When it comes to age and motion, Tom Ledford, 72, follows a buddy’s old adage.

“People would ask him, ‘Jacques, how old are you?’ ‘Oh, age is just a number and my number is unlisted,’” Ledford said. “I try to follow him. Age is what you make it. You can make yourself young or old.”

Well, Ledford’s age didn’t get in the way for at least 7,934 miles.

In August, he traveled cross country on his 1998 Honda Gold Wing motorcycle by himself to Boston.

Like many people, Ledford has a bucket list and his includes traveling and seeing many of the Civil War sites. But his mileage could have been more.

He was planning to travel with his son-in-law Steve until he got injured. Ledford left for California to see him on Aug. 1 and after a few days determined Steve shouldn’t make the trek. So Ledford left on his own on Aug. 8.

Instead of Route 66, he took Interstate 80, which he says is “basically a straight shot” to Boston.

Even though he went by himself, Ledford said the experience became a family thing.

Family first

Ledford might be known to the community in many roles — as a butcher at QFC, as a Shriner and Mason and/or as the owner of the brightest home in town. At Christmastime, he, his wife Judee and their family decorate their Hendrickson Road home immaculately with thousands of lights on their home, barn and trees.

Decorating and paying the electricity bill was Ledford’s annual gift to his wife Judee who he was with for 50 years. Unfortunately, Judee died on Oct. 22, 2014, after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in July 2013.

The decorating tradition continued last Christmas and will continue again this year, Ledford said.

“We’re going to decorate it again this year,” he said. “You can’t give it up. We have the kids raised this way.”

On the 22nd of each month, Ledford lights a tree out front in purple lights in honor of his wife’s battle with pancreatic cancer and even though Judee left this world, Ledford said she was with him on the trip.

He pinned a purple ribbon near his heart on his leather vest next to his Marine Corps. patches.

“I listened to my music, which brought back a lot memories with her,” Ledford said. “I talked to her quite a lot on the trip.”

Sunny and high of 75

Riding isn’t a fly-by-night thing for Ledford. He’s been on a bike since the 1960s and rides with the local Peninsula Outriders and Patriot Guard Riders.

This trip was fairly pain-free and beautiful, Ledford said.

Temperatures stayed moderate and he experienced the expansiveness of the Midwest.

“It’s a great country when you get out there and away from the politics and the TV,” he said.

“I met nice people. I’ll always hear it wearing a lot of Marine Corps stuff. They always say thanks for your service.”

One similar experience stood out to him though.

The morning after his first night on the road, Ledford attempted to shave in his motel but the water was turned off.

He tried to turn it on but it ended up flooding the bathroom. Ledford hasn’t shaved since but he recalls after speaking with the motel clerk, a “grizzly bear” of a man came up to thank him for serving in the military.

“He did the best thing I ever had anyone do … this big gorilla says to me, ‘Can I give you a hug?’” Ledford said. “He gave me a big bear hug and for the next couple of hours I had a great ride. I was thinking about what he was saying. As you get out to that lonely road, it felt good.”

Ledford’s family was with him in spirit on the trip. They tracked him on his cell phone and his grandson Sean Edmonds, 9, traced a map as his grandpa went along and put stickers down whenever he spent the night.

Ledford had to learn how to use his iPhone though to text, call and take photos.

Get-together

His trip also served as a family reunion because he wanted to make it to Boston for a memorial service for his brother Bob, also a Vietnam veteran, who died earlier in the year.

Ledford met with Bob’s wife, sharing stories she and others never heard before.

“I’ve been the uncle who’s been away all his life,” he said. “I left when I was 18 and I come from a big family. When you go to a get-together you can’t sit with everyone.”

His two daughters Shari and Shannon flew from California for a few days, too, and they all enjoyed some of Boston’s sights.

Ledford recalls his older sister Peggy thanking God when he arrived. “But Peggy, I’m only halfway there,” he said.

After a few days, he hit the road again and took most of the same route home.

Back to Sequim

He didn’t hit any rough spots until coming upon I-5.

“It poured so bad that I noticed all the cars’ lights around me went on,” he said. “There was a rest area and I waited 15 minutes. As soon as it stopped I got back on. But then 15 minutes later it poured again.”

Ledford pulled over on the highway and stood up on his bike because he couldn’t see through his windshield.

Thankfully, a truck driver pulled over and put his flashers on to prevent anyone coming near Ledford.

“Most truckers are bikers and they know what’s going on,” he said. “Ten minutes later the rain stopped. I gave him a high five. He blew his horn like saying you did good man. All the way home it was nice.”

He cruised into town on Aug. 29 and Sean was waiting for him at the top of the driveway.

Since, then Ledford already has been mulling his next bucket list trip — the Rolling Thunder Ride in Washington, D.C., next May — to see the Vietnam Memorial.

But for now, Ledford plans to stick to his regular routines of poker nights, breakfasts with friends, local bike rides and keeping his home bright.