Tag Archives: Houston Weather

Keith’s Blog – October 2018

Keith's Blog

Welcome Fans, Friends, and Visitors,

Hi. October is one of our busiest months. The reasons for this are two-fold:

October has arguably the best weather of any month in the year. It is moderate. The temperatures are generally in the 70s and 80s Fahrenheit/20s Centigrade. The humidity starts to fall in autumn. The most active hurricane period ends in September. We now have safe and pleasant weather. It is a relief after 5 months, May through September, of oppressive heat and humidity.

We have Halloween on October 31st. Houston Historical Tours offers nine different haunted tours. This includes 6 driving tours of 3.5- hours and 3 downtown walking tours of 2, 3, and 4 hours. We conduct on average of about 2 haunted tours per month from November to September. However, in October, associated with Halloween’s folklore of spooks, ghosts, orbs, and apparitions, we conduct 10 to 15 such tours. Most such tours start at 7:00 PM, but we are flexible and can star the tours at almost any time as long as we finish before midnight. You can read more about these haunted tours further in this blog.

Weather in Houston

October is Houston’s sixth warmest month. You probably do not need a jacket unless it is for water resistance. The monthly average high temperature is 82 degrees Fahrenheit/28 degrees Centigrade. The monthly average low temperature is 62 degrees Fahrenheit/17 degrees Centigrade, and the mean is 72 degrees Fahrenheit/22 degrees Centigrade. The average rainfall is 5.26 inches/13.4 centimeters. It is the third wettest month of the year.

Now, for some reminiscing:

Hurricane Harvey – August 25 – 29, 2017

Fourteen months ago, Houston endured the hurricane that resulted in the most property damage, $125 billion, in our history. Many, if not most Houstonians, including me, had some damage. However, we have been pulling through and getting on with our lives. According to the Houston Forward Times, Harvey dumped 15 trillion gallons/56,250,000,000,000 liters of water on Houston. We received 51 inches/130 centimeters, almost Houston’s annual amount of rain in less than one week. Yet, Hurricane Harvey resulted in a total of only 107 people dying directly and indirectly, of which 93 were in Texas of which only 14 were in the Houston area. It is notable and a relief to distinguish the disparity between property and human destruction. We have much to celebrate. We all have much to learn and to implement if we want to reduce future destructions from catastrophic storms.

Until August 2017, I thought Harvey was a six foot, three and one-half inch tall invisible rabbit that was Jimmy Stewart’s best friend and meant no harm to anyone in the 1950 comedy.

 

Tours Below

Mention that you read about any of the tours below from the blog and you will receive a 10% discount in the month of October. What a deal! This cannot be used in conjunction with any other discounted tours.

National Food Day Tours
Did you know that October 14 is National Dessert Day, October 18th is National Cupcake Day, and October 28th is National Chocolate Day? We will create a customized 3-hour Dessert Tour and a customized 3-hour Cupcake Tour to offer in addition to our 3-hour Chocolate Tour for any day in October. Who does not like comfort food?

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) Tours
Since 1985 October has been NBCAM. Select one or more of our three Women’s History Tours. Perhaps, you will be enlightened. If you select two or three such tours, you will receive a 20% discount off of the second tour and 30% off of the third tour.

Haunted Tours
Our driving tours include going to abandoned cemeteries, bars where people have been murdered or committed suicide, former hotels and hospitals where people were killed and died, drive by the mansion homes of River Oaks where people were murdered, and so much more. Two driving tours go to other cities about 30 miles/48 kilometers from Houston in Katy and Spring. Two tours specialize in only going to abandoned and lost cemeteries that may be hidden in jungle-like areas. Three tours are children friendly with no stops at haunted bars. The three downtown Walking Tours are of 2, 3, and 4 hours with the 4 hour tour having everything that the 2 and 3 hour tours have. This tour goes into the oldest operation building in downtown Houston. It was built in 1860, over 150 years ago and just 24 years after Houston was found. The walking tours focus on the oldest parts of Houston where you will see Allen’s Landing, the site where the Allen family landed in 1836 to become the first settlers of Houston.

