Keith’s Blog – Mid-March, 2019

Hello to all of our new and continuing members.

In the past month from February 15^th to March 14^th, my tour guides and I have had the pleasure to conduct tours for hundreds of people to and of:

If you know anyone who would be interested in receiving our blogs, please let us know at houstonhistory@aol.com. Provide a clear name and email address for the person or group and we will sign them up. Thanks.

Please look at our beginning of the month blog to see the various monthly specials and discounts.

If you have any suggestions for special tour discounts in April, send us an email.

March is Women’s History Month. Here is a trivia challenge about famous women in Houston’s history. The first person who submits in an email all of the correct answers of the following five 2-part questions will win a free 3-hour City Tour B starting from downtown.

Who was the first female president of the Houston Symphony and from what years?
Who was the first female mayor of Houston and from what years?
Who was the second female mayor of Houston and from what years?
Who was/is the first female Harris County Commission judge and from what years?
February’s weather is all over the place with possibly freezing temperatures one day and temperatures in the 80s Fahrenheit/20s Centigrade later in the week. Dress appropriately and stay healthy.

Brest of luck.

See you on a tour.

Sincerely,

Keith Rosen
Houston Historical Tours
P. O. Box 262404
Houston, Texas 77207-2404
(713) 392-0867
(713) 643-4086 Fax
houstonhistory@aol.com
www.houstonhistoricaltours.com

Keith’s Blog – March 2019

Welcome Fans, Friends, and Visitors,

Keith Rosen

Hi. March is a month that is booming with activities for men and women. It is as if the tourist business is coming out of hibernation and starting to see buds opening up. March is Women’s History Month and Irish American Heritage Month. It is also when men and women scurry to the biggest rodeo in the United States. The rodeo lasts for approximately 3 weeks. Although not as long or as appealing to the masses, the Azalea Trail in River Oaks lasts only one long weekend from Friday to Sunday when primarily women come from across the United States to see the beautiful flowers and beautiful mansion homes. The professional basketball regular season is ending, March Madness is beginning, and a new baseball season is just about to commence. There is something for everyone.

Weather in Houston

March is one of the four best months to visit Houston. Several reasons exist for this. The temperatures are moderate. You might need a light sweater at the beginning of the month, but by the end of the month, the temperatures are quite comfortable. The monthly average high temperature is 74 degrees Fahrenheit/23 degrees Centigrade. The monthly average low temperature is 55 degrees Fahrenheit/13 degrees Centigrade, and the mean is 64 degrees Fahrenheit/18 degrees Centigrade. The average rainfall is 3.19 inches/81 centimeters. It is the second driest month of the year after February.

Tours Below

Mention that you read about the tours below from the blog and you will receive a 10% discount.

Azalea Trail Tours

The formal Azalea Trail historically has signaled the beginning of spring in Houston. It is always on the first 3 day weekend in March from Friday through Sunday, In 2018, this is March 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th. Six homes and the Forum for Civics are opened for touring; two homes that are always on the tour are the late Ima Hogg’s Bayou Bend and the late Harris Masterson’s Rienzi. Bayou Bend has one of the finest collections of Americana art and furnishings dating to the colonial period of the 1600s. The other four houses vary annually. We offer 3 different packages for 1, 1.5, or 2 days. We also take you on tour through River Oaks showing you some of the homes of the rich, famous, and scandalous, and where movies were filmed. Of course, you will see beautiful azaleas and plenty of other flowers. If you either miss the formal Azalea Trail of homes that are opened, we can take you on an informal Azalea Trail for the first half of the month. By the middle of the month, most of the most vibrant azaleas have already bloomed and the petals have fallen off.

Irish-American Heritage Month

March has been Irish-American Heritage Month since 1991. It encases Saint Patrick’s Day which always falls on March 17^th. Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, lived from circa 385 to 461 when he died on March 17^th. We will visit St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Houston or some other church if you prefer and see the statue of Irish immigrant Dick Dowling who served in the Confederacy, Of course, what Irish American Tour would be complete without going to two or three Irish pubs, consuming a pint of Guinness and whatever else, throwing darts, and devouring some corned beef and cabbage?

Rodeo Themed Tours

The rodeo is the biggest and longest fundraiser in Houston. It provides scholarships for students to attend college. It generally lasts for three weeks and begins in either the last week of February or the first week of March. A different musical performer is featured every night. This is the largest rodeo in the United States and the second largest in North American after the Calgary, Alberta, Canada’s Stampede in July. Everyone should attend the Houston rodeo at least once in his/her life. Try some of the barbecue and go enjoy the activities on the fairgrounds. Traffic is often miserable in the vicinity. If you want to schedule us to transport to and or from the rodeo with or without tickets let us know. If you want to include an activity of visiting an actual ranch, the George Ranch Historical Park in Richmond, Texas, or the Oil Ranch in Hockley, Texas we can arrange that, also.

Women’s History Month Tours

March is a busy month for different groups to be recognized. It is Women’s History Month. Women have often been as the forefront of social progressive movements such as voting, abolition, medical care, civil rights, and more. When men have lacked a conscious, women have filled in the vacuum. We offer a couple of completely different 5-hour tours that focus on women’s history and culture. Visit our website to see more detailed descriptions.

