VALPARAISO | A baseball-flavored walk for peace brought Connecticut retiree Al Forte through Porter County on Wednesday.

The 65-year-old began his walk July 19 after taking in a game at Yankee Stadium in New York and has walked through New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Ohio. Along the way, he and his support driver Joe Ross have stopped for major league games in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Cleveland.

He had hoped to hit his destination -- Chicago -- before the end of the regular season but doesn't think he'll be able to make it to a Cubs or White Sox play-off game. "I can't afford those tickets now," he said.

Forte's goal is to raise awareness of the need and benefits of praying for world peace. He wears a T-shirt proclaiming "Pray for Peace" and hands out cards with that message.

Forte said the walk has taught him lessons about the beauty and expanse of the country.

"(I've learned) how wonderful and great this country is just physically, how much corn we grow, how vast this country is."

He said he's also been struck by the architectural beauty of small towns and revitalized cities such as Pittsburgh that he has passed through.

Besides a sore toe, the only negative moment of the walk has been a rude hand gesture from a motorist.

"I told my friend one of his fingers was missing and he was giving me the peace sign," Forte said.

Other than that, people along the way have been great to him, he said. He has received free haircuts, free meals and many thanks. A police chaplain-in-training blessed him and a woman in a Bible study group blessed his feet.

"My feet seem to have been better since then," he said.

Forte has averaged 13 to 16 miles per day in six to eight hours of walking. He figures the effort will cost him about $11,000 to $13,000 from his savings.

He aims to finish his walk on Michigan Avenue in Chicago on Sunday.