Mickey's Mile Marker - Your road trip guide to WDW!
Name of town: Pensacola, Florida
Location: Along I-10 near the Alabama border
Exit number(s): Exits 5-17 (old 1-6)
Hours from WDW: 8 (9 including the time change LOL!)
Good Restaurants: Depends on what you want.
Angus Steak House on Scenic Hwy (Exit 17 turn right) is good for steak.
Hall's Seafood is good for (uh) seafood. Exit to 110 and take the last exit. Follow beach signs and then "U-turn" on to Gregory. Also
in this direction are Outback Steakhouse, Copelands, and McGuire's Irish Pub (which is a landmark and has fantastic food!)
There are Waffle Houses at almost ever exit, a Dairy Queen at exit 17 (that has *real* chicken strips), Ruby Tuesday's at Exit 7, fast
food off every exit except 5 and 17. (although with a bit of driving you can find fast food (Pizza, Hut, Wendy's Arby's, Whataburger,
Taco Bell, McD's, Burger King, KFC, Popeye's) off exit 5 (head east) If you are looking for natural health foods there is Bon Apetit
and Everman Natural foods (feel free to contact me for directions) Your best bets for food are Exits 5, 9, and Davis Hwy (which is
either 13 or 14)
Locations of 24 hour restaurants: Mostly Waffle Houses (or as we call them Awful Waffles) and 1 IHOP that are easily accessible
from the interstate. Whataburger off exit 5 (about 3 miles) is also 24 hour. We don't have a plethora of 24 hour resaurants.
Locations of good, clean hotels/motels: Several Holiday Inn Express, Clarion Hotels and a Red Roof Inn. Look for markers
near exits. La Quinta at Davis Hwy is also fairly clean and reasonably priced. Prices are always higher during holidays and
rooms are almost unavailable during Memorial Weekend as it is Gay Days in Pensacola. Rooms book almost a year in advance.
Recreation/attractions: THE BEACH! (Exit 110 and follow the signs) There are movie theaters, malls, etc. but the Beach would
be the real reason to stop (we have the prettiest IMNSHO!)
Nearest Disney store/outlet...and type ie... Castle Store: Disney Outlet Store is in Foley in Alabama. Take I-10 to exit at Hwy 59
(Loxley) and head south and follow the signs. It's about 20 minutes from the I-10. Disney Store is in Mobile, Alabama. I-10 to I-65 exit
at Airport East. It is in Colonial Bel Air Mall. TDS in P'cola closed down in February. These would best be gotten to before you get to
P'cola if you are heading east on I-10.
Welcome centers: There is one at the Alabama/Florida border and one going to the beaches in Pensacola.
non-911 Emergency Number (Police): Escambia County Sherriff's office: 436-9630; Police non-emergency: 435-1845 (emergency
numbers for both are 911)
Any additional info: If you are travelling through Pensacola and have an extra day to spend at the beach, consider it. Pensacola
Beach is a lovely beach with beautiful soft white sands. There is a national seashore in Gulf Breeze (which one has to go through to get to the beach) with beautiful haded walk areas as well as a
National Seashore. If you have already purchased admission within 7 days of going there, admission is free. Just save your
reciept (you can also use your reciept for admission into other national parks.) Also, check out www.blueangels.navy.mil/ to
see if there are any airshows or practice sessions when you are passing through. They are worth seeing!