National Food Day Tours

Did you know that:

- March 1^st is National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day?
- March 2^nd is National Banana Crème Pie Day?
- March 8^th is National Peanut Cluster Day?
- March 9^th is National Crabmeat Day?
- March 9^th is National Meatball Day?
- March 10^th is National Blueberry Popover Day?
- March 11^th is Oatmeal Nut Waffles Day?
- March 11^th is Johnny Appleseed Day?
- March 12^th is National Baked Scallops Day?
- March 14^th is Pi Day?
- March 22^nd is National Corndog Day?
- March 23^rd is National Chips and Dip Day?
- March 27^th is International Whiskey Day?

We will create a customized 3-hour themed tour for your enjoyment anytime in this month for the above gastronomical sensations. We can combine two or more of the above holidays. Who does not like comfort food and drink?

Monthly Special – Discounted by 17 to 43% Based on the Number of People

The monthly special for March is a 2.5-hour walking tour to and from art galleries. Did you know that Houston has over 30 art galleries? Did you know that Houston has 3 or 4 areas with 5 or more art galleries within walking distance. We can give you a choice of which area you want to walk through leisurely. These galleries present art in different forms, styles, and genres from different ethnicities, philosophies, and nations. Just imagine. You get to learn about your city, explore new neighborhoods or old ones that you like, and see dozens of works of art. Some of these areas have quaint and cute cafes with excellent food in them to enjoy, also.

The tour begins at The Menil Collection Parking lot by the Bistro Menil. The parking is free. Two entrances exist for it. If you have a GPS, input either 1559 West Alabama Street, or 3860 Mulberry Street. The city and zip code is Houston, Texas 77006 for each address.

Monthly Special Prices

1 person – $40.00. This is a 43% discount off of the regular price of $70.00

$40.00 + $3.30 (Sales tax of 8.25%) = $43.30 Total.

2 people – $30.00 each. This is a 25% discount off of the regular price of $40.00 per person.

$30.00 + $2.48 (Sales tax of 8.25%) = $32.48 per person x 2 people = $64.96 Total.

3 or 4 people – $25.00 each. This is a 17% discount off the regular price of $30.00 per person.

$25.00 + $2.07 (Sales tax of 8.25%) = $27.07 per person.
$27.07 per person x 3 people = $81.21 Total.
$27.07 per person x 4 people = $108.28 Total.

5 to 9 people – $20.00 each. This is a 20% discount off the regular price of $25.00 per person.

$20.00 + $1.65 (Sales tax of 8.25%) = $21.65 per person. $21.65 x 5 people = $108.25.
$20.00 + $1.65 (Sales tax of 8.25%) + $3.00 (15% gratuity for parties of 6 or more people) = $24.65 per person x 6, 7, 8, or 9 people.

10 to 19 people – $15.00 each. This is a 25% discount off the regular price of $20.00 per person.
$15.00 + $1.24 (Sales tax of 8.25%) + $2.25 per person (15% gratuity for parties of 6 or more people) = $18.49 per person x the number of people.

Trivia and Rewards

In the Mid-February 2019, I asked a trivia question with a reward: “Whoever can be the first person to send me an email with the Houston Rockets’s 5 highest single season scorers, the season, and the average (not counting this season) will win a free 3-hour city tour for one person?” Only one person made one attempt and not all of the answers were correct.

The correct answers were:

Moses Malone 1981 – 1982 31.1
James Harden 2017 – 2018 30.4
James Harden 2016 – 2017 29.1
James Harden 2015 – 2016 29.0
Elvin Hayes 1970 – 1971 28.7

Look for more trivia questions in mid-month blogs with free and discounted tours for the first person who submits the correct answers.

Kudos to Us

For the 9^th consecutive year since 2012, AAA has included Houston Historical Tours in its nationally-famous tour books. People from all over the country use these tour books to plan their vacations. We are one of only two tour companies identified in the book. However, we are referenced in three different sections on 3 different pages:

Must Do: AAA Editor’s Picks on page 240.
Houston 1-day Itinerary on page 241.
Sightseeing Bus and Van Tours on page 250.

I know of no other tour company in the state of Texas that has 2 entries, let alone 3 entries and that are not paid advertisements. We offer a 10% discount for AAA members who show proof of their membership.

Invite Your Friends

If you know anyone who would be interested in receiving our blogs, please let us know at houstonhistory@aol.com. Provide a clear name and email address for the person or group and we will sign them up. Thanks.

See you on a tour.

Sincerely,

Keith Rosen
Houston Historical Tours
P. O. Box 262404
Houston, Texas 77207-2404
(713) 392-0867
(713) 643-4086 Fax
houstonhistory@aol.com
www.houstonhistoricaltours.com

Keith’s Blog – Mid-February 2019

Hello to all of our new and continuing members.

In the past month from January 15^th to February 14^th, my tour guides and I have had the pleasure to conduct tours for hundreds of people to and of:

Brewery Tour Customized
Chocolate and Ice Cream Tour Customized Tour
City Tour E
City Tour G
Heights Tour B
Space Center Houston Transport – twice
Tunnel Tour A2 – thrice
Tunnel Tour A4
Tunnel Tour B3 – twice
Tunnel Tour B4

Please look at our beginning of the month blog to see the various monthly specials and discounts.

If you have any suggestions for special tour discounts in March, send us an email.

Two big Houston events are starting soon:

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo begins in less than two weeks on Monday, February 25^th and runs through Sunday, March 17^th. It is starting earlier this year than last year.
The Azalea Trail will occur Friday through Sunday, March 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd.

Let us know if we can plan a tour or transport for either of these events and you will save 20% off of the regular price.

