IT'S time to hit the road. Or at least to start coming up with some excuses for doing so.

Fall officially began this week, and West Virginians shouldn't pass up the opportunity to renew their souls.

That's what a road trip in this state can do for you.

If you can escape the rut of everyday life and take to the state's highways, you may be struck by the thought, as I always am, that you should do this more often.

The stress of daily responsibilities drains away, and a sense of peace and well being takes its place.

Whether it's an interstate or a back road, you don't have to drive far to realize you are surrounded by splendor. This state is charming in any season, but its autumn displays are downright dazzling.

When I'm headed to points northeast, such as Washington, D.C., I like to ditch the interstate at Weston and follow the route of the long-awaited Corridor H through some of the gorgeous eastern mountains.

Actually, several segments of the corridor, which eventually will be four lanes from Weston to the Virginia border, are finished.

It takes about the same amount of time to follow this route to Washington, D.C., as it does to travel all the way by interstate. The speed limit is lower, but that's offset by lower mileage.  

And good news about Corridor H was reported this week.

A 16-mile segment from Davis in Tucker County to Bismarck in Grant County will be built over the next two years - five years ahead of schedule. 

I will appreciate the convenience as more four-lane segments open, but I am not unhappy with the route the way it is right now.

The old two-lane stretches of road take me right through quaint little towns like Moorefield in Hardy County and Petersburg in Grant County. As a lifelong city girl, I like to imagine what dwelling in such towns must be like.

The tidy homes and pristine churches framed by massive old trees and yards full of colorful leaves are especially charming this time of year.

Or I drive W.Va. 55 along the gurgling South Branch of the Potomac River and see the rustic cabins and riverside campgrounds. I promise myself that someday I'll return to stay for a few days.

Too soon comes the Virginia border, two major interstates and the high-speed traffic headed into the congested metropolitan areas of Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

Darn, I feel sorry for folks who don't live in West Virginia.

Another favorite fall experience comes after a drive further up Interstate 79 to Morgantown on a football Saturday.

If the weather cooperates, I sit among the fans and take in the deep blue sky and the brilliant colors of the hills around the stadium. If the day is not too glorious, I even catch a little of the action on the field.

If only more people who do live here would pause to enjoy the paradise we inhabit.

If more of us would take advantage of the opportunities for hiking, biking, fishing, hunting, boating and camping, some of our much-discussed health problems might fall away.

In some states, people define themselves by such avocations rather than their day jobs. They are thinner and healthier. 

But I don't mean to preach. This is a season to enjoy.   

The state Division of Tourism has plotted five autumn trails with alluring names: Southern Accents, River Reflections, Scarlet Heartland, Mountain Magic and Golden Gateway.

One stretches from Huntington to White Sulphur Springs, another along the Ohio River from Point Pleasant to Wheeling; a third from Coopers Rock near Morgantown to Flatwoods; a fourth from Canaan Valley to southern Pocahontas County; and finally one from Harpers Ferry to Berkeley Springs in the Eastern Panhandle.

As a native West Virginian, I've been to most of the places along those routes.

I would gladly trace any of the trails again, and I'd be hard-pressed to pick a favorite.

On the tourism division web site - wvtourism.com - is a map that shows when colors will peak in each area. The estimated times range from late September to late October.     

Someone determined and organized could follow all five trails and perhaps experience the most spectacular fall of their lives.

So here's a challenge:

Pick a route - one of the tourism division's or your own - and enjoy fall in West Virginia.

Take some pictures, if you want, and send the best to dmn...@dailymail.com or to Fall Trips, Charleston Daily Mail, 1001 Virginia Street East, Charleston, WV, 25301 with information for captions.

We'll run some in the newspaper and in a gallery at

dailymail.com.

Friend is editor and publisher of the Daily Mail. She may be reached at 348-5124 or nan...@dailymail.com.