Well, after a relatively relaxing ten days in Pensacola, replete with polite people and healthy eating, I returned to the road on Saturday, May 26th, at 9 AM. My hosts Daniel, Jen, and Conrad (their toddler) joined seven Pensacola Runners Association (PRA) supporters in showing up and officially sending me off with a small walk out of town. The online map had told me that I’d be facing about 16 miles to Pace, where I planned to park it for the evening. After several days off, I have to reintegrate my body to the rigors of the road in steps. On the hottest day of the year, an ultra-humid 95 F, the PRA directed me to Scenic Highway– easily the prettiest way out of Pensacola. What I didn’t learn till much later was that this maneuver guided me into a 20+ mile day– one in which I felt the opening pangs of exhaustion just six miles into the Walk. Oh well, that which does not kill me makes me stronger!!
Pensacola Runners Association bids me a warm farewell as I embark on the last thousand miles north. They joined me for several miles on my way out of town. Great people!!
When the PRA reached the top of “Summit Blvd” with me, which they told me was the highest piece of land in the entire state of Florida (and an average city hill back home), we parted ways. They’re really a fantastic group, and I enjoyed walking and talking with Beth, her daughter, Carl, Jehan, Lisa, Amy, and the others (names escape me!). Carl stuck with me for several more miles than the others, and Beth, his mom, retrieved him later as we reached Interstate 10– the last time I’d be seeing I-10, after walking on, near, or parallel to it since leaving the California coast.
I made it to Pace before Sunset, occasionally dropping into businesses for breaks of a few minutes here and a few minutes there along the way. Their air conditioning may have been crucial to my not suffering from heat stroke.
I had no hosting invitations in Pace, so as I typically do in such a scenario, I call around to churches and find one who won’t mind me sleeping outside for the evening. Aiming for churches both on my Hwy 90 route and located past the multi-purpose store in which I planned to purchase replacement tires for my Chariot, on cold call #3 I reached Pastor Paul Woody of the Trinity Baptist Church. He invited me to camp behind the church, just before 9 PM.
Though some retailers, including those with wireless, would be open for a while, which would offer me a window to not only cool down from the AC, but also to get some work done on my laptop, my body wanted only to lie down and rest, so I proceed the final mile down the highway, straight to the church.
On the covered concrete slab out back, I lied down atop my narrow sleeping mat in a positive and peaceful environment, ready for a full night’s recharge.
Farewell, Interstate 10. At California's Santa Monica Coast, I turned east, walking parallel to, aside, and occasionally even on I-10 for thousands of miles. Now, turning north, Pensacola is the last time I'll see I-10 on the Walk. Farewell, I-10-- thanks for all the wonderful memories 
My first walk north, out of Pensacola, was a blistering hot day that nearly reached 100 F (with humidity!). I had no forthcoming invitation from Pace/Milton, so I simply called some churches as the day expired, and Pastor Paul Woody of the Trinity Baptist Church invited me to camp outside his church. It was a Saturday night, so I some early-arriving members the following morning, who seemed to wonder why I was there. As I was returning to the road, I informed them of my story.