We all know nutrition and exercise are important to one’s health, so at WestGate we want to do as much as we can to contribute to healthy lifestyles. Adjacent to our property, we have many different walking trails that provide a place of fitness in a quiet, natural environment. We are located near several parks, which are great outlets for fitness, recreation, and relaxation. We are just miles away from the Oak Ridge Rowing Association , which offers many great rowing locations that accommodate both beginners and experts. Hiking is also a great way to achieve relaxation and exercise. We are less than two hours away from the Great Smoky National Park and with more than 800 miles of hiking trails to choose from, it is a fun way to get active!

Nutrition is a key factor in achieving and maintaining a healthy life style as well. At WestGate, we are located just around the corner from several great grocery stores known for providing healthy food choices like Earth Fare, Three Rivers Market and The Fresh Market. We are glad that our guests have access to grocery stores that focus on local, organic and naturally grown food!

Calling all children 11 years old and younger! Stop by WestGate Lodging, 101 Gates Drive, Oak Ridge, TN 37830 on Saturday, October 29th wearing your Halloween costume and be entered to win one of three $150 cash prizes! We will also be playing fun games and having fun! Winners will be awarded in three categories: Funniest Costume, Most Creative Costume and Most Technologically Advanced Costume. Dress up like anyone (or anything) you want-comic book characters, video game characters, something out of a book or movie, or even something that you eat, the possibilities are endless. Show us your creativity and humor with the most amazing costume the world has ever seen and win cash!

There will be plenty of candy and other prizes for children 11 years old and younger who participate in the costume contest. We will also be having a great time playing halloween-themed games!

Registration opens at 11:45am and closes at 12:45pm.
Judging will begin at 1:00pm sharp. Winners will be announced at 1:30pm.

See You There! ]]> http://westgateor.com/blog/2011/10/westgate-hosts-halloween-party-for-kids/feed/ 0 http://westgateor.com/blog/2011/10/westgate-lodging-guests-entitled-to-a-free-membership-at-the-rush-during-their-stay/ http://westgateor.com/blog/2011/10/westgate-lodging-guests-entitled-to-a-free-membership-at-the-rush-during-their-stay/#comments Wed, 05 Oct 2011 02:26:36 +0000 tori http://westgateor.com/blog/?p=62 What a fantastic new perk! All WestGate Lodging guests will now receive a free membership to The RUSH Fitness Complex during their stay. Click here for a virtual tour!

The RUSH is a full gym, open 24 hours 7 days a week, with indoor pool, whirlpool, sauna, steam room and locker rooms. Lose weight/tone/firm, gain weight and/or build muscle tone, increase energy, increase flexibility, rehabilitation, relieve stress, sports performance and social interaction.

Rush Fitness Center
302 S. Illinois Avenue
Oak Ridge, TN  37830
(865) 276-3488
(Located in the center with Books-A-Million,  just across the street from Wal-Mart)

On a night when cooking dinner is out of the question, Big Ed’s Pizza is a family-friendly pizza joint that has been in Oak Ridge for decades. Located in Oak Ridge’s original townsite district, Big Ed’s serves pizza, soft drinks, and beer, all for a reasonable price.

If you’re looking for something fun that offers an educational benefit as well, the American Museum of Science and Energy is a great place for both. The AMSE is the largest exhibition of energy-related exhibits in the United States. The museum has something for each member of the family. It offers live demonstrations, videos, hands-on exhibits, and special events. Its hours are Monday-Saturday 9am-5pm and Sunday 1pm-5pm; admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children.

Enjoying live entertainment is a great way to relax and spend time with the family. The Oak Ridge Playhouse in Historic Jackson Square is presenting three plays this fall: Crimes of the Heart, On Golden Pond, and Little Women the musical. Also, the Oak Ridge Playhouse hosts a Junior Playhouse program, which produces three productions annually. Junior Playhouse offers programming for young audiences and also offers hands-on opportunities for young actors. The Oak Ridge Playhouse is a great venue for live entertainment that can entertain audiences of all ages.

If traveling and exploring fits your mood this fall, venture 20 miles north of Oak Ridge to Clinton and find the area’s best spot for antiquing . With more than 15 antique shops all within walking distance of one another, Clinton offers a large and varied selection of quality antiques, collectibles, and gifts. With slogans such as “Step back in time and shop Clinton” and “The town with the most antique stores in the south,” Clinton is not an area to pass up if antiquing is of interest to you or your family.

With so much to do and see in the area, we are thrilled to be sitting smack in the middle of it. Please keep WestGate Lodging in mind the next time your travels and pastimes bring you to Oak Ridge!

We are fortunate to be located in a city with one of Tennessee’s most prestigious school systems. The Oak Ridge school system was established in 1943 and has served as a strong base for the Oak Ridge community ever since.

Today, Oak Ridge City Schools are compromised of a preschool serving 216 students, four elementary schools serving 1,694 students, two middle schools serving 1,337 students, and one high school serving 1,480 students. The school system has a support staff of 300 and a licensed staff of 427, and 76% of these teachers hold a masters level degree.

Oak Ridge City Schools have been recognized as some of the best in the country for years now. Oak Ridge is the only school system in Tennessee to receive Expansion Management magazine’s Gold Metal destination as one of the nation’s top performing systems; they have received this award for nine years in a row. In 2005, Oak Ridge High School was listed by Newsweek magazine as a top-ranked high school based on number of graduating seniors taking advanced placement courses. In 2004, Oak Ridge was one of only two systems in East Tennessee to achieve all “A” status under the federal legislation that regulates local school accreditation, No Child Left Behind. Also, in September 2000, The Wall Street Journal’s Offspring magazine named Oak Ridge one of the top U.S. schools, second in the South.

Oak Ridge takes pride in the educational success of these students, and the community has a tradition of supporting this exceptional education. From the Oak Ridge support staff, licensed staff, students, parents, board of education, business leaders, city council, and citizens, Oak Ridge truly represents a collective effort of all segments working together to provide the best educational opportunities for the children.

We know that many people choose Oak Ridge as their home because of the incredible school system here, and we hope that you will keep us in mind as a stopgap when relocating. We are proud to be a part of the Oak Ridge community and are excited to see education excel in this area.

The weather was great (even if it was a little on the hot side), but that didn’t deter local community members from enjoying delicious Buddy’s Bar-B-Q, an open bar and jazz tunes from a few UT School of Music musicians.

Attendees – including some from ORAU, Wackenhut, USEC, The Oak Ridger and local realty companies – were treated to tours of the property.

The Open House would not have been possible without support from Parker Hardy, Lynn Christman, Brenda Stinnett, Fred DeFalco and Mallorie Mendence.

Special thanks to the following businesses: Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, Buddy’s Bar-B-Q, All Occasion’s Party Rentals and the UT School of Music.

Click here to view photos from Tuesday’s gathering. To learn more about what WestGate has to offer, please visit our website at www.WestGateOR.com.