Wine Tours
The state of Texas has designated October as Texas Wine Month. Check our website for dozens of wine tour opportunities. We take people to a total of 16 wineries and tasting rooms in 13 different cities. We offer 5 different geographic located wine tours with from 1 to 4 wineries and or tasting rooms on them. The average winery tour includes 4 tastings at each winery. The tours can last from 3 to 12 hours depending on how many wineries you want to visit and how far you want to travel. You must be at least 21 years of age to go on this tour. Salud/La’ chaim/Cin cin.

Brewery Tours
October is the month for Oktoberfest. It was called Wurstfest in earlier years. Although this is supposed to be a celebration of sausage, it makes for a good excuse for drinking beer. In the greater Houston area, we now have over 25 craft or micro-breweries. Check our website for dozens of brewery tour opportunities. These can range from 2 to 10 hours with one to six breweries in one day. A couple of breweries have their own restaurants on the properties. You must be at least 21 years of age to go on this tour. Prost/Cheers/Ariba/Sante, Skal/Slainte.

October Monthly Special – Downtown Walking Tour F
Discounted by 17% to 29% Based on the Number of People

The monthly special for October is Downtown Walking Tour F. This is a great month to be outside walking. The focus of this tour is Buffalo Bayou, 6 performance halls, statues, parks, and historic sites and buildings. This tour starts in the rotunda located on the first floor of the City Hall building at 901 Bagby Street, Houston, Texas 77002. This includes:

  • The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts,
  • The Wortham Theatre Center,
  • Houston Ballet Center for Dance,
  • Bayou Place with the Bayou Music Center, numerous restaurants, and a memorial to former US Congressman Albert Thomas,
  • The Alley Theatre,
  • Jones Hall,
  • Hogg Palace,
  • Buffalo Bayou Beast (our own pretend creation of a Loch Ness monster),
  • Buffalo Bayou Park,
  • Tranquility Park,
  • Sesquicentennial Park,
  • Market Square Park,
  • Fish Plaza,
  • Jones Plaza,
  • Statue of “In Minds” by Tony Cragg,
  • Statue of George Herbert Walker Bush,
  • Statue of James Baker, III, and
  • Statue of Virtuoso.

The downtown walking tours in May, June, September, and October all begin in the rotunda on the first floor of the City Hall building at 901 Bagby Street, Houston, Texas 77002. You can enter from either the east or west side of the building.

Warnings:

  • Use a bathroom before the tour begins. Only one public bathroom MAY be accessible during this tour.
  • We will be walking on uneven pavement, over curbs, and up and down stairs. Thus, you should NOT select this special tour if you use a walker, a wheelchair, or any other device that you need to enable you to move.
  • If you use a cane, we will be moving at such a slow pace that we will not be able to complete the whole walking tour. Thus, we will have to omit some sites.

 

Monthly Special Prices
(along with the totals including sales tax and gratuity for 6 or more people):

  • 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 – September 2018

Keith's Blog

Welcome Fans, Friends, and Visitors,

 

Hi. Now that school is in session, the queues, congestion, and noise at Space Center Houston and museums are now shorter. These institutions are more attractive to visit without the distractions, waits, and loudness to endure. City tours are always good year-round. September is also the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month.

Weather in Houston

September is the fourth hottest month of the year and the second rainiest month of the year. The monthly average high temperature is 89 degrees Fahrenheit/32 degrees Centigrade. The monthly average low temperature is 72 degrees Fahrenheit/22 degrees Centigrade, and the mean is 81 degrees Fahrenheit/27 degrees Centigrade. It is the fifth consecutive month when the temperature is in the 30 degrees Centigrade. The average rainfall is 5.6 inches/14.3 centimeters. This is the most active major hurricane prone month. Remember:

  1. The Great Storm on September 8th, 1900.
  2. Hurricane Carla from September 11th to 14th, 1961.
  3. Hurricane Rita on September 17th, 2005.
  4. Hurricane Ike on September 13th, 2008.

Bring a raincoat and an umbrella. Wear light clothing. It is still hot and humid.

 

Tours Below

Mention that you read about any of the tours below from the blog and you will receive a 10% discount in the month of September. What a deal!

