Wellness 101: Tee It Up in Delaware

July 26, 2014

Editor’s Note: This post is one in a series featuring the journey of wellness guru and golf enthusiast, A.J. Ali, who is traveling through every state in America while playing golf as a way to raise awareness for healthy living. After losing his father and brother to health-related illnesses and after a close call with a blood clot and pulmonary embolism two years ago, A.J. has dedicated his life to living well and sharing his experiences to encourage others to focus on wellness. 

Days 18 and 19 of the Wellness 101 50-State Challenge took Jane and I to the Westin Wilmington Riverfront in Wilmington, Del. where we spent a beautiful July 3-4 at the Ed Oliver Golf Course. We got to celebrate Independence Day in the very first state and our hotel was a mere 30-second walk from an incredible fireworks display right on the river.

The Westin Wilmington is a great place with an awesome team! If you travel as much as I currently do (15,000 miles over the next four months), being made to feel welcome is a huge plus. The good people at the Westin Wilmington get it right by embracing each guest as if they were family. The hotel is highly versatile; equally perfect for a corporate gathering or a romantic getaway.

When you go, make sure to enjoy the hotel’s River Rock restaurant that specializes in tapas. While dining there, I was lucky enough to meet Assistant Food and Beverage Manager Peter Kartanos. He is a great guy who shared with me how some healthy food choices have helped him to overcome some health challenges and greatly enhance his quality of life.

If you’re a golfer, you’ll want to play the Ed Oliver Golf Course. It’s a very mature course with tons of character and charm. This busy track was once the Wilmington Country Club, gifted to the city by the DuPont family. All that’s left of the original layout after a magnificent redesign by Alfred Tull and Ed Ault is a 100-year-old chimney on the signature 18th hole.

I golfed at Ed Oliver with GM Dan Zwirn who beat me by 13 strokes, but I do think we tied in laughs and good times. Aside from the easy access to golf and a beautiful riverfront walkway just steps away from the hotel, the Westin Wilmington Riverfront has an excellent wellness program. I’m proud to say that their food selection is fantastic and their kid’s menu is the healthiest I’ve ever seen.  BIG kudos to the Westin for offering our precious little ones more than chicken fingers and hot dogs.

There’s also an awesome and unique program called New Balance Gear Lending. If you don’t have workout gear with you, they’ll loan you some great stuff from New Balance – a complete outfit from head to toe. The only bad thing is that after you fall in love with the top-quality gear, you have to give it back. You do get to keep the socks though!

While the course was fantastic, make sure you take the time to enjoy the hotel’s many amenities including a richly appointed fitness studio and the hotel’s close proximity to the riverfront. You should also try taking a few minutes before or after your round to drive through the adjacent neighborhood. You will get to see some magnificent homes and lush landscapes. In this scenic part of town, the options for fitness and sightseeing are endless.

Visit the Westin Wilmington and the Ed Oliver Golf Course and tell them A.J. Ali sent you! You’ll be glad you did.

For more updates, my schedule of wellness stops and plenty of photos and videos, visit www.gofundme.com/wellness101.

 

Featured image courtesy of Ed Oliver Golf Club.