Jenna’s Journey: From Parks to Purpose
Born and raised in Orlando, Florida, Jenna Workman has spent most of her life exploring the beauty and diversity of the Sunshine State. What began as a personal challenge in 2016 — to visit every Florida State Park in one year — soon became the adventure that changed her life.
Using her birthday money to purchase an annual park pass, Jenna set out on a mission to experience all the parks within 365 days. Along the way, she began documenting her travels through a blog, Jenna’s Journeys, capturing the stunning landscapes, wildlife, and hidden treasures of Florida’s natural spaces. What started as a simple goal turned into something much more meaningful — a journey of transformation, self-discovery, and a deep connection with nature.
Most of her explorations were solo or shared with her loyal travel companion, Casey. Weekends, vacations, and every bit of PTO were spent chasing trails, rivers, and coastlines across the state. In the process, Jenna not only accomplished her goal but also found a new calling — to inspire others to get outside, connect with nature, and experience the joy and peace it brings.
Her blog eventually inspired a book, Florida State Parking: A City Girl’s Exploration of the Great Outdoors, which chronicles her adventures and the lessons she learned along the way. The project, years in the making, celebrates how one woman’s quest to see it all became a story of courage, growth, and gratitude.
When she’s not exploring Florida’s great outdoors, Jenna pours her love of nature into her business, Fairy Tale Gardens, where she helps take the fear out of gardening. Through her popular Container Garden Classes, hosted at local businesses and community events, she shows others how rewarding it can be to grow their own little piece of paradise. She also designs and maintains gardens throughout DeLand and the surrounding Central Florida area.
Whether through her gardening workshops or her travel storytelling, Jenna’s mission remains the same — to help others reconnect with the natural world and discover just how life-changing that connection can be.
Follow her adventures at jennaworkman.com and learn more about her gardening journey at fairytalegardensbyjenna.com.
Florida State Parking
A City Girl’s Exploration of the Great Outdoors
Check out Jenna’s Latest Blog Posts
Fort George Island Cultural State Park
Fort George Island Cultural State Park was a very interesting place to tour around. Uncle Barry and I entered the park and followed the road around, stopping at most buildings to get a closer look. First we found the tabby structures where the slaves used to reside....
Finding Another Way to Dunns Creek
May 17, 2020 Quin and I went to St. Augustine to go to an herb shop I heard about that had unique herbs I needed for a gardening project I was doing. We decided it would be fun to visit downtown and then we figured we should stay the night. We had such an awesome day!...
Dunns Creek State Park
I learned early on that plans made for State Parking often change, on a whim. I decided to visit my Uncle Barry and Aunt Tracey in the Jacksonville area and also see a cluster of parks while I was there. I would see the parks in the day and spend the evening with...