February’s weather is all over the place with possibly freezing temperatures one day and temperatures in the 80s Fahrenheit/20s Centigrade later in the week. Dress appropriately and stay healthy.

As I write this blog, the Houston Rockets’s James Harden is having one of the greatest scoring seasons in the team’s and NBA history. I am going to set a challenge for one lucky person. Whoever can be the first person to send me an email with the Houston Rockets’s 5 highest single season scorers, the season, and the average (not counting this season) will win a free 3-hour city tour for one person. For example, James Harden, 2018 – 2019, 36.6 points per game. By the way, Harden may set the Houston record for scoring average, but not for the most points for a season because he has missed about 4 games. We will see.

If you know anyone who would be interested in receiving our blogs, please let us know at houstonhistory@aol.com. Provide a clear name and email address for the person or group and we will sign them up. Thanks.

See you on a tour.

Sincerely,

Keith Rosen
Houston Historical Tours
P. O. Box 262404
Houston, Texas 77207-2404
(713) 392-0867
(713) 643-4086 Fax
houstonhistory@aol.com
www.houstonhistoricaltours.com

Keith’s Blog – February 2019

Welcome Fans, Friends, and Visitors,

Keith Rosen

Hi. February is Black History Month, the month of Presidents, and of course, a sweethearts month with the holiday of Valentine’s Day. All of these designations and events make good excuses to go exploring. In our subtropical climate and with the temperatures becoming both more erratic, but consistently hotter, one now sees spring beginning in winter. By the end of the month, you will see new leaves on trees and some flowering plants beginning to bud.

Weather in Houston

February is Houston’s third coldest month after December and January. These are the only months where the average high temperature is in the 60s Fahrenheit/Teens Centigrade. However, cold is a relative term. We see snow in Houston about once every three years and then it is usually a light dusting that will melt by the following day. Be prepared to wear a light jacket. The monthly average high temperature is 67 degrees Fahrenheit/19 degrees Centigrade. The monthly average low temperature is 48 degrees Fahrenheit/9 degrees Centigrade, and the mean is 58 degrees Fahrenheit/14 degrees Centigrade. The average rainfall is 3.01 inches/7.65 centimeters. It is the driest month of the year. The next four months will all experience progressively more rain.

Tours Below

Mention that you read about any of the tours below (other than the monthly specials) from the blog and you will receive a 10% discount in the month of December. What a deal!

African American themed Tours

February is Black History Month. Celebrate it with an African-American historical tour. We offer 7 different African-American tours, including two that go out of town. These are normally six-hours each with a stop to eat at a traditional soul food, barbecue, fried chicken, Creole, or Jamaican restaurant for lunch. These tours can be shortened with fewer stops or sites and or two different tours can be combined to equal six-hours. The tours are divided by geographic locations. With a population of over 500,000 African Americans, Houston has the second largest Black population of any United States city. We will have maps to show you the original wards, as well as historic photographs and articles. Did you know that the first African Americans served on the Houston city council in the 1870s? Yes, that is correct!

Valentine’s Day Themed Tours

Are you or someone special to you feeling romantic? Does your special person like chocolates, flowers, and or wine? Do you like domestic or imported chocolates, chocolates with or without nuts and or fruit, sweet or semi-sweet, white, dark, or milk? How do you want to be remembered? If receiving affection important to you? We have tours starting from 3 hours to 5 hours for you to make a good impression and have an amorous day. We can also include stopping at a wine bar or flower shops to add to the occasion. You choose.

Presidential Tours

Presidents Day is in February because both the 1^st and 16^th Presidents of the United States under the Constitution were born in February: George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Historians regularly rank Washington and Lincoln as two of the three greatest presidents in US history. The other member of this triad is Franklin Roosevelt, who missed being born in February by 2 days; he was born on January 30^th. Take one of our 3-hour local Presidential tours and learn about the city’s connection to Texas Presidents Sam Houston, Mirabeau Lamar, and Anson Jones as well as US Presidents John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, and George Herbert Walker Bush, and Presidential Conventions of 1928 and 1992.

National Food Day Tours

Did you know that:

February 2 is National Tater Tot Day?
The second Tuesday of February is National Frozen Yogurt Day?
February 9 is both National Pizza Day and National Bagel Day?
February 22 is National Margarita Day?
February 23 is National Banana Bread Day?

We will create a customized 3-hour themed tour for your enjoyment anytime in this month for the above gastronomical sensations. We can combine two or more of the above holidays. Who does not like comfort food and drink?

Think About Late February and March

Two major Houston events occur almost exclusively in March:

The Houston Rodeo begins on Monday, February 25^th and continues through Sunday, March 17^th. This covers a three-week period. Will you need or want rides to and or from the rodeo or other surrounding areas?
The Azalea Trail on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, March 1, 2, and 3. Let us know if you want to plan such a tour so we can buy Azalea Trail home tour tickets in advance. This will include touring inside six homes, seeing beautiful gardens, and a tour of River Oaks.

The time to plan is now.

Monthly Special – Discounted by 17 to 43% Based on the Number of People

The monthly special for February is a 2.5-hour walking tour through the Rice Village and Rice University. The Rice Village is a cute shopping area that gets its name as it is next to Rice University and it is like a village of mostly mom and pop small stores. Many of the shops are locally owned and operated which means you will generally get better service from knowledgeable and concerned workers. It has over two-dozen cafes, restaurants, and specialty food stores and hundreds of retail stores. Most of the stores cater primarily to women. You may want to go to one of them for lunch after a tour.

