Annual directory lists nation’s historic hotels

Washington — The National Trust for Historic Preservation has just issued its 2004 directory of “Historic Hotels of America,” which lists accommodations connected to American heritage in 42 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico and New Brunswick, Canada.

The hotels range from urban palaces to small inns and rustic lodges. They include the Royal Palms, a 20th century industrialist’s mansion converted into a Southwestern-style luxury resort; and the Old Tavern, a cozy lodge in Grafton, Vt., that was founded in 1801 as a stagecoach stop on the Boston-to-Montreal run.

Also included are the Eldridge Hotel in Lawrence, Kan., and the Raphael Hotel on Kansas City, Mo.’s Country Club Plaza.

For a copy of the directory or help in making reservations, call (202) 588-6295 or visit www.historichotels.org.

Airport restaurants turn toward healthier fare

Washington — It’s getting easier to find healthy food in airports, according to a study by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

The independent health advocacy group surveyed the nation’s 15 biggest airports to see what type of food was available for purchase by travelers. Three-fourths of the airports had healthy food at 50 percent or more of their restaurants, an improvement over last year’s study.

Denver topped the list with 83 percent of its airport restaurants offering healthy choices; San Francisco came in second with 82 percent of its eateries passing muster.

Chicago and Detroit each improved by 30 percent from a year ago; nearly three-fourths of the dining spots at their airports offered healthy food.

Other airports scored as follows: Miami, 68 percent; Houston, 64 percent; Newark, 60 percent; Atlanta, 59 percent; New York 57 percent; Seattle-Tacoma, 51 percent; Phoenix, 50 percent; Los Angeles, 47 percent; Dallas-Fort Worth, 43 percent; Las Vegas, 38 percent, and Minneapolis-St. Paul, 34 percent.

Restaurants were considered healthy by the physicians’ committee’s nutritionists if they offered at least one low-fat, high-fiber and cholesterol-free entree.