East River Road in Riverton, Connecticut, winds along the Farmington River through People?s State Forest. Muriel?s ashes are along for the ride, stowed in my top case.

While she enjoyed hearing stories of my long-distance adventures on motorcycles, she always made one thing quite clear: “You will never get me on a motorcycle!”

Now, as the miles are adding up, a thought keeps bouncing through my brain: Would Muriel have found this ride okay"

On U.S. Route 221 west of Blowing Rock, North Carolina, a face seems to be emerging from the mountain.

Muriel was not what you’d call an expert driver, but to her credit, she stayed in her own lane on this intensely curvy road. Sheila was pregnant at the time and sat nervously in the back seat, clutching her rounded belly and hoping our destination was close. In stark contrast, I was thinking how fantastic this road would be on a motorcycle. I mentioned this to Muriel, and she suggested I come back riding one. ?Bring a friend,? she said. ?More than one if you like.?
This invitation, I later learned, was despite a homeowner association rule that did not allow motorcycles in Muriel?s neighborhood. ?I don?t have a motorcycle,? she explained, ?but if visitors come to see me and arrive on their cycles, there?s not much I can do about that, is there"? Muriel believed that it is easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.

Where the Skyline Drive ends, the Blue Ridge Parkway begins.

We?d return...