Rice University is one of the twenty highest ranked universities in the United States and one of the top two or three universities in all of the South. It has a sprawling campus that goes on for over 1-mile/2-kilometers, yet it only has a few thousand students. Found in 1912 as the William M. Rice Institute for the Advancement of Literature, Science and Art, it became a full-fledged university in 1960. Ralph Adams Cram (1863 – 1912), one of the most renowned architects of American churches, libraries, and universities was the original architect. We will enter a number of the buildings, see several statues, and even view a piece of the Berlin Wall. You will see the statue of William Marsh Rice (1816 – 1900) sitting over where his ashes were buried after he was murdered. Tall oak trees surround and dot the campus. It is a lovely place to spend 4 years as a student or part of a day on a walk.

We begin this tour at The Chocolate Bar at 2521 University Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77005. Free, unrestricted parking on the south side of the 2400 and 2500 block of Shakespeare Road, Houston, Texas 77005. This is one block behind The Chocolate Bar. Free parking is available on the north side of University Boulevard and in front of The Chocolate Bar, but for only two hours. Metered parking is available in the area.

Monthly Special Prices

1 person – $40.00. This is a 43% discount off of the regular price of $70.00

$40.00 + $3.30 (Sales tax of 8.25%) = $43.30 Total.

2 people – $30.00 each. This is a 25% discount off of the regular price of $40.00 per person.

$30.00 + $2.48 (Sales tax of 8.25%) = $32.48 per person x 2 people = $64.96 Total.

3 or 4 people – $25.00 each. This is a 17% discount off the regular price of $30.00 per person.

$25.00 + $2.07 (Sales tax of 8.25%) = $27.07 per person.
$27.07 per person x 3 people = $81.21 Total.
$27.07 per person x 4 people = $108.28 Total.

5 to 9 people – $20.00 each. This is a 20% discount off the regular price of $25.00 per person.

$20.00 + $1.65 (Sales tax of 8.25%) = $21.65 per person. $21.65 x 5 people = $108.25.
$20.00 + $1.65 (Sales tax of 8.25%) + $3.00 (15% gratuity for parties of 6 or more people) = $24.65 per person x 6, 7, 8, or 9 people.

10 to 19 people – $15.00 each. This is a 25% discount off the regular price of $20.00 per person.
$15.00 + $1.24 (Sales tax of 8.25%) + $2.25 per person (15% gratuity for parties of 6 or more people) = $18.49 per person x the number of people.

Invite Your Friends

If you know anyone who would be interested in receiving our blogs, please let us know at houstonhistory@aol.com. Provide a clear name and email address for the person or group and we will sign them up. Thanks.

See you on a tour.

Sincerely,

Keith Rosen
Houston Historical Tours
P. O. Box 262404
Houston, Texas 77207-2404
(713) 392-0867
(713) 643-4086 Fax
houstonhistory@aol.com
www.houstonhistoricaltours.com

Keith’s Blog – Mid-January 2019

Hello to all of our new and continuing members.

In the past month from December 15^th to January 15^th, my tour guides and I have had the pleasure to conduct tours for hundreds of people to and of

Airport transport to IAH – once
City Tour A – once
City Tour C – once
Haunted Tour D modified – once
Holiday Lights Tour A – 6 times
Port of Houston/Houston Ship Channel Tour modified – once
Space Center Houston Level 9 Tour – once
Texas Medical Center Tour B2 – once
Tunnel Tour A3 – twice

Whereas December is annually one of the busiest months with a surge due to Holiday Lights Tours, January is one of the slowest months. This may be due to the colder weather and that people are paying off their credit card debt following the holidays. I can spend more time in my office creating and refining tours for the upcoming year.

Please look at our beginning of the month blog to see the various monthly specials and discounts.

If you have any suggestions for special tour discounts in February, send us an email.

Think about planning a tour in February based on Valentine’s Day. Maybe, you would like a Chocolate or Wine Tour or something else romantic. Make a good impression with your beloved.

If you know anyone who would be interested in receiving our blogs, please let us know at houstonhistory@aol.com. Provide a clear name and email address for the person or group and we will sign them up. Thanks.

I hope that you all are enjoying a happy and healthy season full of contentment, civility, peace, and prosperity.

See you on a tour.

Sincerely,

Keith Rosen
Houston Historical Tours
P. O. Box 262404
Houston, Texas 77207-2404
(713) 392-0867
(713) 643-4086 Fax
houstonhistory@aol.com
www.houstonhistoricaltours.com

Keith’s Blog – January 2019

Welcome Fans, Friends, and Visitors,

Keith Rosen

Hi. January is one of the slower months. This can be attributed to people saving their money to pay for the presents that they bought and the money that they spent partying for the holidays of December. Furthermore, any month with a public holiday such as New Year’s Day and Martin Luther King, Jr’s Birthday is a month with generally less days of people touring while they spend the day with family and friends at home or in the backyard cooking. For the tourist, this can be good as it will be easier for Houston Historical Tours to schedule your personal tour.

Weather in Houston

January is Houston’s coldest month. Be prepared to wear a coat. The monthly average high temperature is 63 degrees Fahrenheit/17 degrees Centigrade. The monthly average low temperature is 45 degrees Fahrenheit/7 degrees Centigrade, and the mean is 54 degrees Fahrenheit/12 degrees Centigrade. The average rainfall is 4.25 inches/10.7 centimeters. It is the eighth wettest month of the year.

