Indiana Couple Completes Decades-long Goal To Visit Every Cracker Barrel

TUALATIN, OR — An elderly couple from Goshen, Indiana, finished a decades-long mission over the weekend to visit every Cracker Barrel location in the U.S.

Ray and Wilma Yoder flew out to Portland so they could visit and eat at their 645th Cracker Barrel in Tualatin Monday morning. Even better, the day of their victorious visit was also Ray Yoder's 81st birthday.

According to a statement from Cracker Barrel, the couple's plan to visit every location started 40 years ago when Ray Yoder delivered Coachman vehicles across the U.S. and chose to eat at Cracker Barrel because he enjoyed the restaurant's atmosphere and food. His wife Wilma reportedly joined him on his work trips and Cracker Barrel stops.

On Monday, the Tualatin Cracker Barrel put up a welcome sign for the Yoders and paid for Ray's blueberry pancakes and Wilma's eggs and sausage, according to KOIN News.

"Well, it's quite special," Ray reportedly told KOIN. "These little farm kids aren't used to all this hype."

Following other media events, which reportedly includes a visit to The Steve Harvey Show, the Yoders will return to Indiana. However, they may not be gone long as Cracker Barrel is planning to open two more restaurants next year in Beaverton and Jantzen Beach.

The Tualatin Cracker Barrel opened April 17.

Story by Rebecca Bream, Patch Staff, with additional reporting by Travis Loose, editor for Patch Oregon

Top Photo by Tim Boyle/Getty Images