Governor Gregoire signed SB 5289 on April 29, officially designating marine and land routes in the San Juan Islands as Washington’s newest Scenic Byway. Senator Kevin Ranker sponsored the 2009 bill “adding a certain ferry route and roads to the scenic and recreational highway system.”
The San Juans’ scenic byway is in three parts: marine/ferry route from Anacortes into the islands, a driving tour on San Juan Island, and a driving tour on Orcas Island. The two driving tour routes are marked in the 2009 Visitors Guide, says San Juan Islands Scenic Byway Leader and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Deborah Hopkins, who was in attendance at the signing.
On Orcas Island, the Scenic Byway includes the route from Orcas Village to Eastsound, with a side trip to Deer Harbor, and also the route from Eastsound to Doe Bay, with side trips to Rosario Resort and Mt. Constitution.
Last year Senator Harriet Spanel placed language in the supplemental Transportation Budget to designate the route for one year; SB 5289 makes the designation permanent.
