20 stories, landmarks & places within ~20 miles — the same local lore RoadyGoat plays as you drive through.
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Lakeland, FL
· Local history
Lakeland, Florida, owes its existence to the Florida peninsula's gentle tilt. Eons ago, as the sea slowly receded, it left behind a series of sandy ridges. Between those ridges, rainwater collected, forming the…
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Frances Langford Promenade
· 0.3 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Ever wonder where Lakeland residents go to relax and enjoy the beautiful Lake Mirror? It's right here on the Frances Langford Promenade. This spot isn't just a pretty walkway; it's a piece of Lakeland history. Built in…
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Polk Theatre (Lakeland, Florida)
· 0.5 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Pull over and prepare to be transported back to the Roaring Twenties! The Polk Theatre is a stunning reminder of Lakeland's glamorous past. Built in 1928, this 1,400-seat theater was a bold statement for a town of only…
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Child of the Sun
· 0.6 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Prepare to be amazed! You're approaching the largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture in the world: Child of the Sun at Florida Southern College. In 1938, Frank Lloyd Wright received a…
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Henley Field
· 1.3 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Built in 1922, Henley Field isn't just another baseball field; it's a living link to baseball history. Clare Henley championed the construction of this field hoping it would attract a professional baseball team to…
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The Element Inside Your Bones
· 10.0 mi
The same element they mine around Mulberry is built into every cell in your body. Phosphorus is one of the true elements of life. It forms the backbone of your DNA, the twin rails of the double helix are held together…
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The P That Feeds the World
· 10.1 mi
Look at a fertilizer bag and you'll see three numbers, N-P-K: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium. The P is phosphorus, and most of the world's supply is dug out of ground exactly like Mulberry's. Here's what makes it…
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The Tree That Named a Phosphate Town
· 10.2 mi
You would guess Mulberry, Florida, was named for a fruit or a mineral, and the fruit guess is dead right. A railroad cutting through Polk County passed a single big red mulberry tree, and crews used the spot to drop and…
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The Glowing Element From Urine
· 10.3 mi
The phosphorus under Mulberry has a wild origin story as an element. Its name comes from the Greek for 'light-bearer,' because pure white phosphorus literally glows in the dark and bursts into flame the moment it…
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A Megalodon Graveyard in the Dirt
· 10.4 mi
They don't call it Bone Valley for nothing. Mulberry's phosphate didn't form in a lab, it formed in the sea. Millions of years ago this was warm shallow ocean, and as marine creatures lived and died, their remains and…
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Plant City Union Depot
· 10.6 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Pulling into Plant City? This spot was a vital hub that shaped the town you see today, all thanks to the railroad. Back in 1909, this Union Depot sprang up, a joint effort by several railroad companies. It served both…
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Downtown Plant City Commercial District
· 10.7 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Pull over here for a second—this spot was once the bustling heart of Plant City! It's the historic commercial district. Back in 1993, this area, bordered by Baker and Wheeler Streets and the old Seaboard Coast Line…