Tours Below

Mention that you read about any of the tours below (other than the monthly specials) from the blog and you will receive a 10% discount in the month of December. What a deal!

Space Center Houston (SCH) (NASA) Tours

This is a good tour to take, particularly in the latter half of the month and well into February and March. You spend most of the time in buildings during this cold, by Houston standards, weather. Once school is in session again, the crowds are smaller, the queues are shorter, the noise is softer, and the tram rides often stop at three sites rather than just two sites. We offer a number of options. The tour is normally eight hours to include all of the sites and activities; this includes about 6.5 hours at NASA and allows for about 1.5 hours in total to drive to NASA in the morning and to return in rush hour traffic in the afternoon. However, if you want to save time and or money by shortening it to 7 or 6 hours by deleting some of the activities, we can customize it for you. You can also save money if you only want the transportation with or without the admission ticket. Transport will drop you off at NASA and then pick you up later. You are on your own to roam about the facility. A tour includes having a tour guide to run you around, making sure that you see everything possible, and to provide you narratives on the exhibits and about the history and why Houston has a space center. Go to the Houston Historical Tours website to read more.

City Tours

We offer city tours of Houston ranging from 2 to 9 hours depending on what you want to see. You have two options for 2-hour tours, A 1 and A2. A1 focuses on classical Houston – the theater district, downtown, sports stadiums, River Oaks’s old wealth mansions, the Rice Village, Rice University, Mecom Fountains, the primary Museum District, and Hermann Park, Houston’s most popular park. A2 focuses on the more offbeat Houston where you will see sites that unique to Houston such as the largest church in the US, the most photographed area in Houston, the 64-foot Waterwall where 11,000 gallons of water pour off of it every minute, the 4^th largest shopping mall in the US and the largest in the South, the Galleria, the Beer Can House, the Spear House, the Gargoyle House, the art car studio of Mark Bradford or Art Car Museum, a Orange Crush and Beer Can statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and more. If you take a 3-hour tour, you can see all of that plus stop for a break in The Chocolate Bar. A 4-hour tour Monday through Friday will normally include walking through a 3-block section of the underground downtown tunnels and going to an observation deck. The tunnels and observation deck are only open on weekdays. On weekends, we substitute driving through the Houston Heights or driving through the second Museum District by the University of St. Thomas. A 5-hour tour includes a stop for lunch of your choice. Just tell us what food you want to savor. Six hour and longer tours can easily be customized to either cover more areas of Houston such as the Eado and East End or give time to go into museums, galleries, and parks. The two- hour tours cover about 20 miles/32 kilometers, and we add about 10 miles/16 kilometers per hour of area covered for each additional hour. For 4-hour tours and longer, we have about one stop per hour to take photographs, use a bathroom, get refreshments, and or have lunch. See our website for the descriptions.

National Food Day Tours

Did you know that:

January 1^st is National Bloody Mary Day?
January 2^nd is National Creampuff Day?
January 3^rd is National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day?
January 12^th is National Cheesesteak and Cheesecake Day?
January 24^th is National Peanut Butter Day?
January 27^th is National Chocolate Cake Day?

We will create a customized 3-hour themed tour for your enjoyment anytime in this month for the above gastronomical sensations. We can combine two or more of the above holidays. Who does not like comfort food and drink?

Monthly Special – Discounted by 17 to 43% Based on the Number of People

The monthly special for January is a walking tour through Houston’s lesser known museum district. If you like high culture, this is a GREAT tour! You can go inside 5 museums and 3 chapels. These include:

The Dan Flavin Installation,
The Cy Twombly Gallery,
The Menil Collection,
The Watercolor Art Society – Houston (WASH),
The Houston Center for Photography (HCP),
The Rothko Chapel,
The Chapel of Saint Basil, and
The former Byzantine Fresco Chapel.
Time-permitting, we might go into one or two more galleries.

These sites are all FREE to enter. The museums are closed on Monday. Many of these places are world renown. The Dalai Lama has been to the Rothko Chapel. Many people consider The Menil Collection as the best free art museum in the United States. We may run out of time if you are having too much fun while spending a lot of time in any or all of these museums. You will also discover a number of small cafes and restaurants in the area.<

The tour starts at the free parking lot pathway that leads to Sul Ross Street. The parking lot has two access points:

1515 West Alabama Street, Houston, Texas 77006
3808 Mulberry Street, Houston, Texas 77006.

Monthly Special Prices

1 person – $40.00. This is a 43% discount off of the regular price of $70.00

$40.00 + $3.30 (Sales tax of 8.25%) = $43.30 Total.

2 people – $30.00 each. This is a 25% discount off of the regular price of $40.00 per person.

$30.00 + $2.48 (Sales tax of 8.25%) = $32.48 per person x 2 people = $64.96 Total.

3 or 4 people – $25.00 each. This is a 17% discount off the regular price of $30.00 per person.

$25.00 + $2.07 (Sales tax of 8.25%) = $27.07 per person.
$27.07 per person x 3 people = $81.21 Total.
$27.07 per person x 4 people = $108.28 Total.

5 to 9 people – $20.00 each. This is a 20% discount off the regular price of $25.00 per person.

$20.00 + $1.65 (Sales tax of 8.25%) = $21.65 per person. $21.65 x 5 people = $108.25.
$20.00 + $1.65 (Sales tax of 8.25%) + $3.00 (15% gratuity for parties of 6 or more people) = $24.65 per person x 6, 7, 8, or 9 people.

