Welcome Fans, Friends, and Visitors,

Hi. Congratulations on your bravery to come outside in our month that has the second highest temperatures, the fourth greatest amount of rain, and the second most hurricanes. Think of:

• Hurricane Alicia on August 18^th, 1983.
• Hurricane Harvey between August 25^th – 29^th, 2017.

Like July, August is a good month to stay in air-conditioning and to take an out-of-town tour. Perhaps, you would like to take a day tour to Austin, Beaumont, Galveston, Orange, or San Antonio.

Weather in Houston

August is the second hottest month of the year, only a fraction of a degree behind July. 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 93 degrees Fahrenheit/34 degrees Centigrade. The monthly average low temperature is 75 degrees Fahrenheit/24 degrees Centigrade, and the mean is 84 degrees Fahrenheit/29 degrees Centigrade. It is the third of three consecutive months when the high temperature is normally in the 90 degrees Fahrenheit and the fourth of five consecutive months when the temperature is in the 30 degrees Centigrade. The average rainfall is 4.5 inches/11.5 centimeters. It is tied with November as the fourth wettest month of the year. The prime hurricane season begins during the last two weeks of the month. You can enjoy the 3 Hs: heat, humidity, and hurricanes.

Keeping Busy

In the month of July, Houston Historical Tours has conducted:

• Chocolate Tour for a birthday present.
• City Tours A1, A2, B, C, and E.
• Customized African American Themed Tours.
• Customized Downtown and Eado Tour.
• Customized Haunted Tour from A, B, and W.
• Customized San Jacinto State Park and Port of Houston Tour.
• Texas Medical Center (TMC) Walking Tour B – the Monthly Special.
• Tunnel Tour A.

It is good to keep busy!

We have had to turn away people repeatedly because they call and want to schedule a tour on the same day and sometimes within 1 hour of their call. We might already have a different tour scheduled that was paid for months in advance. Please plan your vacation in advance so we can be of service to you. We will try to accommodate you whenever possible.

Personal and Business Information

July and August have the worst weather of the year in Houston. Both have heat and humidity, but August also has hurricanes. Thus, I take a vacation to a cooler place each August. From August 8^th through the 20^th, 2018, I will be on a cruise and participating in land adventures of Alaska and British Columbia. This will include a trip to the Denali National Park and excursions in Anchorage, Haines, Juneau, Ketchikan, and Vancouver. This will be my first time to visit Alaska.

I am hoping that Alaska will be somewhat cooler than Houston. LOL.

I may not be able to immediately answer a telephone call while I am vacation (or as my foreign clients often say, “on holiday.” I may take longer to return calls and emails. I have no idea what the reception or Wifi will be like in Alaska, on a ship, and in Vancouver, Canada for the last day. I have other tour guides who conduct tours for me and they will be available. We already have scheduled 3 tours while I am out of Texas. Please be patient and understanding. Allow at least 48 hours before I can schedule any tour for you. I will try to accommodate you as much as possible.

Although I will be gone for 13 days, I will be here in Houston for 18 days and my other tour guides will be here, also.

Tours Below

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

Austin Tours
We offer 12 to 13 hour single day tours of Austin as well as multiple day tours and tours that combine Austin with San Marcos, New Braunfels, and or San Antonio. We can tour the state capital, go to the state cemetery, tour the University of Texas at Austin (my undergraduate alma mater, ha, ha), the LBJ Library & Museum, the Bullock Texas State History Museum, the Hill Country, and far more.

Beaumont Tours
We offer 4 different themed tours of Beaumont. Each one is 8 hours. This includes the 1.5 hour one-way drives to and from Beaumont.

• Museums and a Historic Library.
• Historic Homes and Mansions.
• Outdoors and Nature, Reconstructed Boomtown City, Botanical Gardens, and More – Not the ideal time of year for this tour.
• Downtown historical buildings and religious sites.

A Beaumont Tour could also be combined with a Port Arthur Tour.

Orange Tours
We offer two 8 hour tours of Orange. This includes the 2.0 hour one-way drives to and from Orange.

• Museums and Historic Homes.
• Shangri La Botanical Gardens, Religious Sites, and Historic Downtown.

 

August Monthly Special – TMC Walking Tour C –
Discounted by up to 50% Based on the Number of People

The monthly special for August is a 2.5-hour Texas Medical Center (TMC) Walking Tour C. Participation is limited to a maximum of 15 people. These buildings are working research institutions and hospital buildings with patients and faculty moving through them. We cannot interfere with their work and needs. This is one of the world’s most famous cancer hospitals. This tour starts at the Patient Drop-off area on the third level of the Parking Garage 10 at 6700 MD Anderson Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77030. This is north of Holcombe Boulevard. This alcove area has three benches that can each accommodate about four persons for a total of twelve people. We walk through six buildings that make up part of the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. These include the:

• Main Building,
• Duncan Building,
• Mays Clinic,
• Pickens Tower,
• Mendelsohn Faculty Center, and
• Rotary House Hotel.

 

You will see:

• The Aquarium,
• The Art Gallery,
• The Gazebo,
• The Park,
• The Pavilion,
• The Star,
• The Tree Sculpture,
• A waterfall,
• A grand piano, sometimes being played,
• Lots of gift shops,
• Chapels, and
• Cafes and restaurants.

 

Learn who were:

• D. Anderson,
• George Mitchell,
• Boone Pickens,
• Dan Duncan,
• Jesse H. Jones,
• Lee Clark, and
• Other movers and shakers.

 

You might ride on an electric golf cart through the skybridge along Pressler Street from the Mays Clinic to the Pickens Tower. This tour will be a fascinating experience in a world-class and respected institution.

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