. He’s stubborn and bullheaded, and as grown older, I’ve seen him sink into routine and redundancy that the younger version of himself would have hated. But he said something to me once that really stuck, when describing his relationship with my grandfather. It was in reference to what he felt being a good father truly meant, to him - “Sure, he was busy and often preoccupied a lot of the time and not always present, but he was there when it mattered, and ultimately that is what matters most.”
Debuting on Sunday, November 23rd, A Road Trip to Remember highlights a motorcycle ride that Australian actor and motorbike enthusiast, Chris Hemsworth, took with his father, Craig, who was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. The theme of this intimate documentary centers around revisiting important places from their collective past, what many scientists consider to be a crucial but often overlooked tool in protecting brain health.
Hemsworth is the host of 'Limitless with Chris Hemsworth,' a docuseries on National Geographic that debuted in 2022, in which the actor - best known for his role as Thor - explores different scientific methods and challenges to improve longevity and health. This forthcoming documentary fits the theme of his current travel show, while focusing on research showing that interpersonal connection “isn’t just good for the soul; it can also reduce the risk of dementia, slow cognitive decline, and even prolong life.”
I’ve taken a number of long motorcycle rides with my own father. Up the east coast of the United States, from Daytona Beach to New Jersey, with detours to the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, Monticello, Gettysburg and Washington D.C. We spent a month exploring the Baja Peninsula on dual-sports, entered and finished the LA-Barstow-Vegas ride together, and have ridden all over the Southwest, satiating my father’s interest in the Wild West. There’s been difficult times along the way. Rough patches. Arguments. But as my friend Matt Swedlund reminded me before my father and I took off on another adventure, “It won’t always be easy, but you’ll remember this ride for the rest of your life and be grateful you had the experience when he’s gone.”
I’m excited to see what Chris and his father, Craig, encounter on their motorcycle journey across Australia, and hope to encourage my old man to take another ride with me while we still can.
A Road Trip to Remember premieres on November 23rd on National Geographic, and will stream on Disney+ and Hulu beginning November 24th.