10 to 19 people – $15.00 each. This is a 25% discount off the regular price of $20.00 per person.
$15.00 + $1.24 (Sales tax of 8.25%) + $2.25 per person (15% gratuity for parties of 6 or more people) = $18.49 per person x the number of people.

Some Positive Forms of Recognition

Lastly, here are some positive forms of recognition:

Houston Historical Tours has been selected to receive the Small Business Excellence Award for 2018 in the Historical Tours category by Small Business Excellence.
Houston Historical Tours will be in AAA Texas Travel Books for the 9^th consecutive year. AAA Tour Books are the most popular tour books in the nation.

We are proud of these accomplishments.

Invite Your Friends

If you know anyone who would be interested in receiving our blogs, please let us know at houstonhistory@aol.com. Provide a clear name and email address for the person or group and we will sign them up. Thanks.

See you on a tour.

Sincerely,

Keith Rosen
Houston Historical Tours
P. O. Box 262404
Houston, Texas 77207-2404
(713) 392-0867
(713) 643-4086 Fax
houstonhistory@aol.com
www.houstonhistoricaltours.com

Keith’s Blog – Mid-December 2018

Hello to all of our new and continuing members.

In the past month from November 15^th to December 15^th, my tour guides and I have had the pleasure to conduct tours for hundreds of people to and of:

African American Tour customized – once
City Tour A2 – once
Galveston Tours – thrice
Haunted Tour A – once
Haunted Tour Y – once
Heights Tour B – once
Holiday Lights Tour A – 4 times
Holiday Lights Tour B – once
Painted and Historical Churches Tour A – once
Texas Medical Center (TMC) Walking Tour B2 – once
TMC Walking Tour C1 – once
Tunnel Tour A3 – once
Tunnel Tour A4 – once
Tunnel Tour B1 – once
Tunnel Tour B4 – once
Tunnel Tour B5 – once
Wine Tour A2 – once

A popular song at this time of year is “It’s the Most Wonderful Season of the Year.” As long as I am busy, I agree. LOL.

In December, the most popular category of tours are the Holiday Lights Tours. Although we offer 9 options, Holiday Lights Tour A is the most popular, being chosen approximately 90% of the time. As I write this blog, we have 11 Holiday Lights Tours scheduled through December 23^rd.

If you might be interested in still scheduling a Holiday Lights Tour, the following dates are available: December 22^nd and anytime on and after December 24^th. A surcharge exists to work on Christmas Eve and Christmas. Lights should be on display typically until the first weekend after Christmas (December 29^th and 30^th) or through the Epiphany on January 6^th.

If you know anyone who would be interested in receiving our blogs, please let us know at houstonhistory@aol.com. Provide a clear name and email address for the person or group and we will sign them up. Thanks.

Please look at our beginning of the month blog to see the various monthly specials and discounts.

If you have any suggestions for special tour discounts in January, send us an email.

I hope that you all are enjoying a happy and healthy season full of contentment, civility, peace, and prosperity.

See you on a tour.

Sincerely,

Keith Rosen
Houston Historical Tours
P. O. Box 262404
Houston, Texas 77207-2404
(713) 392-0867
(713) 643-4086 Fax
houstonhistory@aol.com
www.houstonhistoricaltours.com

Keith’s Blog – December 2018

Welcome Fans, Friends, and Visitors,

Hi. December is a joyous month. Chanukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and Yule help to provide joy and hope for a better future for most everyone. Regardless of your religion or lack of, race, ethnicity, gender preference, and gender, it is a time when we often come together to share happiness.

Weather in Houston

December is Houston’s second coldest month. Be prepared to wear a sweater, coat, or both. The monthly average high temperature is 65 degrees Fahrenheit/18 degrees Centigrade. The monthly average low temperature is 47 degrees Fahrenheit/6 degrees Centigrade, and the mean is 56 degrees Fahrenheit/13 degrees Centigrade. The average rainfall is 3.78 inches/9.6 centimeters. It is the ninth wettest month of the year.

Tours Below

Mention that you read about any of the tours below {other than the monthly specials) from the blog and you will receive a 10% discount in the month of December. What a deal!

National Food Day Tours
Did you know that:

December 2nd is National Fritters Day?
December 4th is National Cookie Day?
December 9th is National Pastry Day?
December 10th is National Lager Day?
December 11 is National Bagel Day?
December 13th is National Hot Cocoa Day?
December 15th is International Tea Day and National Cupcake Day?
December 21st is National Hamburger Day?
December 22nd is National Date Nut Bread Day?
December 24th is National Eggnog Day?
December 25th is National Pumpkin Pie Day?
December 27th is National Fruitcake Day?
December 31st is National Champagne Day?

So much self-indulgent food and drink! So few stomachs! Ah, to be a cow. LOL

We will create a customized 3-hour themed tour for your enjoyment anytime in this month for the above gastronomical sensations. We can combine two or more of the above holidays. Who does not like comfort food?

Holiday Lights Tours
December sees an uptick in our tour business because of the holidays. We offer 9 different Holiday Lights Tours. Four tours are 3 hours, three tours are 4-hours, one tour is 5-hours, and one tour is 7-hours. The 5-hour tour goes to Texas City and Galveston. The 7-hour tour goes to Santa’s Wonderland in College Station. This area has over 1 million lights.

