Welcome Fans, Friends, and Visitors,

Hi. Welcome to the beginning of the five-month heat wave. We go from our air-conditioned homes to our air-conditioned vehicles to our air-conditioned places of business or buildings and return. After May, the climate is too hot and humid to have many outdoor festivities and activities.

Weather in Houston

May is the first of the five consecutive months that give cause to why Houston is the most air-conditioned city in the world. You can wear a short sleeve shirt or blouse and feel comfortable. The monthly average high temperature is 86 degrees Fahrenheit/30 degrees Centigrade. The monthly average low temperature is 68 degrees Fahrenheit/20 degrees Centigrade, and the mean is 77 degrees Fahrenheit/25 degrees Centigrade. It is the fifth hottest month of the year and the first of five consecutive months when the daily high temperature is in the 30 degrees Centigrade. The average rainfall is 5.1 inches/129.8 centimeters. It is the fourth wettest month of the year after June, September, and October.

Tours

Mention that you read about the tours below from the blog and you will receive a 10% discount. Active or retired military veterans will receive an additional 10% discount on the tours below or 10% on any other tour.

May is one of the best months for ethnic holidays. It is:

1. Asian Pacific American Month (APAM)
2. Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM)
3. Cinco de Mayo (5^th of May)

 

Our ethnic themed tours are normally six hours, but they can be shortened or lengthened as you like. All of our 6-hour ethnic tours go to historic houses of worship, cemeteries, cultural centers, traditional neighborhoods, by significant buildings and businesses to the ethnic group, and to a restaurant that is in the same cultural theme.

Memorial Day is a holiday towards the end of the month to remember those veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice for their nation.

Space Center Houston (SCH)/NASA Tours

Most people do not realize that the majority of astronauts are on loan from the military and that NASA controls spy satellites. A strong military connection exists with NASA. Our SCH tours are normally 7 to 8 hours so that you can take advantage of all of the activities. These include:

• Tram Ride – Go to Rocket Park to see Mercury and Apollo rockets along with at least one other stop.
• Independence Plaza – Walk inside a training space shuttle and 747 airplane.
• Watch the historical film “On Human Destiny” that traces NASA’s history from 1961 to 2011.
• See a NASA-related movie on the biggest IMAX screen in Texas.
• Go to Blast Off! Theater to learn about the future of space flights.
• Hear the presentation of “Living in Space.”
• Lunch on your own at the Zero-Gravity Diner.
• Receive a guided-narrative tour through Starship Gallery, where you will see a mockup of the first liquid rocket from 1926, Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo capsules, a robonaut, walk through a mockup of Skylab (the first US space station), and more.
• Shopping for souvenirs and gifts.

 

National Food Day Tours

Did you know that:

• May 5^th is National Hoagie Day?
• May 16^th is National BBQ Day?
• May 25^th is National Wine Day?
• May 26^th is National Blueberry Cheesecake Day?
• May 27^th is National Italian Beef Day?
• May 28^th is National Brisket Day and National Burger 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 Walking Tour – Discounted by 17 to 29% Based on the Number of People

The monthly special for May is the 2.5-hour Tunnel Tour A. Of the three tunnels tours that we offer, this is one of the two most popular tunnel tours. It has the least amount of walking at about 1.7 miles/2.7 kilometers. It includes the most history. If you like architecture, architects, and or history, this is a FANTASTIC tour.

• The tunnel tours can only be offered Monday through Friday and not on holidays, such as Memorial Day. The tunnels are closed on weekends. The tunnels are open from about 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM when the businesses that are connected to them are open. To avoid rush hour traffic and to have sufficient time to go through the tunnels and while buildings are still open, we generally begin the tours no earlier than 9:30 AM and offer the last one at 3:00 PM. We are happy to be flexible on the starting time. We typically enter the:
  1. 1927 32-story tall Niels Esperson Building. This was Houston’s tallest building from 1927 to 1929.
  2. 1929 37-story tall J. P. Morgan Chase Building. This was Houston’s tallest building from 1929 to 1963.
  3. 1939 17-story tall City Hall. The architect was Joseph Finger.
  4. 1942 19-story tall Mellie Esperson Building. The architect was John Eberson.
  5. 1971 50-story tall One Shell Plaza. This was Houston’s tallest building from 1971 to 1980.
  6. 1975 36-story tall Pennzoil Place. This is Houston’s most award-winning skyscraper. Philip Johnson designed it.
  7. 1982 75-story tall J. P. Morgan Chase Tower. This is the tallest building in Texas. I. M. Pei designed it.
  8. 1983 71-story tall Wells Fargo Plaza. This is the second tallest building in Texas. Richard Keating designed it.

   

  We will discuss the architects, histories, different building usages, styles architectural features and changes to the buildings over the years. This tour can include going to an art gallery and seeing sculptures.

  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. Metered parking is usually available in the 500 block of both Walker Street and McKinney Street for up to 3-hours. Underground garage parking beneath Tranquility Park is accessible in the 500 block of Rusk Street.

  A walking tour only moves as fast as the slowest person.

Warnings:

• Use a bathroom before the tour begins. Only one public bathroom is accessible during this tour after we leave the area close to City Hall.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• The banks and One Shell Plaza prohibit photo taking. 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 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.

 

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.

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

No one attempted to answer last month’s Mid-April trivia question and win a free tour.  It will roll-over to next year.  Look forward to a new question in our Mid-Mayblog.

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