Go for the fair, stay for the mountains, forests

It's almost state fair season again, but this year you could sample one of these annual harvest rituals in the middle of scenic forested mountains instead of flat fields of corn and soybeans. When you're done with the fair, you'll have those woods and hills to explore.

Tucked in the middle of the Appalachian Mountain chain, the West Virginia State Fair -- www.statefairofwv.com/sf/index.htm -- at Lewisburg on Aug. 11-20 offers livestock, home and garden, and arts & crafts competitions much like other states, but with a Mountain State flavor.

If this is your first trip to West Virginia, you'll need to check "Plan Your Trip" for a map and driving directions. Lewisburg isn't that far as the crow flies from Washington, Raleigh, Columbus or Pittsburgh, but the valleys and ridges of the Appalachians mean highways have to bend and turn a bit and it helps to have a map. "Plan Your Trip" is also the section for finding places to stay in the area.

With all of the wooded hills for which West Virginia is famous, you might want to consider camping. But if your budget isn't tight, the area has one renowned and luxurious place to stay -- The Greenbrier -- www.greenbrier.com/ -- the grand, stately spa at White Sulphur Springs that has been welcoming the elite since 1778. It even has a dress code (click on "About" and open the drop-down menu). It also has a vivid history, from being used to intern Axis diplomats during World War II to a top- secret Cold War bomb shelter known as The Bunker.

The Greenbrier is also famous for its golf courses. But nearby is a course called Oakhurst Links -- www.oakhurstlinks.com/ -- where golf is played as it was in the days when the pioneering course was originally laid out in 1884. Clubs are made of hickory instead of titanium, balls are a natural material called gutta percha, tees are sand instead of grass and the fairways are trimmed by a flock of sheep.

The fair and The Greenbrier are all part of Greenbrier County -- www.greenbrierwv. com/ -- where the "Outdoor Adventure" section under "What to Do" will lead you to mountain and riverside trails, caves, fishing, and the cabins and mountain overlooks of Greenbrier State Forest. In that same section, look for "Off the Beaten Path" for the Hillbilly Market. And there's a link to the Greenbrier Valley Arts & Music Festival, coming up on Aug. 29-Sept. 3. Look under "Attractions" for ghost tours and the Lewisburg Historic District.