Tour A, for 3 hours, is far and away the most popular of the Holiday Lights Tour. It includes the Galleria, River Oaks, Tanglewood, Uptown Park, River Oaks District, Highland Village, and Greenway Plaza. Our other three hour tours can include the various Heights, ethnic minority areas, the elite Green Tea subdivision in Pearland, Candlelight Plaza, Prestonwood Forest, and more communities. The 3-hour tours are normally from 6:30 to 9:30 PM, although we can be flexible. Remember that sunset takes place at about 5:30 PM so you want to start sometime thereafter. They normally have one stop at a Starbucks for bathrooms and holiday drinks. Visit our website to see more of the detailed descriptions.

People begin scheduling the Holiday Lights Tours in August. I already have conducted our first Holiday Lights tour of the year this past week in November. I already have over one-half dozen more Holiday Lights tours scheduled with still other inquiries. If you would like to go on a Holiday Lights tour, contact us now to reserve your tour.

Mexican Restaurant Tours
December is a good month to also go on a comfort food tour. We offer several food and drink tours including Mexican Restaurant Tours. You can choose the length and how many restaurants that you want to visit and how much you want to eat. We take you to a historic Mexican restaurants that are generally considered among the best in Houston. All of the restaurants were found in the 1900s. Some specialize in entrees, some in appetizers, some in margaritas. We recommend that you select one thing, for example nachos or quesadillas, that you can compare and contrast at each restaurant and still have more space in your stomach to try some more at the next restaurant. Many of the Mexican restaurants are beautifully decorated for the holidays. Visit our website to see what restaurants we include on such a tour and customize it.

Galveston Tours
Galveston has a certain mystique, similar to New Orleans, but on a 1/10 size. Like New Orleans, it was a port city, the state’s wealthiest city and full of immigrants and sailors coming into it. It was the largest city in Texas in 1870 and 1880. Prostitution and gambling thrived during the years that Galveston was an open city. Hurricanes have repeated beaten it down only for the city to bounce back. The greatest architect in Texas history designed some of the most impressive buildings in the state from 1872 to 1900. Galveston is currently experiencing its first growth in six decades. Hurricane Ike in 2008 resulted in people reinvesting in Galveston. We offer Galveston tours from 5 to 12 hours that can include a boat ride to see dolphins and a sunken ship in Galveston Bay, museums, mansion homes to tour, historical homes from the 1830s and 1840s to stop and photograph, movies to watch titled “The Great Storm” and or “The Pirate Island of Jean Lafitte,” seeing tree sculptures, great food and drink to consume, and exploring different neighborhoods. December is a particularly good time to visit because of the festival Dickens on the Strand. It started in 1974 and is held on the first weekend in December. A tradition is a descendant of the great British author Charles Dickens leads the parade and people dress in costumes from the era of Dickens’s best-selling book The Christmas Carol. You will have a bloody good time.

Monthly Special – Discounted by 17 to 43% Based on the Number of People
The monthly special for December is a Northern Hermann Park Walking Tour. This 2.5-hour tour focuses on going through Houston’s most famous and popular park, Hermann Park. It was named after Houston’s greatest benefactor, George Hermann. Some of the highlights are:

Strolling through the Japanese Gardens
Walking by the Houston Zoo
Watching the activities at McGovern Lake
Seeing our smaller version of the Washington Monument
Visiting Miller Outdoor Theatre (MOT)
Viewing the children’s train
Visiting the Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS), the fourth most museum visited in the United States
Seeing the most famous statue in Houston, that of General Sam Houston
Seeing the 18-hole golf course
Walking through the John P. McGovern Centennial Gardens and Cherie Flores Garden Pavilion,
Seeing the 3 Mecom Fountains
Seeing nine busts of Latin American leaders: Benito Juarez, Jose de San Martin, Simon Bolivar, Jose Marti, Bernardo O’Higgins, Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca, Vicente Rocafuerte, Field Marshal Ramon Castilla, and Dr. Jose Rizal
Seeing 3 statues of men of peace: Mahatma Gandhi, Confucius, and Martin Luther King, Jr.
Seeing miscellaneous other statues and structures of Cancer, There is Hope, Grecian Dancer, Oliver Twist, Atropos Key, a Japanese Stone Lantern, and Chinese pagoda, and
Seeing the holiday decorations in the park.

This tour begins outside the main entrance of the Houston Zoo on the north side. If you have a GPS, input 1680 Zoo Circle Drive, Houston, Texas 77030. The street may also be identified as Golf Course Drive and Hermann Park Drive. Parking Lot G is the closest lot. Parking is free, but limited to 3-hours. The parking garage by the Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS) costs money, but one can park there for several hours.

Monthly Special Prices

1 person – $40.00. This is a 43% discount off of the regular price of $70.00

$40.00 + $3.30 (Sales tax of 8.25%) = $43.30 Total.

2 people – $30.00 each. This is a 25% discount off of the regular price of $40.00 per person.

$30.00 + $2.48 (Sales tax of 8.25%) = $32.48 per person x 2 people = $64.96 Total.

3 or 4 people – $25.00 each. This is a 17% discount off the regular price of $30.00 per person.

$25.00 + $2.07 (Sales tax of 8.25%) = $27.07 per person.
$27.07 per person x 3 people = $81.21 Total.
$27.07 per person x 4 people = $108.28 Total.

5 to 9 people – $20.00 each. This is a 20% discount off the regular price of $25.00 per person.

$20.00 + $1.65 (Sales tax of 8.25%) = $21.65 per person. $21.65 x 5 people = $108.25.
$20.00 + $1.65 (Sales tax of 8.25%) + $3.00 (15% gratuity for parties of 6 or more people) = $24.65 per person x 6, 7, 8, or 9 people.

