Driving On WA SR-20 East In 1983 (Anacortes)

Back in 1983, The Washington State Department of Transportation drove East on SR-20 and recorded video to document the highway. This was part of a project that photographed/videotaped the states highways every couple of years. This video now resides at The Washington State Archives who were kind enough to share it.

[@BenStarner]

This is my childhood town right here. Amazing how much it’s changed.

[@gbaker9295]

Imagine going back in time. I'm not sure I could handle that analog world

[@TrevorHering-yx8zj]

7 min in is my dad in his blue Toyota fj40 Land Cruiser! No joke! That’s crazy!

[@gbaker9295]

His girlfriend was riding shotgun

[@load7791]

Gotta love how the camera quality is the same, if not better, than the average dash cam today

[@NipkowDisk]

Pretty cool to see Sharpe's Corner at 15:19 before there was even a traffic signal, and now with a roundabout which I worked on a couple of years before I retired from WSDOT.

[@ut000bs]

All of Oak Harbor only had two red lights then.

[@brandonkillingbeck4018]

Nice! More north state areas are being shown. I would love to see one of SR 20 from Oak Harbor to Deception Pass. My old neck of the woods!

[@PNWtowfun]

Seeing the whole town as when I first moved here as a child! Brings back some good memories!!

[@gbaker9295]

A vintage Maverick passes another Maverick. You rarely see those cars anymore. I miss my '70 Mav. Great car 10:00

[@SeanNewhouse-mv9ez]

I don't recognize any of it my gpts lived on Carolina Avenue at the south end of fidalgo Island from 1975 to 1993. I remember picking strawberries spring 1983, i was 15, wouldn't do it again, bad experiences and I just quit. Loved the fresh air of the straits and the climate there. Would love to camp there

[@framingpros]

thanks for posting all these videos, its fun to see some of the areas i grew up in. if you happen to come across any highway videos of highway 2 or 522 into or out of monroe washington I would love to see them. thanks again.

[@franciscolopez7101]

Thank you for posting this. Keep these videos coming.

[@joshuabrooks4907]

Look at all those gas/diesel sippers/guzzlers.... BTW, I was 5 months old when this video was made.

[@ut000bs]

Thanks from Whidbey Island! I first saw Anacortes in 1986 and to be honest this is how I remember it. Sharpe's Corner was a shock to see again.

[@gregnash7918]

❤the a&w. Its gone but the mama bgr and fries med rootbeer will live forever in my memory.

[@clean1566]

I forgot that commercial was once a 4 lane street! I was looking for familiar cars. That's how you knew people around town. You saw thier car, long before them!Lol. No traffic lights on Oaks/12th.

[@robsexton9247]

I actually saw one guy I knew driving the blue 69 chevelle when he passes by 7-11

[@econhelp583]

I have done that trip many times, starting at the ferry terminal, driving to town, and then heading towards Seattle. The cars are the biggest change I could see. Otherwise it looks basically the same to me, that is, I recognized Anacortes instantly.

[@rigel2112]

13:50 Hells angels folks!

[@SkagitCitySlickers]

Wow. What a treasure.

[@jesalvarj1869]

That restaurant/store has great breakfast!

[@markpreston6930]

Commercial was cluttered with signage in 1983. It looks better in 2024.

[@lm6817]

Got a great audiobook voice

[@beastlydookie81]

Can we get 512 thru puyallup?

[@infernoking7504]

This cars where once called modern now they are called classics

[@danielchavira9968]

It looks like now until you see the cars and some buildings that’s when you can tell it’s a different time and era