We did the treasure hunting so you don’t have to. | Photo by LALtoday
City Editor Connor here. Have you ever seen a digital Lakeland scavenger hunt listed online and wondered if it’s real? I wanted to live out my “National Treasure” dreams, so I decided to pay for one myself and see if they’re worth the cost or if I would be an April fool.
You can’t be too trusting when agreeing to visit GPS coordinates, so I went with the “Lucky Lakeland Treasure Hunt” from Let’s Roam, which seemed to have positive reviews. Beware, treasure hunters, there are spoilers ahead.
The scavenger hunt started and ended at Munn Park, so we parked nearby and wore walking shoes.
Photo by LALtoday
I took my husband for security an afternoon date, and we started at Munn Park, where I expected to find hidden symbols or crack codes. Instead, the Let’s Roam app had me answer easy trivia questions + take cheesy photos.
As we started toward the next stop at City Hall, it began to rain (I should have taken it as a sign). The next point — a Swansation statue shown in the app — didn’t exist anymore, so we were on a wild swan chase. I ended up logging a few hundred more steps than necessary.
The next stops included Lake Morton and the Jefferson Allsop Building in south downtown. South Florida Avenue at 5 p.m. is not the most pedestrian-friendly, so we ended early and headed back to Munn Park.
The hunt takes place within an app — snap a photo and see if you feel just as awkward as I did.
Video via the Let’s Roam app
So, was it worth it? It wasn’t a scam, but in my opinion it was more of an AI-generated photo challenge than a scavenger hunt and not worth $14.99 per person. The trivia + challenges seemed suited to kids, but the walking distance involved may not work for all families.
The name also implied that there would be treasure — maybe it was the local history we learned along the way? In short, feel free to try it, but I would recommend reading our free local history stories and exploring downtown on your own time instead.
Asked
Asked
Have a clue for a Lakeland scavenger hunt?
Write up a clue to a local point of interest that will stump + surprise your fellow Lakelanders, and we may share it in a scavenger hunt of our own.
Sweet & Spicy Book Club | 5:30-6:30 p.m. | Lakeland Public Library | Free | If you burn for “Bridgerton,” join this book club to discuss the series’ first installment, “The Duke and I” by Julia Quinn.
“The Office” Trivia | 5:15-9 p.m. | Keel Farms, Plant City | Free+ | Make a dining reservation + show off your Scranton know-how — the top three teams will go home with a Dundie (not really, but close enough).
Wednesday, April 2
Story Time | 9:30 a.m. | Pressed | Free | Kiddos can head to this downtown bookstore for a morning of reading + play — don’t worry, grown-ups, there’s plenty of coffee.
Bartow Idol Auditions | Wednesday, April 2, Wednesday, April 9 | 6-9 p.m. | Zest Bar & Grill, Bartow | $15 | Come prepared to sing the house down to be one of 10 finalists that will perform at Bartow Friday Fest.
Thursday, April 3
Sunrise Zumba | 7:30-8:30 a.m. | SUN ‘n FUN | Free | Get active with aircraft as your backdrop in this early morning dance fitness class.
The Bash | 6:30-9 p.m. | SUN ‘n FUN Expo Campus | $175 | The Bash is the premiere fundraising event during the SUN ‘n FUN Aerospace Expo, benefiting the Aerospace Center for Excellence’s STEM, Education, and Scholarship Programs for the local community.*
Saturday, April 5
Almost ABBA | 7:30 p.m. | Polk Theatre | $25+ | Calling all dancing queens — don’t miss this show of ABBA’s greatest hits, with special guests the She Gees.
Saturday, May 10
Mayfaire by-the-Lake | Saturday, May 10-Sunday, May 11 | 9 a.m.-4 p.m. | Ashley Gibson Barnett Museum of Art | Free | Mayfaire by-the-Lake has grown into one of Florida’s largest + most celebrated annual outdoor art festivals and was ranked among Sunshine Artist Magazine’s “200 Best Art Shows” for 10 years in a row.*
For the second time, the Lakeland-Winter Haven metro area is No. 1 on Checkr’s “Best US Cities for Women in the Workforce” list. The area had the largest increases of local women in the workforce + management positions — plus their salaries — from 2018 to 2023. (LkldNow)
Coming Soon
A new bakery will soon open its oven doors on Edgewood Drive. Mel’s Desserts and Delights has been a staple at Auburndale’s International Market World — now its storefront will open in the same plaza as Hole in One Donuts on Tuesday, April 8 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
State
The 12-month Florida Toll Relief Program ended yesterday. Under the program, commuters with toll transponders who used roads like the Polk Parkway 35+ times a month would receive 50% credits. There are currently no plans set to renew it. (WTSP)
Outdoors
Go online to get off the grid. Polk County Parks and Recreation has rolled out an online reservation system for its five campgrounds. You can now book up to a year in advance to snag a site at places like Saddle Creek or Lake Rosalie Park.
Active
The 46th Mayfaire 5K will take place on Saturday, May 10 at 7 p.m., taking runners from Lake Mirror to Lake Morton, down Success Avenue, and back. Sign up before Friday, April 25 for the cheapest fees — walk-up registration will also be available the day before the race.
Sports
The Florida Gators have secured a spot in the Final Four of the men’s NCAA Tournament. Tune into their game this Saturday, April 5 to see if Bartow High alum Walter Clayton, Jr. can help lead the team to a win over Auburn — here’s where to watch. (Sports Illustrated)
Number
6,000+. That’s how many pastries the new Parlor Doughnuts sold during its opening weekend. If you weren’t in the line that stretched all the way down Bay Street, you can now visit daily, 6:30 a.m.-3 p.m. We recommend the maple-vanilla Swan, only available in Lakeland.
Feel Good
There’s a new deputy in town. After being diagnosed with brain cancer in 2018, 13-year-old Devarjaye “DJ” Daniel hopes to break a world record by being sworn into 1,000 law enforcement agencies. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd helped add one more to his roster of 900+ last week. (WSVN)
Answered
Bright Ice is now open daily, and we asked what you’ll be trying first. Readers are keeping it classic with 60% choosing an ice cream cone — although a few did write in that they would opt for a cup instead to savor it even more. We like your thinking.
Category
Outdoors
Dip your toes in
Samples from Lake Mirror date back all the way to 1954. | Photo by @cissy12
Lakeland is home to 38 lakes, but if you zoom out to all of Polk County, that number grows to 550+. Thanks to the Polk County Water Atlas, you can deep dive into learning about the area’s beloved lakes, rivers, swamps, and watersheds.
The Polk County Water Atlas uses data from 76 organizations going back decades to share up-to-date information about our water. Search for one of Lakeland’s lakes for facts like:
Historic water levels
Water quality + clarity
Health of its ecological habitats
We tapped on Lake Parker, which has 88,389 available water samples dating back to 1949. Here we learned that the lake is slightly above its historic norm for water levels and in a healthy Lake Vegetation Index range.
The Atlas also includes upcoming water-related events — don’t miss the Introduction to Florida Urban Agriculture class on Saturday, April 5 at the UF/IFAS Extension.
The Buy
The Buy
Cute heeled raffia slides, dressy enough for warm-weather events and neutral enough to elevate everyday outfits.
Well, it looks like I proved to be a bit of an April fool after that scavenger hunt, but it wasn’t all a loss — I did learn that the original Munn Park fountain was donated by Lakeland’s McKay family. The fountain has been turned off for a while now, so I’m hoping it gets a worthy replacement when the park is revitalized.
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