10 to 19 people – $15.00 each. This is a 25% discount off the regular price of $20.00 per person.
$15.00 + $1.24 (Sales tax of 8.25%) + $2.25 per person (15% gratuity for parties of 6 or more people) = $18.49 per person x the number of people.

Some Positive Forms of Recognition

Houston Historical Tours was once again nominated for the 2019 Travel & Tourism Awards.
Houston Historical Tours was featured in the online magazine Mommy Poppins for the “Best Public Holiday Light Displays in Houston.” See the article at https://mommypoppins.com/houston-kids/christmashanukkah/best-public-holiday-light-displays-in-houston. Here’s the link to the part of the article where we were highlighted.

Invite Your Friends

If you know anyone who would be interested in receiving our blogs, please let us know at houstonhistory@aol.com. Provide a clear name and email address for the person or group and we will sign them up. Thanks.

Enjoy the season.

See you on a tour.

Sincerely,

Keith Rosen
Houston Historical Tours
P. O. Box 262404
Houston, Texas 77207-2404
(713) 392-0867
(713) 643-4086 Fax
houstonhistory@aol.com
www.houstonhistoricaltours.com

Keith’s Blog – Thanksgiving 2018

Happy Thanksgiving!

Keith Rosen

We at Houston Historical Tours have reason to be thankful for all the kind people who patronize us each year. Thank you for making us a continuing success. May you spend Thanksgiving with friends and family whom you mutually love and care about. And, may you have a very Happy Thanksgiving!

This year, Thanksgiving falls on November 22. As a way of thanking you, we are offering a 22% discount on any tour through the end of the month.

In the past month from October 15 to the present, my tour guides and I have had the pleasure to conduct tours for hundreds of people to and of:

City Tour A2
City Tour B
City Tour C
Customized African American Tour
Customized History Tour
Customized Tour of the city of Houston and Space Center Houston
Downtown Walking Tour E
Galveston Tour – twice
Halloween Tour – our first offering!
Haunted Tour B
Haunted Tour D
Haunted Tour F
Haunted Tour W – twice
Quilt Tour D
Texas Medical Center Walking Tour B
Texas Medical Center Walking Tour C
Tunnel Tour A3 – six times
Tunnel Tour A4 – three times
Tunnel Tour B3
Tunnel Tour B4 – three times
Walking Tour of Glenwood Cemetery

October was a great month! Thank you to all our patrons who made it possible.

November is starting off with a bang, also.

Please look at our beginning of the month blog to see the various monthly specials and discounts.

For the convenience of our customers, we began an experiment on September 17, 2018 to begin accepting credit card payments. It seems to be working as over one dozen people have paid for tours with credit cards. We accept credit cards for advance payments; we still only accept US cash on the day of a tour at the outset of a tour. If you want to pay with a credit card, I will send you an email with an attachment title Credit Card Form. I need this completed so I can process the information with the credit card company. Credit card payments have an upcharge of 5% to cover the additional costs of the:

Credit card rate,
Transaction fee, and
Bank charge.

If you know anyone who would be interested in receiving our blogs, please let us know at houstonhistory@aol.com. Provide a clear name and email address for the person or group and we will sign them up. Thanks.

See you on a tour.

Sincerely,

Keith Rosen
Houston Historical Tours
P. O. Box 262404
Houston, Texas 77207-2404
(713) 392-0867
(713) 643-4086 Fax
houstonhistory@aol.com
www.houstonhistoricaltours.com

Keith’s Blog – Mid-November 2018

Welcome Fans, Friends, and Visitors,

Keith Rosen

Hello to all of our new and continuing members. In the past month from October 15^th to the present, my tour guides and I have had the pleasure to conduct tours for hundreds of people to and of:

City Tour A2
City Tour B
City Tour C
Customized African American Tour
Customized History Tour
Customized Tour of the city of Houston and Space Center Houston
Downtown Walking Tour E
Galveston Tour – twice
Halloween Tour – our first offering!
Haunted Tour B
Haunted Tour D
Haunted Tour F
Haunted Tour W – twice
Quilt Tour D
Texas Medical Center Walking Tour B
Texas Medical Center Walking Tour C
Tunnel Tour A3 – six times
Tunnel Tour A4 – three times
Tunnel Tour B3
Tunnel Tour B4 – three times
Walking Tour of Glenwood Cemetery

October was a great month! Thank you to all our patrons who made it possible.

November is starting off with a bang, also.

Please look at our beginning of the month blog to see the various monthly specials and discounts.

For the convenience of our customers, we began an experiment on September 17, 2018 to begin accepting credit card payments. It seems to be working as over one dozen people have paid for tours with credit cards. We accept credit cards for advance payments; we still only accept US cash on the day of a tour at the outset of a tour. If you want to pay with a credit card, I will send you an email with an attachment title Credit Card Form. I need this completed so I can process the information with the credit card company. Credit card payments have an upcharge of 5% to cover the additional costs of the:

Credit card rate,
Transaction fee, and
Bank charge.

If you know anyone who would be interested in receiving our blogs, please let us know at houstonhistory@aol.com. Provide a clear name and email address for the person or group and we will sign them up. Thanks.

See you on a tour.

Sincerely,

Keith Rosen
Houston Historical Tours
P. O. Box 262404
Houston, Texas 77207-2404
(713) 392-0867
(713) 643-4086 Fax
houstonhistory@aol.com
www.houstonhistoricaltours.com