Let the adventure begin! 

Before our trip to LEGOLAND Florida, we tested the app near our home in northeastern Ohio. Instead of just pointing out where things are on a map like a traditional GPS, in Quest to LEGOLAND the featured lands become part of themed adventure stories. For the first step, we chose our theme. The app has four themes: Kingdom, Adventure, Pirate, and Beach. We chose Kingdom, and a “Good Knight” character appeared. As the Good Knight journeyed through the land, he was in sync with where we were driving. 

As our mom drove, locations around us appeared in the app so that we could learn more about them. We learned that William McKinley’s Tomb was just south of us in Canton, Ohio. We also discovered that Cuyahoga Valley National Park was nearby and that seven different species of bats live in the park! We love bats so we stopped to investigate. We didn’t spot any, but the park is also known for bald eagles so we were on the lookout for them, too. Owen was also on the lookout for Black Capped Chickadees, which are common in the area. After this test trip, we paused the app, and prepared for our trip to Florida. 

Owen Cotter, age 8, exploring at Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio. Through Quest to LEGOLAND, Owen, Grant and Jane learned that there are seven species of bats and were on the lookout for Black Capped Chickadees at the national park.  

 
Next, we flew to Venice, Florida and started the second part of our trip. We un-paused the app and continued our journey in Florida as our family drove to LEGOLAND. On the app, we saw the Good Knight pass lakes, waterways, cities and other locations. We passed the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and Cape Coral, Florida. We tapped the locations on the map and learned fun facts. 

For instance, the nickname of Cape Coral, Florida is “Waterfront Wonderland” and St. Petersburg, Florida is called the “Sunshine City” because it holds the world record for the most amount of days of sunshine in a row. We also passed Tampa Bay and learned that until the end of the last ice age, it was actually a lake, but when the sea rose the mouth of the bay opened to the Gulf of Mexico and it turned into Tampa Bay. We also learned that the Gulf of Mexico itself is more than 300 million years old! 

On the road, the kids checked the app to find out their ETA to LEGOLAND. As they traveled, the Good Knight passed the same locations they did.


Little Manatee River State Park

In the app, the Good Knight showed us that Little Manatee River State Park was on the way, and we learned the park is home to alligators. We were excited to take a break, try to find wildlife and go on a short hike to stretch our legs. It was fun to explore the outdoors. We even spotted an alligator!

Owen learns about alligators on the Oxbow Nature Trail at Little Manatee River State Park, a location he found using Quest to LEGOLAND during his trip.


Bullfrog Creek Mitigation Park Wildlife And Environmental Area

During the drive, on the app, the Good Knight showed us we were passing the Bullfrog Creek Park. We learned the area has lots of bullfrogs and gopher tortoises, which sounded really neat. 

The app told us more than 360 different kinds of animals rely on it for a place to live.

Another fun fact: The Conservation Fund is working to protect the threated Gopher Tortoise in several southern states, including the in the Suwannee River Timberlands in north-central Florida and in Georgia’s longleaf pine forests and the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. 


As we drove closer to LEGOLAND, we played games to continue the story, learned more trivia about lands and animals, and talked about the cool outdoor places and animals we saw in Florida. As we (and the Good Knight) moved across the map, we answered quizzes about the outdoors and played adventure games to complete our quest. Before we arrived at LEGOLAND, we learned we must help the Good Knight race the red dragon to save the kingdom. We won! 

Exploring Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Little Manatee State Park, and Bullfrog Creek Park was a blast! Now we’re ready for our next adventure... LEGOLAND Florida!   

Before they arrive at LEGOLAND, the kids must help the Good Knight race the red dragon to save the kingdom. Spoiler alert: they win, the kingdom is saved forever, and they reach LEGOLAND just in time for lunch.

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The Conservation Fund has saved 64,967 acres in Ohio and 119,319 acres in Florida. Want to find out what The Conservation Fund is doing to protect forestland, waterways, and critical habitats in your state? Click here to explore our projects in all 50 states.