Antonia Williams Gary Interview at Virginia Key Beach Park Trust

Material Information

Subjects / Keywords:: Virginia Key Beach Park (Miami, Fla.)
Oral history
Family recreation
Coordinates:: 25.735959 x -80.155953

General Note:: This interview with Antonia Williams Gary is part of a series of interviews that took place during the Sunset Toast celebration at Historic Virginia Key Beach Park. Gary grew up in Miami and visited Virginia Key beach several times. Gary talked about smelling the food while her father prepared their family to go to the beach. Her family always had a cabana at the beach where they would fall asleep after spending time swimming and laying out in the sun. She remembers the dancing at the beach and looking forward to riding the train and the carousel. Gary's earliest memories of Virginia Key Beach came from 1952 or 1953 and she continued to visit the beach for another four to five years. She stopped coming to the beach because she did not want to have "sand" on her anymore. Gary reveals that she is excited about the restoration project because it has brought so many people together. Gary's most vivid memory of the beach was when she saw sharks at the beach as a kid.