Hispanic Themed Tours

Hispanic Heritage Month is an unusual holiday in that it begins in the middle of the month on September 15 and continues into the first half of October through the 15th. The reason for this unique recognition is:

  1. Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua declared their independence, on September 15, 1821.
  2. Mexico declared its independence, on September 16, 1810. It was recognized, on September 27, 1821.
  3. Chile declared its independence, on September 18, 1810.

 

Read about the 4 Hispanic tours that we offer by clicking here. This link will bring you to full information about our Hispanic tours in Houston.

Space Center Houston Tours

Give yourself at least 6 hours to:

  1. See the 40+ minute IMAX film on the largest IMAX screen in Texas.
  2. View the 18 minute film on Human Destiny that traces NASA’s history from 1961 to 2011.
  3. Hear the 15 to 25 minute speaker about current and future projects that NASA is formulating.
  4. Listen to the 15 to 20 minute representative talk about Living in Space.
  5. Give yourself 20 to 60 minutes, depending on whether you want to read every placard to tour the Independence Plaza sites of going into a 747 and a mockup of a space shuttle.
  6. Allow 1.5 to 2.0 hours to ride on the tram to go to 2 or 3 sites including Rocket Park to see Mercury (1961 – 1963) and Saturn V (1968 – 1972) rockets, the former mission control, and or the astronauts training facility. Saturn Vs were rockets that were used to launch men to the moon.
  7. Have a narrative tour for 30 minutes through the Starship Gallery history museum including touching a moon rock and going through a replica of the first space station from 1973 and 1974 called Skylab.
  8. Spend 20 to 30 minutes to eat lunch at the Zero G Diner.
  9. Shop for 20 minutes in the Space Trader store for souvenirs and gifts.
  10. Stand in queues and walking from one activity to another for some unknown length of time.

Ask yourself the questions, when were you last here and when will you return again. This might be a once in a lifetime or decade trip.

City Tours

We offer 9 tours ranging from only 2 to 9 hours. Decide how much you want to see, how many places that you want to get out and take photos, and how many places that you want to go inside. These tours will cover from about 15 to 70 miles.

September Monthly Special – Tunnel Tour C –
Discounted by 17% to 29% Based on the Number of People

The monthly special for September is the 2.5-hour Tunnel Tour C. This is the longest tunnel tour that we offer with about 4.0/6.4 kilometers of walking. It goes through 3 hotels including the Hyatt Regency and Doubletree and through several businesses. It includes going to a 12th floor observation deck and taking the glass elevator facing the street in the Hyatt Regency Hotel to the 31st floor Spindletop bar and restaurant. Although Spindletop is closed during the day, the elevator rides can offer great views.

The downtown walking tours in May, June, September, and October all begin in the rotunda on the first floor of the City Hall building at 901 Bagby Street, Houston, Texas 77002. You can enter from either the east or west side of the building.

Warnings:

  1. A walking tour only moves as fast as the slowest person.
  2. Use a bathroom before the tour begins. Only about two public bathrooms are accessible during this tour. Most of the businesses in or operating over the tunnels do not allow the general public to use their bathrooms.
  3. Not all of the tunnels are Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 accessible. Thus, you should NOT select this special tour if you use a walker, a wheelchair, or any other device that you need to enable you to move.
  4. If you use a cane, we will be moving at such a slow pace that we will not be able to complete the whole tunnel tour. Thus, we will have to omit some buildings.
  5. We go on elevators and escalators. Thus, you should NOT select this special tour if you have a phobia about either of these mechanical devices.

You cannot take photos inside the banks. Taking photos elsewhere is fine.

Monthly Special Prices
(along with the totals including sales tax and gratuity for 6 or more people):

  • 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 – July 2018

Keith's Blog

Welcome Fans, Friends, and Visitors,

Hi.  Welcome to the city where we can have 100% precipitation and no rainfall.  The air is damp.  The heat is extreme.  This is an excellent month to:

  1. Stay in a vehicle during city tours.
  2. Plan a tour that involves being in buildings such as museums and Space Center Houston (SCH).
  3. Go on tunnel tours inside air-conditioned environments in downtown and the Texas Medical Center (TMC).
  4. Go on an out-of-town tour such as to Galveston or San Antonio.

