My wife and I also buy a magnet for every new place we visit. I realized a couple years back that I didn't have a Lakeland one. I looked at the Polk Museum, but they didn't have any Lakeland specific magnets. I ended up buying one at a Flying Tigers game that I was very happy with(I'll upload a picture when I get home). It was late last year that I was at the museum so merchandise may have very well changed by now.

As for other ideas, why not give them a photo tour of Lakeland? Buy a cheap photo album to put your pictures in it. Think of it like a Flat Stanley project that so many of us did in elementary school. Bring your camera around town. Go to the local spots you love, go to FSC and show off the architecture, if there's something you love about Lakeland and you want to show it off then go do it and take some pictures!

Not only can you show someone else what our city (and State for that matter) that gets so much shit far too often has to offer and why they would be lucky to spend a day here, but you can also get the experience of seeing what makes Lakeland an awesome city to you.

My recommendations for photos would be: -Downtown Saturday Farmer's Market -Lake Bonny Park/skate park -FSC (Frank Lloyd Wright architecture) -Munn Park -Get a picture of an alligator (Circle B Bar, Lake Parker Park, or pretty much any body of water bigger than a bath tub!) -The swans of downtown (www.golakeland.com/Blog/The-Historic-Swans-of-the-City-of-Lakeland ) -Hollis Gardens

These are the first ones I could think of. Be an ambassador! Find what makes Lakeland amazing to you. We're getting in the rainy season, show off those beautiful rain clouds or how the sky looks like it was painted in the west right at 745 if the sky is clear enough.

I love Lakeland and I hope you do too! I think it would be awesome to show someone why we love this place.

If you like my idea I would be happy to think up some more great places for you to show off to our northern friends! Good luck!