DeKalb County in northeast Alabama is home to 80 miles of Lookout Mountain. To the west lies Sand Mountain and the valley nestled in between. The varied landscape is filled with opportunities for rock climbing, scenic drives and plenty of stops for shopping and dining. These drives can lead to many amazing finds that are old, bold and even cold.

Throughout the county, shoppers can find the “old” with antiques and uniques. In Mentone stop at Artisans Ltd. Inca Connection, an impressive array of Inca art, wood sculptures, carvings and weavings. Nearby White Elephant Antiques offers a shopper’s delight through 25 rooms. For antiques on a grand style, visit Big Mill Antique Mall in Fort Payne, a massive 21,000 square feet of exploration. The treasure hunt continues at S House Antiques and Strand Antiques, both in downtown Fort Payne.

For a “bold” find, come to DeKalb County and enjoy geocaching fun. Geocaching is a treasure hunt for the unknown. The journey starts with a website like www.geocaching.com. Enter the zip code for Fort Payne or Mentone, 35967 or 35984, and choose the cache you want to find. Most caches will contain a journal, to document your find, and a collection of small items. The rules are that you take an item and leave an item. Geocaching is great outdoor fun for all ages and DeKalb County is a popular location.

The surprising “cold” find in DeKalb County is snow skiing! Cloudmont Ski and Golf Resort is the southernmost ski resort in the U.S. Located in Mentone, Cloudmont begins producing snow as soon as the temperatures dip low enough. Skiers can enjoy two one-thousand foot, beginner-intermediate slopes. The slopes have an elevation of 1,800 feet and a vertical rise of 150 feet.

DeKalb County is easy to find along I-59, Alabama Highway 35 and US Highway 11. For more information visit www.stayindekalb.com or call 866-763-7513.