 

Weather in Houston

July is the hottest month of the year, but just barely ahead of August.  You might want to wear a cap or hat with a bill to keep your forehead and face a little cooler.  Bring sunscreen and perhaps a portable hand-held fan that can spray water on you.  The monthly average high temperature is 94 degrees Fahrenheit/34 degrees Centigrade.  The monthly average low temperature is 75 degrees Fahrenheit/24 degrees Centigrade, and the mean is 85 degrees Fahrenheit/29 degrees Centigrade.  It is the second of three consecutive months when the high temperature is normally in the 90 degrees Fahrenheit and the third of five consecutive months when the temperature is in the 30 degrees Centigrade.  The average rainfall is 4.4 inches/11.1 centimeters.  It is the seventh wettest month of the year.  In fact, Houston often has droughts in July due to the combination of extreme heat and a lack of rainfall.  Rainfall is not dispersed evenly.  Do you remember the old slogan for Morton’s Salt?  “When it rains, its pours.”  A month’s worth of rain may fall in only one or two days.

City Tours
Spend some time in air conditioned vehicles learning about your city.  With over 600 square miles, Houston is massive.  Relax and enjoy our tours.  You have the option of choosing the length of the tour and how much you want to see, from 2 hour to 9 hours, from about 15 miles/24 kilometers to about 75 miles/121 kilometers.

Museum Tours
How many of you know that Houston has over 45 museums and chapels.  What better time of year is there to be inside than summer in Houston?  Many of these museums and chapels are FREE and small enough that you can tour them in 1 hour or less.  Of course, some people might want to spend longer in some of them.  You can have this tour customized to the time you want and the number of museums you want to visit.  These free museums include:

  1. Art Car Museum
  2. Asia Society Texas Center – main exhibit only.
  3. Bayou Bend Visitors Center Museum
  4. Blaffer Museum
  5. Byzantine Fresco Chapel’s current exhibit
  6. Chapel of St. Basil
  7. Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (CAMH)
  8. Cy Twombly Gallery
  9. Dan Flavin Installation
  10. Dunham Bible Museum
  11. Houston Center for Contemporary Crafts (HCCC)
  12. Houston Museum of African American Culture (HMAAC)
  13. Houston Public Library African American Museum
  14. Houston Public Library Local Heritage Museum
  15. Menil Collection (arguably the best free art museum in the US)
  16. Rothko Chapel
  17. Watercolor Art Society – Houston (WASH)

What a wide variety!  Expand your knowledge, understanding of different cultures, and have a great time while enjoying air conditioning.

Downtown Tunnel Tours

Our downtown tunnel tours are always fan favorites.  We recently, as in this week, modified them.  The Wells Fargo Plaza has closed its observation decks to the public.  Only Tunnel Tour C has an observation deck on a 2.5 hour tour.  Per requests, we are now offering abridged 1.5 and 2.0 hour tours as well as extended 4.5-hour tunnel tours.  Check them out and tell what you think.

Texas Medical Center (TMC) Tunnel, Skybridge, and Hospital Tours
These tours are available 7 days a week and in the morning, afternoon, and night. They are all enclosed with the exception that on TMC Tour B (which is the most popular of the tours going through Texas Children’s Hospital, St. Luke’s Hospital, and Houston Methodist Hospital) we have to step outside to cross a street for about 5 minutes.  TMC A goes through the Memorial Hermann complex and has more history.  TMC C goes through the world famous UT MD Anderson Cancer Center.  These are generally 2.5 or 3.5 hour tours with a stop for lunch and a museum.  Did you know that the TMC has museums dedicated to Michael DeBakey and Denton Cooley and his colleagues?  These are all fascinating places.  

Galveston Tours
Visit our historic neighbor to the southeast where you can always feel the Gulf breezes.  Cooler in the summer than Houston and warmer in the winter, now is a good time to visit.  We offer Galveston tours from 5 to 12 hours depending on how much you want to do.  Wear sunglass, a hat, and bring sunscreen.  Galveston has harbor boat rides, one-half dozen museums, historic mansion homes from the 1890s to tour, great restaurants, a winery, breweries, and more.  Let us customize a tour for you.

