This silkscreen print by artist Elton Bennett, titled “The Sea Watch,” depicts the Grays Harbor Lighthouse when it was closer to the shore.

Eleven to 5 p.m., the hours read. The Grays Harbor Lighthouse was open.

So there was an excuse to drive on a Saturday morning.

Most historic lighthouses on the Pacific Northwest coast that visitors can tour don’t open until late spring. But this one in Westport, Washington, keeps at least limited hours on weekends year-round.

With time to spare on the road from Astoria, I decided to loop around Bay Center and read over coffee with a pair of friendly cats at the Tokeland Hotel. Then I drove a few more miles, bought the $5 ticket and added a stamp to my lighthouse passport book.

A guide at the top of the lighthouse let me know that should I write a newspaper column about it, I should include the following: The tower is 107 feet tall and the tallest in Washington state, the light is still in use as an aid to navigation and it remains home to its original third-order Fresnel lens (nicknamed a “clamshell lens” for its shape.)

I should also mention the sand accretion. When the Grays Harbor Lighthouse was built in 1898, it was a few hundred feet from the high tide line. Now the distance is more than a half-mile, due in part to the sand buildup caused by the construction of the harbor jetties — a similar story to the changes in land on either side of the Columbia River.

Many lighthouses open for tours in May. North Head Light began its seasonal hours at the beginning of the month, which will continue daily between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. through Sept. 30.

Meanwhile, at Cape Meares Lighthouse, visitors won’t be able to access the lens room this season due to repairs, but can join free tours through September.