After several decades on the road, Ray and Wilma Yoder have finally completed their quest to visit all 645 Cracker Barrels on earth—proving once again that no dream is too big.
The Indiana couple made headlines earlier this summer when it was revealed they were just one location from meeting their goal. Though the Yoders had intended to make the final stop later this year, the team at Cracker Barrel decided to surprise the couple with an all-expenses-paid trip to Portland, Oregon, where they would dine at the last restaurant on their list.
"Cracker Barrel is our home away from home," the couple said in a statement obtained by Buzzfeed. "During our visits to Cracker Barrel stores over the past 40 years, we have made friends across the country and enjoyed making wonderful memories together."
Naturally, the Cracker Barrel staff made a huge deal over the milestone, which also fell on Ray’s 81st birthday. After arriving, the Yoders were given official Cracker Barrel aprons and entered the establishment under a hand tunnel formed by employees, Buzzfeed reports.
"For the past 40 years, Ray and Wilma Yoder have touched the hearts of Cracker Barrel employees across the country," Cracker Barrel said in a statement. "We are thankful to have served them so many times over the years and honored to have been a part of many happy memories they have shared during their 60 years together. So many of us have our own personal stories about times when the Yoders stopped by our stores to pay a visit and we look forward to many more. Thank you, Ray and Wilma."
It sounds like it was a great ending to a long journey.