San Antonio Tours
Now is a good time to leave Houston.  San Antonio has a certain mysticism and romance lacking in most US cities.  Its history and culture are unique among major cities in the US.  Did you know that San Antonio is the second largest city in Texas and seventh largest city in the nation?  We offer long 13 to 14 hour day tours as well as overnight tours from 2 to 6 days.  Austin is only 1.5 hours to the north.  Great shopping and other activities can be found in San Marcos, about 1.2 hours to the north on the way towards Austin.  Did you know that San Marcos has two of the largest outlet malls in all of the US?  Have fun in anything you choose.

Monthly Special – Discounted by 17 to 29% Based on the Number of People
The monthly special for July is a 2.5-hour Texas Medical Center (TMC) Walking Tour B.  This is the most popular of our 3 TMC walking tours.  We go through Texas Children’s Hospital, St. Luke’s Hospital, and the Methodist Hospital of Houston.  It also goes through a few other facilities.  It includes tunnels that were filled with water during Tropical Allison on June 9, 2001 and goes through approximately 7 skybridges.  It includes seeing waterfalls, an atrium, a miniature train layout, and much more that you might not expect to see in hospitals.  The front of The Methodist Hospital looks like an exquisite hotel with fountains, statutes, a huge ceiling, and a grand piano.   It starts in the first floor lobby of the Clinical Care Center (CCC) of Texas Children’s Hospital at 6701 Fannin Street, Houston, Texas 77030.  This is off of Bates Street, Entrance #10 and the closet parking is Garage 16.  From Fannin Street, one can only enter from the south.

Monthly Special Prices (along with the totals including sales tax and gratuity for 1 to 5 people):

  • 1 person – $40.00.  This is between a 43 to 50% discount, depending on the tour.

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

  • 2 people – $30.00 each.  This is between a 25 to 54% discount depending on the tour.

$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 between a 17 to 50% discount depending on the tour.

$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 to 43% discount depending on the tour.

$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 to 40% discount depending on the tour.

Add 8.25% sales tax and for groups of 6 or more people a 15% gratuity.
These prices cannot be combined with any other offer.
A maximum of 15 people can go on the Texas Medical Center (TMC) walking tours.

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 – June 2018

Keith's Blog

Welcome Fans, Friends, and Visitors

Hi.

  1. Do you like sunshine?
  2. Do you like heat and humidity?
  3. Do you want curly hair?
  4. Do you like to sweat?
  5. Do you feel more comfortable when your eyes are stinging from perspiration dripping in them?
  6. Do you like your hair matted on your neck within 1 minute of going outside?
  7. Do you like drinking the air?

 

Welcome to Houston where you can have all of this. Dress as lightly as possible and bring fluids to hydrate yourself.

June is Gay and Lesbian Month.
Houston was the first major city to have an openly gay mayor: Annise Parker from 2009 to 2015. Some estimates show that Houston has the sixth largest gay population in the United States. An area of Houston known as Montrose has a thriving gay population. Houston is among the leaders in the nation for performing and theater arts. The gay population is active as sponsors and participants. However, you can find the gay population throughout the city in all walks of life

Weather in Houston
June is the first month of the hurricane season that lasts through November 30th, for six months. However, have no fear. With the exception of a freak storm that began in the Pacific Ocean and crossed Mexico, Hurricane Patricia on October 25, 2015, 100% of all major hurricanes that have hit Houston do so in a six-week window during the last two weeks of August and the first four weeks of September. Some people who come from cooler climates who are not used to air-conditioning complain that our buildings and cars are too cold. However, within two minutes of us turning the AC off, these same people will complain that the temperature is too hot and insist on us turning on the AC again. Many ethnic minority women shield themselves from the sun and heat by using umbrellas on bright clear days. You might want to wear a cap or hat with a bill to keep your forehead and face a little cooler. The monthly average high temperature is 91 degrees Fahrenheit/33 degrees Centigrade. The monthly average low temperature is 74 degrees Fahrenheit/23 degrees Centigrade, and the mean is 82 degrees Fahrenheit/28 degrees Centigrade. It is the third hottest month of the year and the first of three consecutive months when the high temperature is normally in the 90 degrees Fahrenheit/30 degrees Centigrade. The average rainfall is 6.8 inches/17.4 centimeters. It is by far the wettest month of the year. It is the only month with 6 or more inches of rainfall or 145 or more centimeters of rain.

