A year ago I bought my husband a tshirt with a quote from John Muir that says "The mountains are calling, and I must go."  Thankfully we live less than an hour from the Blue Ridge Mountains, because for him they are a refuge.  No matter how busy life gets for us, we always make time to get in a few hikes a year, especially during the fall season.  While I don't believe that any place on earth can beat visiting the New England states in the fall, here in Virginia we are able to view a kaleidoscope of reds, gold, and oranges in Shenandoah National Park from mid-October to mid-November.