Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains dazzle in fall. The hillsides billow with ribbons of red, yellow, and rust-colored leaves, and roads lead past fields edged by fiery crimson and bright orange thickets of trees. To explore Nelson County, Virginia, we based ourselves at the Wintergreen Resort, a ski resort that sprawls on nearly 11,000 acres. The resort’s Blue Ridge Express chairlift offers seasonal rides for visitors to take in the breathtaking fall colors, and they can wander among gold and crimson trees on woodland trails that lead to babbling streams and ridgetop overlooks. The enticing peaks of Virginia, however, have equally beguiling valleys, and that’s where we explored. We discovered award-winning craft breweries, cideries, a meadery, and plenty of interesting and delicious cuisine at every price point. We began our trip with a hike to Crabtree Falls in George Washington National Forest. Plunging 1,200 feet, Crabtree is the highest vertical-drop cascading …