Tours

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

Gay and Lesbian Themed Tours
We go to a variety of bars, restaurants, clubs, unisex shops, and boutiques, and neighborhoods. This is usually a late afternoon and or evening tour.

Brewery Tours
Nowadays, Houston has over 2 dozen breweries. All but one, the St. Arnold Brewery (the grand-daddy, has started up since 2011. We offer brewery tours from 2 to 10 hours, from 1 to 4 breweries, from 1 to dozens of people. We can play Irish, German, and country and western beer drinking songs along the way or play DVDs of movies and television shows that focused on beer drinking and where everyone knows your name. Most breweries have either restaurants or food trucks on the premises to eat meals.

Galveston Tours
Galveston tours range from 5 to 14 hours depending on what you want to see. Galveston has about 6 museums including the Ocean Star Oil Rig museum, The Bryan Museum whose specialty is anthropology, the Texas Seaport Museum, and the 4th largest Railroad Museum. Perhaps, you would like to tour one or both of the 1890s mansion homes: the Bishop’s Palace and or Moody Mansion. You might want to go shopping on The Strand; this area looks a lot like a mini-, cleaned up version of Bourbon Street in New Orleans. You could see one to three movies about the history and main events in the history of Galveston, including the greatest natural disaster in United States history. The Galveston Hurricane, also known as the Great Storm killed between 6,000 and 8,000 people in just one city. That figure is greater than the total number of people killed by all of the hurricanes that have hit the US since that time COMBINED. We will also take you around to see the different neighborhoods, and Victorian homes and public structures and to tour downtown, and drive along The Seawall.

San Antonio Tours
We offer single-day tours of between 13 and 14 hours as well as multi-day tours. The single-day tours generally leave from downtown at 6:30 AM to arrive in San Antonio by 9:30 AM. We will go to the Alamo, Alamo Plaza, St. Joseph’s Church, the Riverwalk, the Arneson River Theater, La Villita with homes from the 1700s (It is now an artist colony, and Market Square (the Mercado). If time permits, we will go to the Mission San Jose y San Miguel from 1720. We will drive through the King William District of old mansions of a German settlement from the mid to late 1800s. We will drive through downtown where we will see the Bexar County Courthouse, City Hall, Spanish Governor’s Palace from the early 1700s, San Fernando Cathedral from 1731, 1840s home of Jose Navarro, the 1929 Majestic Theater (an old movie theater palace) and the home of the great short story writer O’Henry. Multi-day tours can include a day at Seaworld and or Fiesta Texas, as well as going to Austin, New Braunfels, and or San Marcos, museums, the San Antonio Zoo, and Japanese Gardens.

Monthly Special
Discounted by 17 to 29% Based on the Number of People

The monthly special for June is the 2.5-hour Tunnel Tour B. THE TUNNELS ARE AIR CONDITIONED! CELEBRATE!

Of the three tunnels tours that we offer, this is one of the two most popular tunnel tours. It has the most visual stimuli, variety of activities, and a moderate amount of walking. We will see hundreds of different stores and shops, go through the largest food court in the tunnel system, walk through at least 3 skybridges/skywalks from building to building and with smaller groups of 10 or less, go to 59th and 58th floor observation decks. We walk through the busiest sections of the tunnels. The walking is 2.0 miles/3.2 kilometers. Shoppers and people with attention deficit disorder (ADD) tend to love this tour.

The downtown walking tours in May, June, September, and October all begin in the rotunda on the first floor of the City Hall building at 901 Bagby Street, Houston, Texas 77002. You can enter from either the east or west side of the building.

