Virginia Key

Virginia Key is a 863-acre Miami barrier island, in Biscayne Bay, south of Brickell and north of Key Biscayne, accessible from the mainland via the Rickenbacker Causeway. On this island, you find Virginia Key Beach Park, Miami Seaquarium, and the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, the former Miami Marine Stadium, the National Marine Fisheries Service Southeast Fisheries Science Center; and an office of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This island has a long history and it acquired its name in 1849. Today's Historic Virginia Key Beach Park was designated as the "Virginia Key Beach, a Dade County Park for the exclusive use of Negroes" in August 1945. That ended in the early 1960s and by the 1980s, Virginia Key beach was the scene for gay couples and nudists. It's too bad that is now long gone. If it were still here, I would understand the US $6 charge the county collects for each car to get in. Now, for that outrageous entry fee, the only nice thing you can visit is Jimbo's place.

The fence you see marks the entrance to Jimbo's , a long time landmark of Virginia Key situated on the right side of this photo.