It goes into the:

  • Wells Fargo Plaza
  • 1 Houston Center/LyondellBasell Tower/1200 McKinney Street,
  • 2 Houston Center/909 Fannin Street,
  • 3 Houston Center/Fulbright Tower/1301 McKinney Street,
  • 4 Houston Center/Shops at Houston Center/1221 Lamar Street, and
  • 5 Houston Center/1401 McKinney Street.

 

It goes under:

  • The Kinder-Morgan Building,
  • 919 Milam,
  • 1000 Main,
  • One City Centre,
  • 1001 Fannin,
  • 1001 McKinney/ International Bank of Commerce (IBC),
  • The Commerce Towers, and
  • 811 Louisiana.

 

You will walk through skywalks/skybridges over:

  • Caroline Street twice,
  • McKinney Street, and
  • San Jacinto Street.

 

Warnings:

  1. A walking tour only moves as fast as the slowest person.
  2. Use a bathroom before the tour begins. Only about two public bathrooms are accessible during this tour. Most of the businesses in or operating over the tunnels do not allow the general public to use their bathrooms.
  3. Not all of the tunnels are Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 accessible. Thus, you should NOT select this special tour if you use a walker, a wheelchair, or any other device that you need to enable you to move.
  4. If you use a cane, we will be moving at such a slow pace that we will not be able to complete the whole tunnel tour. Thus, we will have to omit some buildings.
  5. We go on elevators and escalators. Thus, you should NOT select this special tour if you have a phobia about either of these mechanical devices.
  6. You cannot take photos inside the banks. Taking photos elsewhere is fine.

 

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 of 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 of 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 of 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.

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-April 2018

Keith's Blog
Welcome Fans, Friends, and Visitors,

Hello to all of our new and continuing members. In the past month from March 15th to the present, I have had the pleasure to conduct tours for dozens of people to and of:

  1. Tunnel Tour A repeatedly
  2. Tunnel Tour B
  3. Psychos, Killers, and Victims A
  4. City Tours of various lengths
  5. Presidential Tour to Austin
  6. Presidential Tour to College Station
  7. Space Center Houston repeatedly
  8. Pick up and return trips to Hobby Airport (HOU).
  9. Pick up from the Galveston Cruise Terminal, a city tour, and transport to HOU.
  10. Heights Tour
  11. Walking Tour E
  12. Unique Houston Tours for busloads of high school students.

There is never a dull moment: different people and different tours each day.

Our weather sure has been erratic this month. We have temperatures from the 40s to the 80s all within a seven day period.

This Monday is Tax Day. One is supposed to have their income taxes filed by April 18th this year. Three days later, on April 21st, we commemorate and celebrate San Jacinto Day. This is the anniversary of the 1836 battle in which Texas won its independence from Mexico. For many years, I taught about this significant battle in the history classes for middle and high school students and in college. To honor all of our federal, and state employees and public school teachers, if you bring proof of your employment with the federal or state government or in a public school, you can receive a 20% discount on any daily tour during the month of April.

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.

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 2018

Keith's Blog

Welcome Fans, Friends, and Visitors,

Who wants to earn a free tour? Read on down.

Well, I want to start off by apologizing to any all of our readers. I wrote a Mid-November blog and then no Mid-December and a late Mid-January blog now. I have had a series of software problems that resulted in me not having use of my computer for most of December. Since the end of December, I have had to catch up on emails as well as dealing with the learning curve of using a new Apple Operating System, and a new Microsoft Word program. I am still learning. However, I think I can catch up now on my communications.

Congratulations to Sadie Cano. On the last day of the trivia contest, Sadie sent in all of the correct answers. The question was to identify the championship Houston teams from the following years:

 

  1. 1960
  2. 1961
  3. 1974
  4. 1975
  5. 1994
  6. 1995
  7. 1997
  8. 1998
  9. 1999
  10. 2000
  11. 2006
  12. 2007

 

The correct answers that Sadie sent in were:

  1. 1960  Oilers
  2. 1961  Oilers
  3. 1974  Aeros
  4. 1975  Aeros
  5. 1994  Rockets
  6. 1995  Rockets
  7. 1997  Comets
  8. 1998  Comets
  9. 1999  Comets
  10. 2000  Comets
  11. 2006  Dynamo
  12. 2007  Dynamo

 

I called and spoke to Sadie to congratulate her. Sadie, send us another email to schedule your BOGO, buy one, get one free tour of equal or lesser value of a local tour that does not have additional expenses. If additional expenses are required by third parties, you will pay for that separately. It will be our pleasure to be of service to you.

As I write this blog on January 16th, 2018, a cold front has visited Houston, lowering the temperatures from 64 degrees Fahrenheit/17 degrees Celsius yesterday to 28 degrees F/-3 degrees C today. The temperatures are stilling falling. We have had multiple freezes in the winter of 2017 – 2018. Snow fell on December 7, 2017, just 2.3 months ago. This was the second earliest snow in Houston history. On December 4, 2009, 1 inch/3 cm. of snow fell on Houston. The coldest recorded winter in Houston history was the 1977 – 1978 winter. We still have over 2 months of winter ahead. January is Houston’s coldest month; our monthly average low temperature is 45 degrees F/7 degrees C. The low today is projected to be more than 20 degrees F/10 degrees C greater than the norm. By Saturday of this week, the temperatures are to rise to 70 degrees F/21 degrees C. I write jokingly, that we have bi-polar weather.
: – )

Some of our local television stations have cancelled all regular programming to just cover the weather, the roads, and the other effects. This news coverage seems to be a repeat of the type of coverage Houstonians saw during Hurricane Harvey this summer. We certainly seem to have extremes of weather. It is not dull here.

Sources:

http://www.wxresearch.com/almanac/snowhou.htm
http://web2.airmail.net/danb1/freeze.htm
https://texashurricane.wordpress.com/2011/02/15/how-often-does-houston-see-temperatures-in-the-teens/

As the weather is related to touring, I am often asked will a tour be cancelled due to the weather. I am proud to state that Houston Historical Tours has NEVER cancelled a tour for any reason. I have driven through Hurricane Rita in 2005 and Hurricane Patricia in 2017 while conducted out-of-town tours. A little snow or ice will not stop us! It may slow us, but it will not stop us.

I have been repeatedly asked with regard to tunnel tours, if they are still operated on rainy or cold days. The tunnels are just that – tunnels. They are dry and heated. They are great places to be inside during inclement weather. In fact, poor weather conditions are a good reason for taking a tunnel tour at these times and to appreciate the value and usefulness of these tunnels.

Furthermore, unlike some other companies, all of our vehicles are enclosed with heat for the winter and air conditioning for the rest of the year, including sometimes in winter, also. We can have winter temperatures in the 80s F/20s C, also. Houston Historical Tours believes in the comfort of everyone.

By the way, the bi-annual Destinations Galore Travel Show will be held at the Humble Civic Center at 8233 Will clayton Parkway, Humble, Texas 77338 on Tuesday, January 30th from 9:30 AM to 1:00 PM. I will have a booth there with cards, brochures, photos, maps, displays, and information. I have had a presence there for over 15 years. Come out, say hi, pickup information, ask questions, and look around.

 

Here is your challenge to earn a free tour.

With all of this focus on the weather, here are some questions for a second BOGO treat. Answer all of them.

 

  1. What was the highest temperature in Houston history?
  2. A tie exists for the highest temperature in Houston history. What was the first such date?
  3. What was the second date of the highest temperature in Houston history?
  4. What was the coldest temperature in Houston history?
  5. What was the date of the coldest temperature in Houston history?
  6. What was the greatest amount of snow to fall in Houston history at one time?
  7. What was the date for the greatest amount of snow that fell in Houston history?
  8. What was the date for the second greatest amount of snow that fell in Houston history?
  9. How many days does Houston average freezing temperatures annually?
  10. When was the last Houston winter without a freeze? Identify the two-year season such as 2017 – 2018.

Good luck!

The first person to answer all the questions correctly by the end of January will win a BOGO. Buy one tour, get one tour free of an equal or lesser amount of a local tour that does not have additional expenses. For example, pay for a tour for 1 person, and the other person is free. A beer tour or any food tour or Space Center Houston tour have additional expenses. You can apply your victorious BOGO to one of these tours or any other local tour if you want to pay for the additional expenses to the third party.

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